Diaconate ordination

The Bible clearly defines deacons as those who function as servant leaders—a model of Christ in God’s Church. 
 
One man was recently ordained on Oct. 24 to serve in our diocese—Deacon Bob Nickola. Bishop Kagan ordained him to the ministry of the permanent diaconate at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit. Deacon Bob is the 40th class of permanent deacons for the diocese.
 
In the Bismarck Diocese, men have been called forth to be permanent deacons since 1981. Each man is prepared to minister as a deacon in the parishes and other ministerial situations, to preach the Gospel, to serve the poor and assist during the celebration of the Sacred Liturgy of the Church. 
 
Changing his approach to his faith life was key to leading Deacon Bob on his journey to the diaconate. It wasn’t too long ago that he would acknowledge once having a bit of a “casual” stance toward Catholicism for many years. 
 
“Ever since converting to Catholicism in November of 1981, I was always intrigued by the role of the deacon whenever I attended Mass in which a deacon was present,” Deacon Bob shared. “However, this fascination diminished while chasing earthly treasures. I justified these actions in the name of supporting my wife, Joan, and our family, but they kept me busy and away from God. I would call myself a sleepwalking Catholic, one that attended Mass and tithed but did little else.”
 
Retirement from the job that fueled his love of material possessions soon changed his lifestyle, surprisingly for the better—mostly due to an invitation from his wife to delve deeper into the faith.
 
“I kept focused on my disordered priorities until I was ‘retired’ after 36 years with the company,” Deacon Bob explained. “My pursuit of earthly treasures made that lifesyle too expensive to maintain. I was lost since my identity was my job and not that of being a beloved son of God. However, Joan, who I call God’s representative on earth, came to my rescue. She asked me to attend daily Mass and weekly adoration with her.
 
“At the same time, I started getting spiritual direction from Monsignor Tom Richter to develop my prayer life. These new habits led to growth in my faith and love for God. It was during the men’s Cursillo in March of 2020 while praying in the Trinity High School chapel at 5 a.m. that I heard “deacon” and God’s calling me to my new vocation. A few months later, with the help of Monsignor Richter, I applied for diaconate formation and was accepted.”
 
In our diocese, men spend five years in formation for the diaconate involving academic instruction, spiritual and human development as well as practical pastoral experience. Deacon Bob isn’t afraid to admit that he had his share of doubts during the journey.
 
“It was challenging,” Deacon Bob noted. “The last year, I was constantly bombarded with negative thoughts stating I was not good enough to be a deacon. It was during this time that I went to Medjugorje in November 2024. It was there that I the help I needed. While pondering and praying over this question, I asked Mother Mary to help me discern and she did. Through Mary’s intercession, I knew that God had called me and Mary would also be there for me during my last year of formation and beyond. 
 
“Additionally, my five-day canonical retreat was awesome and grace-filled. I felt surrounded by a cloud of love the entire time and a calming peace swept over me. All anxiety was gone as I prayed constantly. I definitely knew I was called and I was ready to give my ‘yes’ to God. After the retreat, I continued to spend time in prayer every day until my ordination. My conversations with God kept me focused and resolute in becoming a deacon—the icon of Jesus, the servant.”
 
The formation process is long and rigorous in preparing a man to be a true servant of the Church and the people of the diocese. Wives of married applicants attend all the formation sessions alongside their husbands. They are a great support during formation as well as after ordination during their ministry. This certainly was and is vital for Deacon Bob.
 
When asked what has sustained him throughout formation, Deacon Bob said, “Definitely the development of my prayer life from one of simply reciting prayers to spending time in silence in a two-way conversation with the One I love. 
 
“Also, the constant encouragement of Joan as we grew together to love God more and more during our time in formation. Praying together every day strengthened our relationship and I grew to respect all she did to assist God in His plan for me. She helped me grow from a prideful man to a humble and grateful man who needed God in his life. Realizing that I needed God more than He needed me was very humbling. Finally, the friendships developed over the years of formation with the other candidates and their wives will be cherished forever.”
 
Deacon Bob is looking forward to bringing Jesus to the people in his new role as a servant of the Church. His diaconal ministry is to the Churches of Queen of Peace in Dickinson and Sts. Peter and Paul in New Hradec.
 
“Bringing the Eucharist to the homebound and those living in nursing homes and assisted living facilities,” Deacon Bob said of what he’s looking forward to most in his ministry. “I enjoy talking with the people, especially the homebound, since I may be the only person visiting them that day. I am also looking forward to doing Communion services whenever Mass is not offered.”
 
Deacon Bob expressed his gratefulness and appreciation to the many people who have provided him with help and guidance along his journey to the diaconate. “I want to give thanks to God for calling me to be a deacon, to my wife, Joan, for walking beside me these past 44 years and during our diaconate formation these past five years, to Bishop Kagan for accepting me into the diaconate formation program, to Monsignor Richter for his pastoral care, to Father Robert Shea for his spiritual direction, to Deacon David Fleck for his mentorship and guidance during the past five years and to all of those in the pews who prayed for me and will continue to pray for me during my service to the parish. May God bless you all.”