Joys of Religious Life: Part II
Deacon Bernie Feldman finds new purpose in second vocation
By Eileen Jevis
Staff writer
Deacon Bernie Feldman said his faith has been the foundation of his life since childhood. His love of God and Church prompted him to become a lector, Eucharistic minister, a teacher of religious education and Confirmation preparation.
Dc. Bernie said his faith grew and matured when he joined prayer groups and attended a Catholic Life in the Spirit Seminar that is designed to help participants deepen their relationship with Jesus and experience a “baptism in the Holy Spirit.”
“I always wanted more of my faith and enjoyed reading about it from many different sources and talking about it wherever I was and whatever I was doing,” Dc. Bernie said. “When I encountered Jesus in my searching for Him, I came on fire for love of Him. Then my faith was tested in a crucible of grief when, over time, I lost three of my four children and my wife of 36 years.” Dc. Bernie said his grieving was extremely difficult with each passing, but it was his faith in God and the Blessed Virgin Mary that helped him in his recovery from all the sadness and darkness.
“I slowly emerged from those experiences with fresh hope for life and a much deeper appreciation and love of life and God,” he said. Deacon Bernie said he experienced a moment of intense reflection when he entered retirement at the same time as the passing of his wife. “All I could pray was ‘Lord, what do you want from me? Whatever it is, I will do it.’ That surrender began my new life.”
As a parishioner at Most Holy Rosary Church, Feldman said people, all independent of each other, often asked him if he was a deacon. Having heard these comments from parishioners, Father Fred Manara encouraged him to consider the diaconate. Deacon Bernie applied and was accepted into the Deacon Formation Process in 2020 and was ordained a permanent deacon in May 2024. He said the formation process was demanding but very energizing, and through it, he developed discipline for life, family, and study.
Deacon Bernie immersed himself in work at home and at church, especially the Miraculous Medal Novena that he presides over with great enthusiasm. He also completed a three-step evangelization process called Christlife that invites people to know Jesus, live as Catholic disciples, and share their faith with others. After ChristLife ended, Dc. Bernie directed Scripture Sharing — a Bible study that opened his eyes and gave him a deeper understanding of scriptures that enhance his homilies, which, he said, he finds challenging to compose but extremely joyful to proclaim.
Deacon Bernie said the joys of his ministry are being present and of service to everyone in his church, school, community, and at home. “I’ve also experienced a deepened awareness of the presence of God in everything and everyone in my life.”
He is grateful for his community of deacon brothers who share their joys and challenges. “My spiritual director has also helped me immensely in my spiritual journey with the Lord,” Dc. Bernie said. “He has challenged me in many ways, and I am eager to rise to meet them.”
“My daughter and her husband and my three grandchildren, who all live with me, continue to give me great joy by being part of their lives as they grow as a family and in their faith,” he said. When first asked how he felt upon being ordained, Deacon said he paused for a moment and responded, “I sensed it was the right thing to do, much like when Nancy and I were married. I trusted the Lord and now live in the light of the Lord.
“I continue to hunger and thirst for the Lord,” he added. “Hopefully, my behavior and speech will inspire other men to become deacons — to evangelize others to love the Lord with all their hearts, souls, and strength; to encounter Jesus the Christ and to want more of Him. It just might be their ‘right thing to do.’”
