Anything But a Straight Line — A Journey to the Diaconate

Some faith journeys are anything but straight lines. On this episode of My Brother's Journey, Greg welcomes Tracy Neumann from St. Therese parish in Mooresville to share a remarkable story — from Protestant roots to attending Catholic school, from baptism to the eve of his ordination as a deacon.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

So welcome back to my brother's journey. I normally say I am part of a tag team, which I am. However, today I'm going to be going solo as your host. This is Greg Josephchuk. My co-host, Baron, is on vacation for the next couple of weeks. But I'm excited. We have another super mystery guest, and I'm excited about this one. Mystery guests, would you mind? We normally start off our episodes with a prayer. Would you mind leading us in a prayer?

SPEAKER_00 0:32

Happy to do so. In the name of the Father, Son, Holy Spirit, Amen. God, thank you for bringing us together today. So as men, we can become the men you desire us to be and walk in the way and the path that you put in front of us. So be with us today and help us bring glory to you and everything that we do.

SPEAKER_01 0:56

Amen.

SPEAKER_00 0:56

Amen.

SPEAKER_01 0:57

Father, Son, Holy Spirit, amen. Amen. Thank you. All right. So, Mystery Guest, please introduce yourself.

SPEAKER_00 1:03

My name is Tracy Newman, and I'm um let's see, what all do you want to know about me?

SPEAKER_01 1:10

Well, uh, first of all, uh, what parish do you attend?

SPEAKER_00 1:14

So I attend St. Therese on a regular basis, but I also do a little bit of uh hopping. Uh my my best days start off on uh Monday mornings. I'll start at uh a little before six at uh St. Mark, and we'll do adoration and then able to do confession and then actually go to Mass and be out by 7:30 so I can be at my office.

SPEAKER_01 1:39

Fantastic. That is a great, that is uh a great way to start your day for sure, and a great and a great habit to form. So, Tracy, I do I don't know a lot about you, but I do know some things. Um so, first of all, we go back, you and I go back probably, wow, what, 15 years maybe, something like that. I used to be a parishion at St. Therese, I'm now a parishioner at St. Philip uh in Statesville. Um, but we were Knights of Columbus together at the council there. That's how I got to know you. Um I know that you and I, uh along with Ron Kortapassi and others, um, would go and pray at the abortion clinics. Right. Um we did uh Right to Life several times and uh life chain events together. I know that, I believe that you and your wife used to teach catechism, I think. We've done that classes in St. Therese. Um I know, well, I just found out that you're originally from Texas. We're gonna talk a little bit about that as well. And you and I share another common interest besides our love for the Lord, and that is uh we're both big uh hockey fans, and both have had children play at fairly high levels of hockey. Yours, I think, uh a little bit maybe higher level than mine. I think my our highest was triple A, but uh yeah. Uh so so we have a lot to talk about, but what I'd like to start with is first of all, find out are you are you a cradle cradle Catholic or are you a convert? Or kind of tell us the beginning of of your spiritual life.

SPEAKER_00 3:15

Sure. So I'm a convert. I was the first in my family to become Catholic, and it was an interesting story because it seemed like when I was first growing up, I mean, you know, like in uh kindergarten and you know, uh, say through fourth grade, we switched schools every year. And we went to like a Christian-based school. We didn't have religion. The closest religion we had was my mom's parents who were Southern Baptists. And um, but anyway, we would go to different schools. Later, you know, to be honest with you, I didn't know if it was because my parents didn't pay the bill or why how we ended up at different schools. But later I asked my mom about it, and she said that um my brother was probably on the spectrum, but the spectrum wasn't there, and so he just wasn't learning, so we kept going to different schools. And we ended up in a school called Holy Name. It was a Catholic school, and um we had a uh principal, sister Rita, and she made sure that every class participated in Mass. We went to Mass three days a week, didn't matter if you're a Catholic or not, uh, didn't matter if you had any talent or not, uh, so I didn't. So I played sticks and uh tambourine and and blocks, you just had to get involved with something. And then that actually led me to the the music aspect of it actually led to my interest. And then um I did approach my parents about you know becoming Catholic. My dad thought I was nuts, and um and anyway, we uh he did show up for my baptism.

SPEAKER_01 4:56

What age are you talking about?

SPEAKER_00 4:58

This was like fifth grade.

SPEAKER_01 4:59

Fifth grade, okay. Wow.

