MEET DEACON JOHN
Peace be with you! My name is John Gorman and I am pleased to have been assigned to Prince of Peace on June 22, 2018, following my ordination on June 2nd. I am a cradle Catholic and one of six children. I am truly a Vatican II baby as I was born on the opening day of Vatican II, October 11, 1962. I come to Prince of Peace after having been a parishioner at All Saints for nearly 30 years. My wife Terri and I have been married for 27 years with a beautiful daughter, Jessi (24). Jessi is a graduate of Texas A&M and now lives in Boston, MA. The other member of the family is our Boykin Spaniel, Gabriel (Gabe) who is named after an angel but doesn’t always act like one.
You will hear me talk about the notions and nudges of the Holy Spirit in one’s life. Notions come directly from the Holy Spirit in the form of thoughts and ideas, while nudges are more personal and come to you in the form of a person cooperating with the Holy Spirit. My journey to the diaconate was filled with notions and nudges over decades, which I ultimately came to recognize in my years of discernment. I was first asked to consider the diaconate by Fr. Tom Cloherty in 2009 and initially said no. I was confident at that time that I needed to remain focused on my first vocation as a husband and father. In 2012, I was asked again to consider the diaconate by Bishop Mark Seitz. My daughter was finishing her senior year at JPII High School and so I remained open to the idea (I also couldn’t help but notice the change of rank that came with the second request). After 6 years of formation, I am very pleased to have been assigned to Prince of Peace and to be reunited with Fr. Tom.
I am humbled and excited to serve the community of Prince of Peace as a deacon. It is truly a blessing to share the journey of faith with people as they engage in the sacramental life of the Church. There is depth, wisdom, and harmony within our Catholic faith. I want people to have an “Ah-ha!” moment and see how intimate and nurturing Jesus Christ is through His Church.