By Dan Sullivan
Catholic Herald

Three men took different paths to ordination

SUPERIOR -- On Sunday, June 26, three men with varied pasts, came together with one goal in mind. Deacon Barg Anderson, James Hardy and Bernard Byrne journeyed to the Cathedral of Christ the King to be ordained. Anderson was ordained a priest and both Hardy and Byrne moved one step closer to the priesthood in their ordination as transitional deacons.

Because of their ages, all three men had to find a diocese to serve and chose Superior. "Part of the reason I came to the Superior diocese was that not every bishop will ordain a person of my age, but Bishop (Raphael M.) Fliss has been really supportive," Anderson said.

Before accepting his call to priesthood at the age of 50, Anderson worked with computers, served in the U.S. Marine Corps and was a business owner. "I bring a lot of life experiences that I can share with others," he said.

Anderson had an earlier call to the priesthood that went unanswered. "I had an interview with the Dominicans when I was in high school," he said.

A native of Minneapolis, Minn., Anderson said it was after attending a nephew's funeral at St. Joseph Parish in Rice Lake that he again began to think about the priesthood. The Mass was said by Fr. Kevin Gordon, who was vocation director at the time. "I told him that I was interested in being a permanent deacon out in Reno, Nev., where I was living at the time," he said.

As a result of this conversation, when Anderson returned to Reno, he decided to enroll at St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul, Minn.

Anderson's seminary studies have included learning about prayer, textbook knowledge about being a priest and pastoral theology. "My studies have been a mix of things in order to be a balanced priest," he said. "You have to have a prayer life. It's something you can draw upon in your experiences. People want to see their priest be a man of prayer."

As an ordained priest, Anderson is looking forward to his continued call to serve people. "Every Christian, in their baptism, is called to help extend the kingdom of God," he said. "As a priest, I will be able to do a different form of ministry."

Anderson almost left his seminary studies behind to become a hospital chaplain, but was awakened to fact that a priest can do things that others cannot. "I would go to visit people that were sick and they were glad to have my company, but they wanted a priest," he said. "A priest is so blessed to be at all the privileged moments in a person's life. I am looking forward to helping people become closer to God, as I become closer to God."

Both Hardy and Byrne are attending Sacred Heart School of Theology in Hales Corners, Wis. This seminary caters to second career vocations. Hardy started in 2003 and in 2004 Byrne began a special program for older seminarians that was pioneered by Fr. Eugene Hornung of the Superior diocese.

Byrne, 71, is the father of seven children and the grandfather of 15. He was married for 30 years until his wife, Marion, died in 1990. Following his wife's death, Byrne decided to move from Long Island, NY, to Omaha, Neb., to be closer to family. He soon became active in church there and enrolled in the permanent diaconate formation. "Working in the diaconate program, I soon realized that I could do more as a priest," Byrne said. "I've had so many blessings in my life. Being that I have been married, and I am a father and grandfather, will all be useful in my ministry."

Hardy, originally from Battle Creek, Mich., said his decision to become a priest went beyond logic. "It's all from the heart," he said. "I really felt this was what I was being pulled and drawn toward. I often tell my friends that if God wants you he will get you."

Hardy, 61, started his seminary studies at the age of 59. "My aunt said I told her when I was 9 years old that I wanted to be a priest," he said. Instead of embarking on a priestly vocation at an early age, Hardy took a different path, serving a total of 25 years with the U.S. Air Force and Wisconsin Air National Guard, and working as a teacher for a number of years.

Hardy said he is looking forward to his year as a deacon and his planned ordination to the priesthood. "I have one more year of study," he said. "I feel it's going to be a roller coaster and will go very fast. God willing, next June, both Bernie and I will be ordained."

During the coming year at the seminary, Hardy will assist as a deacon at the Congregation of the Great Spirit Parish in Milwaukee. Once ordained a priest, Hardy said, he looks forward to administering the sacraments. "I want to be able to help people," he said. "I want to be able to be a good priest, but I want to be able to help people link to Christ through the sacraments."

Byrne said he gained valuable experience in hospital ministry when he was in the permanent diaconate program. "We did all of the nursing homes in Omaha and every week we would do hospital ministry," he said. "There is a real need in hospital ministry and in nursing homes."

Byrne will continue his work in the seminary, with his ordination pending in June of 2006. "I hope to stay on top of the school work and pray hard," he said. "I just hope I am worthy of all the blessings that I have received."

In between his seminary studies, Anderson spent some four years with parishioners of St. Joseph Parish in Osceola and Our Lady of the Lake in Balsam Lake. "I've preached to these people and done all the ministries," he said. "I've taught in their religious education program and they have really become my extended family."

Cedric and LaVon Solland were among some 80 people who traveled in two buses to Superior from the Osceola and Balsam Lake parish cluster.

"We came for Andy," LaVon Solland said. "He's going to make an excellent priest."

Cedric Solland added, "We consider Andy a dear friend."

The Sollands also wanted to be able to see the restoration work at the cathedral. "This is the first time we've seen the cathedral," Cedric Solland said.

The couple agreed that it is important that ordinations return to the cathedral. "At first I thought it wasn't and it would have been nice to have it in Balsam Lake," Cedric Solland said. "After being here and seeing the cathedral, I think that it's important that it is held at the cathedral because that's what this place is all about."

Anderson was to celebrate Masses of Thanksgiving at Balsam Lake June 27 and at Osceola June 28.

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© Superior Catholic Herald, 2005