Vocational Series #2 – Permanent Diaconate, with Deacon mark Neugebauer

Deacons have always been a mystery to me – they are married and sometimes have secular jobs outside of their work in the parish but they also help out with a lot of church duties, and even give homilies. Are they closer to lay people or consecrated religious? This episode is the second of my vocational series, where I ask my guests to pick a song relating to their vocational discernment and to answer these seven simple questions:

1. Please introduce yourself and how we got to know each other.
2. Explain your song of choice and how it relates to your discernment.
3. Please explain your vocation in general and what it means to you.
4. How did you discern your vocation in general? Were there any challenges?
5. Why did you pursue your vocation with this diocese/order/person in particular?
6. How has your faith changed since entering this vocation?
7. If you could advise your 18-year-old self about your vocation, what would you say?

Listen to me chat with Deacon Mark Neugebauer, whose epic faith journey has included stops at Conservative Judaism, Messianic Judaism, and Evangelical Protestantism on his way home in the Catholic Church. He is currently the Deacon at Blessed Trinity Parish in the Archdiocese of Toronto and formerly worked as an elementary school teacher before being recommended by his parish to become a permanent deacon.

The song you heard in the intro was “Wayfaring Stranger”, by The Quebe Sisters and the song Deacon Mark picked was the hymn “It Is Well With My Soul” (I picked the version by Anthem Lights). If you have any friends and family that you think would like this podcast, please share wherever you listen to your podcasts! You can drop a comment or question for me to answer in a future episode at theholycatholicbrew@gmail.com.