Meet Deacon Ann

I was ordained deacon in the Diocese of Maine in June of 2015. 

If you were to ask my friends or coworkers to describe me, you would likely hear the phrase “a burr under the saddle” or a “thorn in the side.” It‘s not that I try to cause problems, but somehow, it happens.

As part of the formation process we had to take many psychological tests. The testing was done by a team of psychiatrists and psychologists over the course of two days. My team spent most of those days discussing one of my answers. It was a fill-with -the-first-thing -that-comes- to -mind kind of statement. It was, “I get in trouble when I…” It turns out most everyone responds with things like drive over the speed limit, or don’t tell my spouse how much something really costs. I said, “when I ask questions.”

I ask questions like, “Why are our Native American neighbors dying at an alarming rate due to lack of access to clean water? Why do folks with EBT cards {i.e., food stamps} usually run out of food the third week of the month? Why is human trafficking so rampant?”

Questions like these usually make folks uncomfortable {hence the burr or thorn}. 

Deacons are often compared to a bridge that acts as a conduit from the world to the Church and back. This is true, but it is a very tame analogy. In truth, deacons are more like the prophets who pointed out the flaws in society and urged others to help correct them. It’s no accident that the early deacon. Stephen, was thrown down the steps and stoned to death because he would not tone down the Gospel message.

I would like to share a particularly rewarding time in my ministry as a deacon:

My undergraduate degree is in Political Science with a minor in Secondary Education. One day a few years ago a friend of several decades brought to my attention that he did not enjoy the same civil rights that I did. My friend is a transgender individual. He was right, he could be legally discriminated against in New Hampshire, where I live.

I researched and found a group that was fighting to change this and I contacted them. They worked with the ACLU. I joined them as a volunteer trainer and non-partisan lobbyist. I helped train people to work on phone banks, take part in rallies and approach and try to get support from the legislators at the State House. I spent many hours in Concord and spoke with many legislators. I was very impressed with the fact that not one of them asked me to pray for them, but many asked me to pray with them. I was very impressed with their willingness to listen and their dedication.

This month {March} marks the anniversary of the passage of the transgender rights bill.

I would love to meet you and get to know where your passion lies.