Name: Steve Barton
Age: 60
Family: wife Rosie of nearly 38 years; three adult sons: Tim and his wife Tasha have four children; Tim’s twin, Tom, is single; son Andrew is getting married to Lauren in September.
Occupation: Executive Director, Rebuilding Together Quad Cities (non-profit home repairs for low-income residents)
Parish: Holy Family, Davenport
How did you know you were being called to the diaconate? I was drawn to take one step after another toward considering and applying for deacon formation. Early in formation, I got a strong sense that God was calling me to serve his people in this role, and throughout formation this call was sustained by the grace of God and affirmed in my experiences with others.
What was the most rewarding aspect of being a deacon candidate? There were a great many spiritual rewards along the way — from the insights of study, from daily and communal prayer and from the bond of the class. Field ministry provided many great blessings of encountering Christ in others in ways that I never imagined, in serving others in ways I hadn’t planned, and seeing the Holy Spirit at work in all of it.
What was the most challenging aspect of being a deacon candidate? The biggest challenge was balancing study, ministry, home and work. At times it seemed overwhelming to do it all, but by the grace of God it got done.
What do you look most forward to in your ministry as a deacon? I look forward to serving people in worshipping the Lord, celebrating sacraments, preaching, catechesis and adult formation — finding the best ways I can serve the needs of the parish and the diocese.
What special ministry will you undertake? I’d like to be more involved in social action with both the parish and the diocese, especially to address the issues of poverty in our community. Also, Rosie and I will become involved in marriage preparation, working toward being a sponsor couple with others.
What is your favorite Scripture passage? There are several that have stuck with me over the years, but one has come to mind many times most recently as I looked toward ordination and the deacon’s role: Psalm 116:12-13. “How can I repay the Lord for all the great good done for me? I will raise the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people.” Those words of gratitude and thanksgiving to God have stayed with me for years, and now the image of “cup of salvation” has special meaning looking toward the deacon’s role at Mass, raising the cup during the doxology of the Eucharistic Prayer. The next verse on vows also has particular meaning for ordination.
