Guest column by Deacon Pat Burke
St. Wenceslaus Parish, Wahoo
I am Deacon Pat Burke from St. Wenceslaus Parish in Wahoo, where my wife, Angie, and I have been parishioners for more than 25 years. We have been happily married for 38 years.
I grew up on a farm in North Dakota, and Angie grew up on a ranch in western Nebraska. We have four children and nine grandchildren; six with us, two in the hands of the Lord, and one on the way (hoping for more). I was ordained a deacon for the Diocese of Lincoln May 23, 2025.
I had considered the diaconate years ago when we lived in Iowa, but the timing wasn’t right. Our family was young, and it simply didn’t feel like the moment to pursue that call. We later moved from Iowa to South Dakota, and eventually to Wahoo. I didn’t give the diaconate much thought, since the Lincoln Diocese did not have permanent deacons at the time.
In 2018, I went on an eight-day Ignatian Retreat at Our Lady of Good Counsel Retreat House in Waverly, and it was an incredible experience. Not long after that retreat, Father Joseph Faulkner mentioned that Dr. Matt Hecker was in formation—he was ordained a deacon in 2021— and the desire returned.
At that point, only my wife knew that I was considering the diaconate. That fall, she and I went on a retreat together. I did something I know you’re not really supposed to do—I asked God for a very specific sign. I told Him that if I was meant to pursue the diaconate, three or four people would say something to me about being a deacon. Sure enough, three different people did. That had never happened before, and it hasn’t happened since.
The application process for the diaconate is very extensive; it took about a year to complete. It included an interview with Bishop James Conley, an extended bibliography, three letters of recommendation, and an application. The formation process is a four-year process, meeting one weekend a month through the school year. It also included a week-long intensive training in preaching and a five-day retreat a couple of months before ordination. Our diocese currently partners with the Archdiocese of Omaha for diaconate formation. Most of the formal instruction takes place on weekends at the retreat center in Norfolk.
Throughout this process, we followed the discernment advice given to us: simply commit to the next weekend and let God guide us from there. I say “we” because this journey truly required a commitment from both Angie and me. And time after time, God kept us moving forward. Whenever I questioned whether we should continue, Angie felt strongly that we needed to go on—and when she had doubts, I was the one convinced we should keep moving forward.
Throughout formation, I was required to engage in various aspects of diaconal ministry. This included outreach to the homeless in Omaha, where we spent time praying, visiting, and distributing coffee. It was also during this period that I got involved with the prison ministry at the Saunders County Jail, a commitment I maintain to this day—and one that Angie now shares with me. These ministries have revealed to us the profound impact of proclaiming the Gospel. We have been amazed at the number of times an inmate has responded with, “You’ve got to be kidding—I was just thinking about that.”
Having a pastor who once served as a seminary rector is a benefit for me, as well. Father Jeffrey Eickhoff was a professor and academic dean at St. Gregory the Great Seminary in Seward, and served as rector from 2013-2021. Father Eickhoff took time to study with us and answer our questions about theology and philosophy. It made me realize even more how much I still have to learn.
The support Angie and I have received from the priests and St. Wenceslaus Parish throughout this entire process has been tremendous. Everyone has been genuinely positive and encouraging. Their support has made it much easier to balance my duties as a deacon with the demands of family and full-time work. Since permanent deacons are unpaid, I continue in my regular job, and Father Eickhoff has been a tremendous help in maintaining the balance. Now the priests are helping me work on my singing—though that might take a miracle!
I serve as a deacon at daily Mass whenever I can and at Sunday Mass about once a month. Each week, I’m blessed to lead Benediction, and I typically preach once a week—far more often than I ever expected. With prison ministry, I continue to visit the Saunders County Jail every week. I’ve also led Communion services at a nursing home, and I even had the privilege of presiding at a wedding. Ongoing formation includes an annual retreat.
Some of the biggest blessings have come in areas where I least expected, realizing the importance of bringing Jesus to others, then realizing that they are showing Him to me more than I am to them: like praying with a homeless person and having the first thing they ask for is to pray for the person next to them. Or having an inmate say, “For the past two weeks I have prayed three times a day, and I have never had more joy.”
SNR file photos
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