By Karina Fabian

Deacon Ron Kazmierczak didn’t receive any “thunderbolts from heaven” or other dramatic callings to the diaconate; instead, it seemed a natural outgrowth of what he was already doing for the Church.

Deacon Ron had always been “fairly active” in the Church, with Knights of Columbus and the charismatic movement. He also assisted in a lot of communion services as a lay eucharistic minister. With the shortage of priests and his desire to help out, it seemed natural that he become a deacon.

“I was already doing a lot of that kind of work (filling in to help the priest), so when the chance came to be part of the diaconate program, I joined up,” he said, adding that he felt his ordination added a kind of legitimacy to his work.

Since his ordination in 1991, he’s been busy assisting the priest at St. William Parish in Thompson Falls, where he lives.

Father Ken Fortney must travel to several parishes in the local area – where “local” can mean as far as 60 miles away. Deacon Ron assists with visiting the sick and shut-ins, holding Sunday Communion services at various missions when Father Fortney is unable to get there, and teaching confirmation and RCIA classes. He also serves as chaplain at the Clark Fork Hospital in nearby Plains.

He said he depends a lot on his wife Pat to keep his schedule and to keep him “on the straight and narrow.” He and Pat have been married 42 years and have three sons – Gene, Henry and Ronnie – and one daughter – Carie Ann – all grown. He appreciates the effort Pat puts into his ministry. “Deacons’ wives make a lot of sacrifices because we’re often gone. We don’t even get to go to Mass together because I’m assisting the priest,” he said.

He said the part of his deacon ministry he most enjoys is helping others and working with people. The hardest part, he said, is when there is little he can do to comfort a person or family.

Of course, his regular career has similar challenges. Deacon Ron just retired from selling insurance in his own business, Kaz Insurance, in September. He was an insurance agent for over 23 years, starting out in a fraternal agency that grew. Now he has more time to enjoy his favorite sport, fishing.

“It takes about two minutes to get to the river where I can jump in my boat and go,” he said.


Published in The Montana Catholic, Vol. 24, No. 4, April 18, 2008.