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September 17, 2021
THE U.P. CATHOLIC
www.upcatholic.org
Deacon Vince Beckley
- From Fr. Brian & your Resurrection Parish Family
We congratulate you on your 25th Jubilee of Ordination!
There are no words to express how much we appreciate you being there for us in our highs and our lows. We also thank Christine and your family for sharing you with us. "You are a blessing and we know you will be blessed!"
"Be yourself and trust in God"
Including Massage Therapy
SACRED HEART RELIGIOUS GOODS
(906) 228-4462
419 W. Washington Marquette
We couldn't miss this opportunity to thank our Diocesan Priests and to let them know how much they are loved. Happy Priesthood Sunday!
Father, you call each one of us by name and ask us to follow you. Bless your church by raising up dedicated and gener- ous leaders from our families and friends who will serve your people as Sisters, Priests, Brothers, Deacons, and Lay Ministers. Inspire us as we grow to know you, and open our hearts to hear your call. We ask this in Jesus' name, Amen.
Vocations prayer
CAROL HOLLENBECK
THE U.P. CATHOLIC
Deacon Vince Beckley, Resurrection Church, Menominee, didnt think about being a deacon when he was a kid. He wanted to be a priest. The opposite sex got in the way of that, he said, laughing. He and his wife, Christine, have been married for 54 years. Beckley marks his Silver Jubilee in the diacon- ate this year. A cradle Catholic, Beckley said he has never doubted his Catholic faith. But it wasnt until he was 50 that he began studying for the diaconate. Unable to have children, Beckley and Christine decided to adopt and took in two children from Germany. We wanted another, but it was hard because we already had two healthy children, he said. It was the kids who said, Lets adopt someone no one else wants. I wasnt sure about that. But then we met Ian and spent a weekend at his foster home. When we drove away, I looked back, and he was standing, looking out the window. I just broke down. Ian was four and a half when he was adopted by the Beckleys. He is 49 now and lives with Beckley and his wife. We are way more blessed having him in our family and community than he has been blessed by us, Beckley said. Always an active Catholic, Beckley said it was attending a friends ordination that gelled the desire in him to become a deacon. A good friend, Alfred Schlehuber, asked me to be a server for his ordination on Mackinac Island. After that, I start- ed looking into it, and other deacons encouraged me, he said. I felt a pull toward it. But I always thought you had to be invited to enter the diacon- ate. I found out that it is a call from within. Christine was very supportive of his decision, Beckley said. I think she was proud that I was willing to give of myself, he said. We pray to- gether every day. The first two hours of every day is spent in prayer and in Mass. Beckley attended lay ministry school in Negaunee for two years. Then had to wait a year before he was eligible to formally apply to diacon- ate formation which took place in Green Bay. After another one and a half years of study, he was ordained on Dec. 13, 1996. Ministering to the elderly remains his favorite part of being a deacon. Theres a special place in my heart for the elderly. I love being part of the community of the elderly. Its a blessing, he said. Ive learned a lot from them, especially from the ones whose faith is deep and grounded. Last year, when the Covid shutdown hit, Beckley said he heard a lot of fear and anxiety, and frustra- tion with not being able to go to church from shut- ins. It inspired me to write reflections to share with people, he said. Im still doing it. As he reflects on his 25 years in the ministry, Beckley notes that the diaconate is a very import- ant function in the church. Some deacons equate themselves to the priesthood, he said. Were not priests. We need priests. But deacons support priests in their work. Its a partnership. Deacons need to understand that their role is dif- ferent than the priests. When priests and deacons get along, they can do wonderful work. Ive been blessed to have really great priests in our parish, he continued. Im very grateful. Ive learned something from every one of them. To newly ordained deacons, Beckley advises them to be themselves. Dont try to be more than who or what you are, he said. Trust in the Lords leading. I found out that being me is what people are drawn to. Be yourself, and trust in God.
Deacon Vince Beckley celebrates Silver Jubilee
Rainy day pet blessings in Rudyard
PHOTO COURTESY OF KATHY TREML
Father Tim Hruska, pas- tor of St. Francis Xavier, Brimley and St. Joseph, Rudyard, blesses pets in the pouring rain during the 2021 Rudyard Summerfest Celebration. The Rudyard Summerfest is held the last full weekend of July each year, however 2020 festivi- ties were dampened due to the pandemic. The parishes invite Catholics to join Fa- ther Hruska for the Blessing of the Pets in 2022.
St. Francis of Assisi, pray for us!
Deacon Vince Beckley
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