By A.M. Kelley
Superior Catholic Herald

Deacon's vocation sparked by 1995 ceremony

SPOONER -- Who's to say if Gregg Miller could have found his way into the diaconate program without the influence of his family?

When his daughter Marcella served at the 1995 ordination of Bernard Drevnick, Miller had no interest in the affair.

"I don't think I want to go," he recalls saying. "I don't even know what a deacon is."

So no one was more surprised than Miller when he was engulfed by a wave of enthusiasm for the diaconate program during the ceremony.

That enthusiasm gestated for four years and one fall while he was off deer hunting, his wife picked up an application for him.

"I think it's time," Miller said, when he saw the papers.

He began his studies four years ago. Since the first class there's been no turning back. With his ordination scheduled for May 22 at his home parish in Hudson, he sat down with the Catholic Herald on May 7 to talk about his spiritual journey. The conversation took place in Spooner where Miller had spent the weekend learning how to write and deliver homilies.

His career has been in business, first in industrial chemicals, in a company he began with his father -- Metal-Prep Supplies Inc.-- and now as a salesman in a related field.

Miller, 51, married Jane Ann Blazek in 1974 and for the past 25 years the couple has attended St. Patrick Parish, Hudson.

Jane Miller works two part-time jobs, one with the Prescott Public Library, the other as a clerk with the Hudson Police Department. She also teaches Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults at St. Patrick and attended most of the diaconate classes with her husband during the past four years, which is customary for a spouse.

"We have a lot to talk about, and are involved together in the church," Jane Miller said.

"Wives have a unique ministry," Gregg Miller said. "When we come home, they're there."

The Millers have four daughters: Anna-Mariah, 29, is married to Beau Kelly and they have one daughter, Amelia, and live in Juneau, Alaska; Amanda, "Mandi," 26, works for the St. Croix Valley Girl Scout Council and is studying at the University of Minnesota for a master's degree in international studies; Marcella, 22, has just graduated with a degree in accounting and international business from St. Norbert College, De Pere, Wis.; and Natalya, 21, is a freshman at the University of Alaska Southeast in Juneau.

Miller said managing pastoral, work and family responsibilities is a balancing act.

"We tell people, family is first," he said. "It helps to keep it in mind for ourselves."

Morning prayers are required for deacons-in-training and Miller's committed to serving the parish 20 hours a month.

"A lot of deacons have an ongoing tiredness," he said. "But when dog-tired, a spiritual strength shows up. There's so much work to be done. But we wouldn't have it any other way."

All men studying in the diaconate program -- currently there are 19 -- are encouraged to find a spiritual support group. Miller's spiritual advisor is fellow St. Patrick parishioner Richard Oehmke.

The 70-year-old Oehmke is a retired 3M chemist and became acquainted with Miller at an interfaith men's prayer breakfast held every Saturday in Hudson. He said he tries to support Miller and shares with him his personal experiences.

"People get into various binds," Oehmke said. "When (Miller's) dad died and his mother had the beginning stages of Alzheimer's, you have to see God in that. Crosses come to everyone. How you bear them makes all the difference."

While not counselors, a big part of a deacon's ministry can be empathic listening. Regarding this, an advisor and support group serve another function. They can help a deacon avoid burnout. In this, Miller takes a tip from Fr. Dennis Mullen of Frederic and Grantsburg.

"Have people keep an eye on you and give you feedback," he told Miller.

Long involved in religious education at the parish, Miller looks forward to new duties with confidence -- serving as an acolyte, and performing baptisms and funerals. It's when he mentions weddings that a blip appears on the screen.

"The first wedding I do is probably going to be a mess," he said. "Holy cow, what am I really getting into? I don't know who's going to be more nervous: me, the bride or groom?"

His bride of nearly 32 years has faith in him.

"He does an excellent job impressing on people on how important the ceremonies are," Jane Miller said. "He takes it very seriously."

Her husband said he's encouraged by her support and the good wishes of others.

"It's humbling to be considered a peer in the (deacon's) group," he said. "And I'm incredibly grateful for the support."

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© Superior Catholic Herald, 2006