Meet Deacon Jeff

Meet Deacon Jeff Prickette: one of the people impacted by your gift to the Bishop’s Appeal.

As the Pastoral Leader and one of three deacons at Prince of Peace Parish in Green Bay, Deacon Jeff spends every day serving God and sharing hope with everyone he meets.  Your gift to the Bishop’s Appeal makes this possible.

The Bishop’s Appeal provides training and formation for our deacons, equipping them with the education and support they need to walk with hundreds of parishioners on their faith journey.  Because of your generosity, Deacon Jeff received diaconate training in the Diocese of Green Bay and has shared Jesus’ hope with so many people.

However, Deacon Jeff’s life wasn’t always this way. Before becoming a deacon, he lived an ordinary life in Appleton with his wife, Mary, and he had retired from years of working in the corporate world.  He planned to just enjoy his days, but God had other ideas.

“Look at 1 Samuel 3:10. The same thing happened to me. I kept waking up in the night and would turn to my wife, telling her I kept hearing someone talking to me. It felt like I wasn’t doing enough for my faith,” explained Deacon Jeff.

As he explored this mysterious calling, he applied for the diaconate program. However, his first application was rejected.  Deacon Jeff felt maybe he could let go of the calling and thought he and his wife could resume their previous plans for retirement. However, God showed Him a different path.

“I applied for a diocesan program at the time, but the leader of that program told me I would be better suited as a deacon. So, I ended up applying again and was accepted into the diaconate program. It’s funny how you can make all these plans for your life, but then God shows you how His plans are so much more beautiful than anything you can imagine,” shared Deacon Jeff.

Because of your support of the Bishop’s Appeal, Deacon Jeff was supported in his five years of training, mentorship, and classes for the diaconate.  This time helped him with his discernment of his calling, and it showed him even more how he had to trust in God’s plan.

By trusting in God, he discovered one of the great theological truths God gives us: hope.  Thanks to the diaconate program, Deacon Jeff learned the beauty of trusting in God and sharing the hope of Jesus with all the people he encounters. Your generosity to the Bishop’s Appeal made this and more possible.

“Deacon Jeff is bringing hope to so many people in our Diocese, as well as so many other deacons whose formation and training is supported by the Bishop’s Appeal. Your gifts are helping more deacons be there for the parishioners across northeastern Wisconsin,” said Deacon Shaun Johnson, Diaconate Director for the Diocese of Green Bay.

On April 19, 2012, Deacon Jeff was ordained to the diaconate by Bishop Ricken at St. Francis Xavier Cathedral.  From there, he started as a deacon in Appleton before Bishop Ricken gave Deacon Jeff his assignment at Prince of Peace Parish.

Deacon Jeff will be celebrating six years of serving his parish community this coming April.  His diaconate formation prepared him to share hope with so many people over the years.

“Everything in life is God’s providence. Me becoming a deacon is proof of that.  It’s probably the best thing that’s ever happened to me. Gifts to the Bishop’s Appeal made it possible for me to become a deacon, and I had friends in the program who wouldn’t be the incredible deacons they are today without your support,” said Deacon Jeff.

When asked what moments stuck out to him, he couldn’t choose just one: everyday he encounters people who show him the beauty of God’s plan, and every one of those moments is a precious gift from God.

From bringing the Eucharist to the homebound, to walking with couples through marriage and raising children, to baptizing his own grandchildren, to vesting a seminarian from the Diocese of Green Bay, Deacon Jeff has walked with parishioners throughout their lives, sharing hope with everyone he encounters.

When times are hard, Deacon Jeff is there for those in need.  While providing prayers and comfort, he also refers parishioners to Catholic Charities to receive counseling for mental health, financial, and marriage counseling.  The compassionate outreach from Catholic Charities counselors is also made possible thanks to your generosity toward the Bishop’s Appeal.

By sharing your gifts to the Bishop’s Appeal, you are helping more people like Deacon Jeff become deacons and share hope with so many people.

“My prayer every day is, ‘It’s Your work—not mine.’ Every day is about serving God and bringing hope to His people,” said Deacon Jeff. “When you give to the Bishop’s Appeal, you help more people discover Jesus and the hope He brings.  Deacons are formed.  Healing is found through Catholic Charities.  Marriages are strengthened by the Office of Marriage & Family Life.  That is just the beginning of the incredible impact your gifts make.  On behalf of all those who are served by the Appeal, including those at Prince of Peace Parish: thank you.”

Make your gift today, and support the formation of more deacons in the Diocese of Green Bay.