MARRIAGE
My wife, Brenda, is the apple of my eye and the joy of my heart. I fell in love with her in the 8th grade and have continued to fall in love with her more and more ever since. We stayed together through high school and college and married the day of graduation and commissioning at West Point. Our marriage is strong, stable, and sacramental.

A smiling Deacon Tom seen here with his wife Brenda, has just assisted Fr. David Carter at the Baptism of the McConnell's grandaughter; the first McConnell "cradle-Catholic" -- named for St. Sophia and the Holy Mother: Sophia Marie McConnell.

Two daughters were born to us and we adopted two sons. Brenda and I have always been precisely one in heart and mind during our spiritual journey home from Protestantism to Catholicism.

SPIRITUAL JOURNEY
Baptized Methodist as an infant, I do not remember anytime during my childhood and adolescence that the Church was not an integral part of my life. I was always drawn to the sacredness and holiness of God's Church...all aspects of His Church-edifice, stained glass windows, music, signs and symbols, sacred mystery, people, loving warmth of His presence, Vacation Bible School, Sunday School, Youth Group, church camp. . .

The words engraved over the doorway of our Sunday School building were ever etched in my mind: "Study To Show Thyself Approved". I felt then, although I did not understand it at the time, a strong calling on my life to serve God in capacities beyond the laity. That calling brought Brenda and me as new Catholics through a five-year formation to final profession as Tertiary (Third Order) Dominicans just six months before my ordination to Permanent Deacon.

As I learn more about God through study, prayer, and experience, I find Him absolutely consistent, just, and loving. After becoming a Catholic, I discovered a new sacramental relationship with God that is extraordinarily fulfilling and vibrant. I was fortunate that God's grace carried me through all those "BC" years ("Before Catholicism") without His sacraments, which has given me a deep appreciation for His life-giving sustenance as a Catholic. His presence is imminently with me now as a Catholic in ways that I never could realize as a Protestant.

Deacon McConnel, early in the summer of 2007, at the end of his first mass and homily.

CALLED TO SERVE GOD AS A DEACON OF THE CHURCH

All baptized faithful are "Called to Serve God"…some are called to clerical vocations, some to lay vocations, some (Permanent Deacons) to both, and some to religious vocations. We are all familiar with the priestly call to the first-order clerical state through Holy Orders. Most of us are also aware of the religious call to the second-order religious state of brothers and sisters through profession of vows to the evangelical counsels. Some of us know of the call to the third-order lay state of religious, such as Secular Franciscans or Tertiary Dominicans, also through vows. And we all know of the noble calls to the lay vocations of parent-hood, mother-hood, father-hood, family member, secular professions and jobs.

I am grateful indeed to have been called to both clerical and lay states: to Holy Orders in the first-order clerical state as a Permanent Deacon and to holy service in the lay state as a husband, father, grandfather, brother, son, uncle, Third Order Dominican, and professional soldier and educator. The call to serve God under Holy Orders began for me as a love relationship with Jesus as a young Methodist boy. Later as an Anglican adolescent, I fell in love with the Body of Christ, His Church. The more I studied, pondered, and prayed, I was led to an engagement with the Roman Catholic Church. As a millennial convert to Catholicism, I realized that the love of my life was, in fact, Holy Mother Church…the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church. Our courtship quickly became quite serious as I began to look upon Her as a lifetime partner…a future bride. Holy Orders represented the natural progression of that eternal love relationship and the fulfillment of final marriage vows.

The call on my life to serve the Church as an ordinary minister has persisted, evolved, and matured since early childhood. Having served the Church as an extraordinary minister was indeed rewarding and pleasurable, but it did not satisfy the call to be sacramentally consecrated in Truth. Jesus called me by name to Holy Orders continually in my daily prayer life, in scripture study and spiritual readings, in the sacraments, in my work and family life, in song, in my sleeping and in my waking. The call to be a Deacon is neither earned nor merited…it is by the grace of God that we who are weak are called to be His strong arm. I felt then, and still feel now, extremely unequal to and unworthy of the task; but He assured me then, and He continually assures me now, that His grace is sufficient. I entrusted my call to the Blessed Virgin Mary and invoked her same willingness and humility as she spoke her fiat in the Magnificat: "Behold the slave of the Lord; be it done unto me according to thy word….". My love for the Church crescendoed to a point beyond courtship. I looked upon Her not only as the Bride of Christ, but also my future spouse. Ordination through Holy Orders fulfilled final marriage vows and began our sacramental and eternal relationship. My life's hopes are being met in a lifetime of service, diakonia, to the Body of Christ. What I bring to the table is a contrite and humble heart willing to be obedient and fervent to preach, teach, and to serve as His instrument of ministry and service. I pray for and am open to all the offices and gifts of the Spirit that Paul relates in his first letter to the Corinthians. It is the Holy Spirit upon whom I depend to endow me with charisms He chooses for the edification of His Church. A lifetime of service to and spousal relationship with the Body of Christ as an ordained Deacon in service to the word, to liturgy, and to charity is a noble, yet daunting, call. My wife, Brenda, and I are in total agreement with this worthy pursuit. May God's will be done!