Deacon Tom Nolan celebrates 40 years of diaconal ministry

Bella Bailey

Multimedia Correspondent

Deacon Tom Nolan of St. Timothy Parish, Union, recently celebrated 40 years of diaconal ministry with the anniversary of his ordination on June 22. Within his 40 years of ministry, Deacon Nolan has spread the word of God to those he meets and now delivers Communion to those homebound or otherwise unable to attend Mass.

Born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, Deacon Nolan had a brother and sister. He attended Xavier University, Cincinnati, where he obtained a bachelor’s degree in political science with minors in both philosophy and Spanish. Following college, he married and the two “moved around the country for a period of time,” said Deacon Nolan, before settling back into the Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky area.

Deacon Nolan and his wife had always been very active in their parish, St. Paul, Florence, so when he approached his wife about becoming a deacon, he said it came as no surprise.

“She was highly in favor of it. She and I were very active in the Church to begin with, and she just saw that as confirmation that’s what the Lord wanted,” he said.

It was a close personal friend, Father Angelo Caserta of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, who encouraged his discernment to the diaconate.

“He came to me one day and said, ‘I think you’re being called to be a deacon,’ and I said, ‘That’s great but we don’t have the diaconate in the Diocese of Covington,’” said Deacon Nolan, recalling the conversation. Father Caserta encouraged the Deacon and Mrs. Nolan to sell their house in Kentucky and move into the Archdiocese of Cincinnati for their diaconate program.

“We thought seriously about doing that,” said Deacon Nolan, however the pair decided to, “wait it out,” he said. A year later, the Diocese of Covington announced its new diaconate program, and after consulting a close friend and spiritual advisor, Deacon Nolan applied to the program in 1980. Deacon Nolan, along with a class of four others, became the first deacons ordained in the Diocese of Covington.

Upon his ordination, he was assigned to St. Paul Parish. However, he was not there for long, “three years later a survey was done in Boone County, put together by Bishop Hughes, I was on the committee that did the survey. It was recommended that a new parish be established in Boone County. I was assigned to the new parish along with Father Ed Brodnick, who was the first pastor,” said Deacon Nolan. The new parish was St. Timothy Parish, Union, where Deacon Nolan still ministers.

“Right now, my primary ministry is taking care of the needs, the people who are in hospitals, nursing homes, and would like to receive all the Communion in their homes,” said Deacon Nolan, “over the years my wife and I were heavily involved in various things at St. Timothy. We directed the RCIA program together, we taught the Eucharistic preparation for little children. In the midst of all that I did a lot go weddings, baptisms and various other ministries.”

Of all his ministry however, he most enjoyed preaching the word of God, “that became a very strong part of my ministry,” he said. Over his 40 years of ministry Deacon Nolan served many. “I was called by the Lord to become a deacon, and I’m thankful that I answered the call along with my wife,” he said.