Called to share God’s love with others

I was born in Corpus Christi. I grew up in a Catholic family, and my great uncle was a Catholic priest. At a young age, I served as an altar server and lector. I attended Little Rock Catholic High School in Arkansas, and it was tough, but it taught me more than I realized even back then. 
 
While in college, I met my future wife, Laura. God greatly blessed me by sending her. She and her family were Catholic. We were married at Holy Family Catholic Church in Grand Forks, North Dakota. 

Laura and I have three children: Holly, Joshua, and Luke. Laura is the Special Programs Coordinator for Port Aransas ISD. 
 
I have worked in healthcare serving people with intellectual disabilities, mental health issues, and medical issues for over 31 years with most of my time working for the Texas Health & Human Services Commission.
 
I was asked to join the parish council at St. Philip The Apostle and served as president for many years. I attended Alpha. Then I attended and served on several ACTS retreats. At one point about twelve years ago, Deacon Bob Allen and I went to lunch. While there, he surprised me and said, “You should become a Deacon.” I left with mixed feelings. I was a bit flattered but thought, “Who me? Yeah, right.” I eventually told my wife, but that was about it. 
 
Within the next couple of years, Laura and I were in the back of the church when Father Hahn came up and said to my wife something like, “Mark will be a Deacon.” Once again, I was flattered, but I still thought, “Who me?” Around the beginning of June 2015, then Monsignor Kihneman (now Bishop Kihneman), Deacon Bob Allen, Deacon Dan Shaunessy, and Deacon Paul Moore approached me, and told me, I should consider being a Deacon.
 
At this point, I figured God must be trying to tell me something. I am stubborn, and here was the third time He was trying to get my attention. Only this time, he didn’t just send one person to tell me, He sent four. 
 
Laura, the kids, and I went on a vacation out in the country where I prayed about it. Upon returning, I told Monsignor Kihneman I was interested, and I entered the diaconate program.
 
One of the reasons I felt called is because I kept asking myself, “What can I give back to God for the blessings He poured out on me?” I have been blessed with a wonderful family and people who have helped shape me and pointed me to God and the Holy Catholic Church. I desire to share God’s love with all my family and everyone else. 

Hopefully, people will see past my faults and see Jesus to whom I am pointing. I pray for Christ to work through me so that you see Him and not me, as in John 3:30, “He must increase, I must decrease.”