Congratulations to SFdA’s newest Deacon, Deacon Greg Blanchard

11-08-2020Weekly ReflectionDcn. Gregory Blanchard

I was born and raised in the Southwest and lived in Oklahoma, Texas, California,and Arizona by the time I was in fourth grade. I grew up in a Catholichome where my parents lived their faith simply and steadfastly. I am thethird of four children where my sister is the oldest and I am the middle ofthree boys. I definitely experienced my family as the first school of lovejust as the Church documents teach.

I was blessed to attend St. Jerome’s and Bourgade Catholic schools where Icontinued to learn about my faith. After tenth grade, my family had thegreat opportunity to move to France where I finished high school. I remembermany sightseeing trips where we would find ourselves visiting amazingCatholic Churches such as Notre Dame or Chartres Cathedrals. I returnedto Arizona for college where I studied chemical engineering at the Universityof Arizona.

It was at the UofA Newman Center where God graced me with a tremendous conversion experience. For the firsttime I realized that Jesus had died for my sins and that by faith I could accept His gift of salvation. So much ofwhat I had learned growing up Catholic became alive and real. I could often attend daily Mass and I read through theBible with great interest. I wanted to live radically for God and I worked in campus ministry for five years. First atthe UofA, and then at NAU Newman Center where I met my wife, Christina.

Returning to engineering to raise a family, God blessed us with six children who we home schooled through highschool. What a joy and particular grace to see our children grow in wisdom and grace. It is always our prayer thatthey truly become who God created each of them to be.

Almost nine years ago at the Catholic Men’s conference in Phoenix, I remember hearing Bishop Olmsted calling men toboldly step out in faith and follow the Lord. In my heart I heard for the first time the vocation to be a deacon. As Italked with my wife and my pastor I found that this call was confirmed. Through the two years of study at the KinoCatechetical Institute and five years of formation I have been greatly blessed as I follow where the Father is leadingme.

God continues to pour out His grace through the prayers of so many – family, friends, and parishioners. It is withtrust in God that I approach ordination. May I become the deacon God wants me to be as I seek to serve whereverHe leads.