SPEAKER_00 5:00

And so uh so I was baptized in fifth grade and then uh started serving as an altar server, and then um ended up in a Catholic high school and was in the Catholic high school, and actually throughout that time, God had had reached out and uh and touched my lives and gave me opportunities that of course, you know, oftentimes you don't realize until later. And so, as you mentioned, the love for ice hockey. I was a goalie. And so when I was growing up, you would only see like one hockey game a week on occasion. And most of the goalies they would show in the war, you know, right before the game would start, they would start by making the sign of the cross. I had no clue what that was. I just thought it was cool, and if they did it, make me a better goalie. So, but I think God was trying to say, hey, you know, there's something, you know, something you should do here. And um, and actually when I was in high school, I was invited, uh, the Mariness community ran the school and um was invited to spend a weekend with them and see if you know can ponder religious life. And of course, at 18, of course, we could drink then, and I was more you know into chasing skirts than I was in worshiping God, but but God was there giving me the invite, and I was there basically saying no.

SPEAKER_01 6:26

Yeah, yeah, yeah, no, no question. I mean, I think a lot of uh people listening to this can relate to that aspect of young and worldly doing all the wrong things uh for the wrong reasons, but it's part of a lot of people's journey, right?

SPEAKER_00 6:44

Oh it makes you couldn't be who you are without it.

SPEAKER_01 6:47

And so tell me now, um where did you go to college and what was that like, and how did the journey, your faith journey, go through college and into the so I started I I started out at TCU uh in in Fort Worth, and I continued going to Mass, but let me let me be very honest, it was very lukewarm.

SPEAKER_00 7:11

I uh they used to have a hospital, uh, All Saints, it was a Catholic hospital, that you could go to a regular um weekend mass and be out in 30 minutes, and the high mass would be 45 tops, and there was every bit of eight people you know in a in there. But you know what? I was going, yeah. I wasn't really participating, but but I was going, and then um then I ended up moving to California, met my met Cindy, uh we and we dated uh we met in January and were married in uh November of that year.

SPEAKER_01 7:53

Wow. So that you knew right away.

SPEAKER_00 7:55

She knew right away. Okay. Yeah. So she she would be an interesting person to have on this journey. Because she actually grew up with a horrific childhood. She was in um uh foster care uh and had been sexually abused, physically beaten. I mean, her and her sister spent a couple of at one point spent two weeks in the hospitals as as young kids getting um uh because of you know one of the foster care homes. And and anyway, well actually that led me to the Knights of Columbus as well, and we can talk about that later. But but anyway, so we got married. She wasn't Catholic at the time, but we started um uh RCIA classes, and uh shortly after we were married, she she came into the faith. Wow, and so and and this was in Torrance, California, just outside of LA.

SPEAKER_01 8:48

Yeah, you know, uh ironically, I lived in uh Long Beach. Oh, okay. Yeah, and uh my wife worked in Hawthorne right off the 405 for Mattel Toys Corporate. Yeah. So you know, if you know Torrance, you know exactly that.

SPEAKER_00 9:01

I just got a 405 in uh what is it, uh uh Hawthorne Lane was the exit.

SPEAKER_01 9:08

So yeah. Um so did you start a family right away or how did I know you have a couple of years?

SPEAKER_00 9:16

Took us a couple of years. Um I did have a uh a daughter from another uh previous relationship I didn't know about until later, uh uh Tiffany, and she is um she's the oldest, and she lives in in uh Missouri, in Springfield, Missouri, and has three sons, uh 18, soon to be 17 and 16. Wow. She's got them all knocked out in a row. And then I have a son, uh Justice, who is in Alaska. He has three daughters, eight, seven, and soon to be six. Okay, and um actually in next week, I just got a call last night. I'm gonna be going to Alaska and they're gonna be relocating to Colorado Springs. And of course, what did he ask Dad to do? Come and drive with them. So it's a 3,000-mile drive that uh we'll we'll be with. And then my my youngest daughter, Kelsey, her and her husband Alex moved here uh just under two years ago. And um uh Alex works with me, and then Kelsey uh Kelsey and Alex have our grandson Asher, who's a little over two, and he participes to mass with Cindy. She goes to St. Philip's on Mondays and St. Therese on Tuesday or Wednesday, and Asher's being exposed to the sacraments of uh, and it's been fantastic.

