Photo by Jody Isaackson Minneota farmer Bruce Bot was ordained as a new deacon. He anticipates being reassigned to his home parish to continue the duties he has been performing with the possibility of additional opportunities to serve.

MINNEOTA — Looking back over the past five years, the diaconate formation (Catholic deacon training) has been a wonderful learning experience for Bruce and Juanita Bot. This culminated in Bruce’s ordination to deacon April 21 at the Church of St. Mary in Sleepy Eye.

“Through all the classes and discussions, we have grown to appreciate the beauty and wisdom of our God and his church,” Bruce Bot said.

Additionally, with the program spanning five years, Bishop John M. LeVoir had granted permission for candidates to bring their wives and family along, Bot said. It made it easier than being separated for that amount of time.

“All the candidates agree that even if something happened, and we were not ordained, we would still feel the last five years were well-spent,” Bot said.

That sentiment had not made itself known at the beginning of the Bots’ diaconate journey. There had been a struggle of wills before the decision to accept the call was made.

“I first thought about becoming a deacon candidate when the first group started up around 2006, or so,” Bruce Bot said, “but I decided against it because of how busy we were with the kids and their activities.

“When the second group was going to start up, a couple people asked me if I had ever considered it,” he said. “After praying and thinking about it for a while, I brought it up to my wife, Juanita, and even though she had some valid concerns and reservations, she didn’t say no.”

One of the biggest concerns they had was with crops and livestock. The Bots run a 200 sow farrow-to-finish hog operation. How were they ever going to be able to take off one weekend every month for five years, especially during planting and harvest?

Their concerns had been real, but family and friends came to the rescue.

“Most of the time our sons did the chores,” Bot said, “and two friends helped, too, when we were gone.”

He knew that much is required of a deacon. As a minitor of the Word, service of Liturgy and service of Charity, he would be required to give more of his time going forward.

As a minister of the Word, deacons may proclaim the gospel, preach and teach in the name of the church. As ministers of the Liturgy, deacons may baptize, lead prayer, witness marriages and conduct wakes or funerals. Finally, as ministers of Charity, deacons lead in identifying the needs of others and using the church’s resources to meet those needs. This could include hospital or prison ministry, serving at a food bank or a plethora of other parish or diocesan ministries. This list was printed in The Prairie Catholic in March.

“Another concern I had was that I was not ‘holy’ enough to be a deacon,” Bruce Bot said. “After praying and reflecting (trying to talk myself out of it), I still felt that God was asking me to do this, so Juanita and I decided that we would try it and if it was God’s will, it would work out.”

Now, after five years of class, Bot said he still feels that God is calling him to the diaconate. Not once in those five years did God fail to provide someone to cover for him when he had to be gone for the weekend.

“There were times when it was hectic and stressful, but somehow it worked,” he said. “I don’t know exactly what God has in store for me in the future, but I now realize that God takes us as we are in all our imperfections and sins, and if we trust him, will show us how we can best serve him and his church.”

Bot has already proved himself as an active member of the church. His leadership roles include Fourth Degree Knights of Columbus, Grand Knight and Faithful Navigator, parish finance council, lector, extraordinary minister of communion, communion to homebound, choir member, RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults), religious education teacher and member of various committees at St. Edward Catholic Church in Minneota.

He anticipates having the same and additional duties assigned to him once he pledges his service to LeVoir and is assigned to his local priest, the Rev. Craig Timmerman for deacon duties throughout the 5-church parish.

There was one last hurdle — five days of training at St. John’s University by St. Cloud, aka Collegeville. The training began two weeks ago and ran through the first half of last week. Any time missed due to valid reasons could be made up, but the time would be put in as it was required by canon law, Bot said.

“Anyone ordained has to do a 5-day retreat right before the ordination,” he said. This completed the requirements for him to be ordained last Saturday.

“It was a beautiful ceremony,” Bot said Tuesday.

Bruce Bot’s hobbies include hunting, playing cards and reading. The Bots have five children: Amanda, Charles (wife –Mariah), Emily, Lee and Joshua.