Meet our future deacons

Charles Giesting

Age: 60
Wife: Mary Louise
Home Parish: St. Susanna Parish, Plainfield
Occupation: Ethics and compliance professional at Anthem, Inc.
 

Who are the important role models in your life of faith?

My parents, the Franciscan sisters and priests who ministered at St. Louis Parish in Batesville where I grew up, and Fathers James Dede, Paul Landwerlen and Glenn O’Connor.
 

What are your favorite Scripture verses, saints, prayers and devotions?

My favorite Scripture verses are Lk 12:31, Lk 24:13-32, Ps 23 and Ps 139. My favorite saints are St. Paul, St. Mother Theodore Guérin, St. Francis of Assisi and St. Thomas Aquinas. My favorite prayers or devotions are the Liturgy of the Hours, the rosary, and the Memorare.
 

Deacons often minister to others in the workplace. How have you experienced that already, and what do you anticipate doing in the future?

I have spoken informally and formally with co-workers on issues of prayer, theology and catechesis, evangelization and pastoral ministry. Although, like politics, talking about religion can be a sticky subject for many, I believe it is imperative that we, as ministers of the word, “walk the talk” and “talk the talk” where we are and where the people of God are.
 

Why do you feel that God is calling you to become a deacon?

I feel like God has been preparing me for this role my whole life by how I was raised, the Catholic education I received, and the both joyful and disappointing experiences that I’ve had in my family, work, and faith lives. When the call came out from the archdiocese that they would start the formation of this third class of deacon candidates, I felt the time was right for me to discern if this was really something God wanted me to do.
 

How will being ordained a deacon have an impact on your life and family?

My whole family, especially my wife, has been very supportive of my work through the formation process, and I realize I am blessed in that way. I pray that through my ministry, my children also stay close to God as they look to positively impact those around them as well. †