SPEAKER_01 10:47

That's that's awesome. That's awesome. So um has your your faith and Cindy's faith uh kind of transcended down to your children? Or are where where are they, if you don't mind me asking? No, no, no, where are they in their walk and and how is that going for them?

SPEAKER_00 11:04

So uh so Tiffany uh that her and her family are Southern Baptist, and they are very uh rooted in their faith. I mean, uh we were just out for graduation for um uh Zane, the oldest uh high school graduation, and it was really beautiful to you know just see how how close they are and what the relationship they have with Christ. And one of the things that's kind of interesting, the mother, her mother-in-law, uh uh they're their names Fred and Libby, and Libby uh was born Catholic. Oh wow and so um so we stayed with them and and we probably had four days every day we spent two to three hours talking about faith. And unfortunately, she was she was had her children, her husband, her and her husband were married, had children. This is Libby, and then um uh she went to the parish to see about getting her kids baptized, but because Fred was not Catholic, they said no. But they said, Hey, if you were a single mom, we would have done it. And so so that led her to stray away from the faith. Yeah. So uh you know, sometimes men get in and do stupid stuff.

SPEAKER_01 12:19

Exactly, exactly, absolutely. Um how about your son?

SPEAKER_00 12:23

My son is um he he knows there's a God. He he's he's uh getting more and more faith as as he you know as he's getting into his you know mid to late 30s. Uh but you know, but it's more of a journey, you know, for him and his wife.

SPEAKER_01 12:40

Uh it's a journey for all of us, right? It's absolutely a journey for all of us.

SPEAKER_00 12:44

And then Kelsey. Yeah. Um Alex was was baptized, but um uh has not had all the sacraments yet. We're trying to work on that with Father Father Bernard. By the way, Father Bernard is uh our our youngest uh godfather. Oh wow, and then uh Kelsey Kelsey attends Mass with us, you know, from time to time. I won't say she's a regular goer, but but she you know she comes and she's not kicking and screaming.

SPEAKER_01 13:15

Which is always a good sign. That's for sure. For sure. So let's talk a little bit uh uh about where you are today, because one of the things that I know that the audience may or may not know is um you are uh in the process of becoming a deacon. Uh uh you're still studying, I believe.

SPEAKER_00 13:33

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 13:34

Right? And and so tell us, if you don't mind, share with with our audience um you know, how did you hear that call about when? You know, did was it something instant instantaneous to you or was it something you kind of struggled with and and how's how how how's it led to where you are right now?

SPEAKER_00 13:54

Okay, so at St. Therese, obviously when when we first got to know each other, we've been in St. Therese for about going almost 20 years now. And so again, very lukewarm in the faith. And then after coming here, uh actually chose St. Therese over you know the other churches in the area, because we actually live in China Grove, which is closer to Sacred Heart. Okay, and um, but just felt more comfortable at St. Therese. This is when the Jesuits were there. Yeah. Wasn't always a fan of the Jesuits. But the um but one of the one of the things that uh happened is I got involved, started getting involved with the Knights of Columbus, you know, from washing dishes to cleaning to finally you know starting to be. To the grand knight. And then right after that, uh Father Vince at the time asked me if I would uh be a part of the pastoral council. And I told him, you know, no. And he said, let me discern, let's why don't you discern? And I next time I saw him, he said, I discerned enough for us. So so I got involved with that. And then as actually during that process, I started feeling like I could do almost any kind of event, but just something seemed like it was lacking. And again, I'd always been chasing money and and you know, uh just you know, what because I'm self-employed, um, just want to make sure the family was taken care of. And and actually started feeling that calling. And while the Jesuits were still still there, Cindy and I went to a Saturday night mass that we normally would have never gone to. Father Don Ward, I don't know if you remember Father Don Ward. Yeah, he was the um uh uh celebrant, and at the Mass, I have no clue what his message was. But what I heard was that if you do my work, I will give you time because I was always concerned about time. And um and it really just felt like some somebody just hit me in the back of the head with a two by four. And as Cindy and I were walking out of mass, I was uh talking about this, and she looked at me like I had two heads. And so we went and talked to Father Don, and um, and you know, I said, Hey, this is what I heard, and he said, Well, that has nothing to do with what the homily was, but that's the message you needed to hear. And so from that point, I started doing research, and um uh Joe Smith, uh who was uh uh parishioner uh at St. Therese was in formation to become a deacon at that point. And um and so uh I started, like I said, just uh kind of checking it out, and um then that kind of led me into putting in an application, and there's probably at that time maybe like a hundred plus applicants. And this was the last time I could have done it because I would have aged out. And at when we started, it was like a five year, it was basically every five years they'd start a new program. So we put in our names, didn't hear anything for months, then were invited to do uh psychological testing, which is like uh 900 questions. It's kind of like when when you talking to your wife, she doesn't like your answer, and she continues to ask the same questions in different ways. Right, it's kind of what it felt like. But uh but Cindy also had to go through that and background checks. And then uh then we were ready to get started, and then Bishop Jugas decided to change the program. So we kind of got put on hold a little bit and then started, and uh it and it's completely transformed my life. I mean, the the things um you know I went in with an attitude that you know kind of type a personality and um just my whole life you know at times just seemed like um it's been turned upside down. And you know, it g over you know, the more time you put into your faith, the more time you study, the more you spend time in the Bible, the more you spend time with others, you know, serving as opposed to looking to be served, it'll s slowly over time I feel that God's revealed himself to me and to put me on the journey that I'm at today.

