Three seminarians to be ordained to the diaconate
Three seminarians will be ordained to the transitional diaconate at 6 p.m. Thursday, May 23, in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Wichita.
Bishop Carl A. Kemme will ordain Nicholas Samsel, a student at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary in St. Louis; and Grant Huslig and Joseph Mick, students at Mundelein Seminary near Chicago. Transitional deacons of the Diocese of Wichita are usually ordained to the priesthood a year later.
Nicholas Samsel
Nicholas Samsel, the son of Tim and Carol Samsel, members of St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in Wichita, said he is excited about his upcoming ordination.
“It is amazing to finally be at this point of my time in seminary where I will enter into the clerical state and start engaging in active ministry in the diocese,” he wrote in an email.
“More than anything else though, I am just moved by the reality that the Lord is calling me to the order of the diaconate, unworthy as I am. The Lord has given me a great gift, and I continue to marvel at the fact that He chose something so great for me.”
Thankful for the support of the faithful of the diocese
Samsel said he is grateful to the faithful of the Diocese of Wichita for their prayers and support. “I am deeply honored to have received this and I am eager to return some of what has been given to me back to the people of the diocese.”
He is looking forward to preaching and baptizing after his ordination to the transitional diaconate.
“While in seminary, I have gotten to know how to have a deep and profound relationship with God, and I want to share that and all the various other things that I have learned with the people of God. There is something unimaginably exciting to me to be able to serve as God’s instrument to be able to bring more members into his church.”
Samsel said his family is eager to witness his ordination and are surprised by how quickly the day is coming.
Grant Huslig
Grant Huslig, the son of Aaron and Becky Husling, members of St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Andover, said he is nervous about his upcoming ordination.
“There are many virtues that I would like to have as a deacon which I still lack,” he said in an email. “However, the Lord in his great mercy seems to be undeterred. Less than a personal triumph, then, my ordination will be a surrender into the hands of a God who has proven himself to be faithful and generous — both in prayer and in the many people who have supported me these many years.”
Huslig said he is looking forward to preaching after his ordination. “It has been pretty fun practicing in the seminary, and I’ve begun to realize that in trying to make the Word of God come alive for others, Christ actually becomes more alive for me,” he said.
“I find that the Holy Spirit truly blesses me when I try to make a sincere effort with him and for him. And when things don’t quite land as I had hoped, well, it’s a good exercise in humility!”
Huslig’s family has been supportive and encouraging during his time in the seminary, he said, adding that his mother is the most excited member of the family.
“I’ve appreciated their willingness to ask questions and try to understand seminary and the diocesan priesthood when it’s a life that appears different from theirs. Before I went to seminary, I would have thought one of my family members was a little off if they had pursued a religious vocation!”
He said other families likely experience the same reaction.
“I’m very grateful that they’ve prayed for me and attended many of my seminarian events as a sign of their love and support,” Huslig said.
Joseph Mick
Joseph Mick, the son of Roger and Christie Mick, members of St. Mary Parish in Newton, is also excited about his ordination.
“Diaconate ordination is when we dedicate our lives to Jesus and his church by our promise of celibacy and the six other promises we make at ordination,” he said in an email. “It is a moment I have been looking forward to now for several years. It has been good to look back and see how God has blessed me in so many ways to draw me to himself to prepare to make this commitment with joy.”
Mick said he is eager to begin his ministry in the person of Christ the servant.
“Being at our cathedral, our mother church, and the heart of our diocese, will be a great blessing. I was hoping to go to a parish with a Spanish Mass because I have enjoyed learning about the Hispanic culture and learning the language the past two summers, so I am excited to have that opportunity there.”
He said he is looking forward to preaching, and baptizing “a few babies to see souls reborn in the Holy Spirit.”
Mick said he will be able to witness his sister’s wedding vows as a deacon. “That will be a great moment for us and our family. Plus, the pilgrimage to France with the bishop is just icing on the cake. I love to travel, and so I am very grateful for the opportunities I have had to do so already as a seminarian and here, again, going to Ars and Lourdes right after ordination.”
His mother responded to one of the questions directed to her son.
“Joseph is a contemplative soul,” she said. “Much like Mary, he ponders in his heart. And now with his diaconate ordination approaching, I pause and I ponder. God called Joseph to be his priest in utero, it seems, as I sought the blessing of several priests for my unborn son.”
Christie said she saw a remarkable change in his effort to do good before receiving his First Holy Communion. “And in his sorrows, of which I know only a fraction, God drew him ever closer to his heart, and instilled in him the desire to be a priest.”
She said her response to Joseph’s vocation to the priesthood is above all humility. “I do not feel worthy of such an honor. But there is also deep gratitude in my heart for such a good and gracious God. A God who shows us such an intense desire to be one with us! For me, Joseph is living proof of our loving God. And for Joseph’s fiat, and all the sacrifice that entails, I am beyond grateful.”