By Karina Fabian

Deacon Andy Dorrington of the Madison County Catholic Community in Sheridan has been a jack-of-all-trades – Montana logger and millwright, carpenter and miner, heavy construction and building contractor, small-businessman and even a photographer for the state. His avocation, however, has been teaching our faith, and that led him to serving the Church as a deacon.

The saying goes that if you want to learn something well, teach it. Deacon Andy Dorrington has found this to be true – his road to the diaconate began with teaching religious education. He began this ministry with his wife, Linda.

“In 1977, my wife and I became involved in teaching religious education. From the very start we had an overpowering desire to learn as much as we could about Christ and his Church. In the early 1990s we went through the lay ministry program and that added a tremendous amount of fuel to the fire,” Deacon Andy said. In those years, they taught all grade levels, though concentrating more on the high school level. They also taught RCIA and sacramental preparation and worked with the high school youth group. Deacon Andy has served full time as religious education coordinator in St. Joseph’s in Libby, and as the pastoral assistant for faith formation in a parish in the Archdiocese of Seattle.

Still, when he was asked to consider the diaconate, he hesitated at first. “Our priest at the time, Father Ray Hannigan, insisted that Linda and I take a look at the diaconate. He concluded that we were involved in many of the things that a deacon is called to do, so maybe that was the next step. I was reluctant. My image of a deacon was an old, white-haired man dressed in black who sat on the council for a church down the street (I ask for forgiveness from St. Stephen and St. Lawrence).

“Linda and I explained in our interview we had no idea about the diaconate and we were told that sometimes no preconceived notions are a blessing,” he said.

Indeed, they have found the diaconate to be not only a blessing, but the fulfillment of a dream. “Our desire has always been to work in full-time ministry for the Church,” he said, and thanked the Diocese of Helena for making such opportunities available. He currently serves as pastoral administrator for the Madison County Catholic Community, which includes Sheridan and Ennis.

For Deacon Andy, the joys of his role involve working on behalf of Christ with people during the most important stages of their life – from the joy of baptizing a child to mourning the death of someone they love – and looking past the grief to find joy in the resurrection. “I am privileged to help people in their old age, sickness and poverty… and, I get to do this through Christ and his Church. Being a deacon has been a tremendous blessing for Linda and me. It has given us a life that we could have never imagined.”

Deacon Andy considers his wife a partner in his ministry. “Linda and I have always shared ministries together,” he said. “Her valuable wisdom and input have given me direction and strength.”

They have two grown children: Tana Spetter and Sage Dorrington.


Published in The Montana Catholic, Vol. 25, No. 2, February 20, 2009.