Deacon Kevin McKeever
For four years, Deacon Kevin McKeever has lived in Virginia, serving at Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament, West Point. For 10 years, he has been a deacon; he was ordained June 5, 2015. For his entire life, he has been Catholic.
“My family are all Catholic, cradle to the grave,” said Deacon McKeever.
For a while, though, while in college, he drifted away from the faith. What brought him back was a desire for “peace in my life.”
“Once I started to accept the faith and realize the blessing that it is, I realized I could do better for myself, for my family, for my friends,” he said.
The New Jersey native said that one major difference he has found between the Garden State and the Old Dominion is an increase in religiosity.
“People in Virginia are more accepting of the concept of faith, the concept that there is a God. They have no problem living out their faith,” he said.
Though he cherishes many things about the diaconate, he said, perhaps nothing is more special than serving during Mass.
“It’s an immense honor to be able to serve on the altar,” said Deacon McKeever. “It’s an exhilarating experience.”
Outside of the liturgy, “you get to have unique conversations with people,” he said. “We can’t give them peace – God gives them peace – but sometimes, if we’re lucky, he does that through us.”
“The diaconate is a chance to serve,” Deacon McKeever added. “It’s an opportunity to give back, through faith.”
Deacon Robert Price
At St. Ignatius of Loyola parish in Ijamsville, Maryland, Deacon Robert Price was involved in religious education. Then, he moved to a Parisian suburb for several years, and did not volunteer at his new parish because he did not understand French.
Upon returning to Maryland, said Deacon Price, “I was thinking, how should I serve?”
“The diaconate was like an itch that needed to be scratched,” he said. “It was where God wanted me to be.”
Ordained as a deacon in the Archdiocese of Baltimore on May 16, 2015, he and his wife recently relocated to Virginia to be closer to family. In March, Deacon Price was assigned to St. Catherine of Siena, Clarksville; St. Paschal Baylon, South Boston; and Good Shepherd, South Hill.
“I love proclaiming the Gospel; I love being able to expose Jesus in adoration,” said Deacon Price. “Bringing Communion especially to the elderly … and seeing tears of thanksgiving is so rewarding.”
A native of Long Island, Deacon Price converted to Catholicism after attending church with his wife.
“All of the questions for which I’d been searching for answers … were answered,” he said. “God was sometimes tapping me on the shoulder, and sometimes hitting me on the head with a 2×4 – but finally, I got the answer correct.”
He said he was struck by the “catholicity” of the new community he serves – “the vibrancy of the cultures, of the people.”
“I enjoy small country churches,” he added. “I’m comfortable in a place like this.”