SPEAKER_01 18:13

And there's a a certain richness, I think, that you maybe don't appreciate. It's a different type of richness, right? Um it's not the worldly riches, it's not the fancy boat and the big house. It's a richness of what I would call richness of the soul, where as you give more of yourself in the service of the Lord, the the the gifts that you get back, the treasures that you get back are exponential, correct?

SPEAKER_00 18:42

Oh, that's it's it's unbelievable. I mean, um the you know, I I kind of look back, and one of the one of the things that uh it's kind of an interesting story, and you've talked about uh gel and prison ministry on your on your podcast. And so um uh one of our deacons, deacon John Sims, knew that I was interested in the deaconate. And I think we I don't know if we had done the paperwork at that point or not, but uh they were having an ongoing uh training for deacons. And he said, Hey, it's gonna be at St. Therese, do you want to come? And I go, and it's on prison ministry. And um, and so I go back, tell my wife about it, and she just kind of chuckles, and then we ended up in another thing with uh Father Dominic on this Christian life community, which was like small groups, you met weekly, and so the introduction, and at this point I felt like I knew you know a lot of people at St. Theresa. There's very few people that I just looked at and said, God, I've never seen them before. Well, this lady sits down next to me, she looks at me, the first words out of her mouth was, I see you in prison ministry. I looked at her like, there's no frickin' way that I'm in prison ministry. And then as we got into the program, probably the second year of the program, it we were going into the summer sessions and they said, Hey guys, we want you to do something that's a little bit more uncomfortable. And that was with prison ministry. And um, and so that's how I kind of got started with that. And it's it's amazing to see the um the fruits of the Holy Spirit just because uh you know, so many people have backed away from it or afraid of it, and um how you know the Holy Spirit's worked, you know, to get me there, one, which has been uh probably one of the beautiful you know, most uh beautiful things that I've been involved with. And then secondly, just to see how with conversations that the Holy Spirit's working in and you know, especially at at uh St. Philip's and and the uh men there to lead more men to um to Christ.

SPEAKER_01 20:52

And and you know, you were a great inspiration uh of that happening. And in fact, my recollection is the last time I actually saw you was when you came to the men's Bible study to talk about prison ministry. I think you were inviting us, challenging us, uh you know, encouraging us, uh begging us. Right, whatever. And and it worked because you know, John uh Maloney and others, uh Jack, uh got involved in the jail ministry uh in Iredell County, mostly because of your invitation to see what it's like in prison ministry.

SPEAKER_00 21:31

Well, and and and again, I don't I don't think that was nearly my invitation as much as it was the Holy Spirit working within it. Because I mean there's so many things that um you know, whether it's a Curcio or a Bible study or you know, think about what it whatever it may be. We started a program this last year at St. Therese calls This Man Is You, or we meet on Saturday mornings for 13 weeks, or I'm sorry, sixteen weeks, two sessions at six. on Saturday mornings. And we averaged about 40, 40 men there. But but oftentimes, you know, you get up and you start to say, God, do I really want to do that? And then all of a sudden the fruits, you know, start to uh start to come out. And it's the same thing about um I don't know if you've ever done liturgy of the hours. I would would definitely encourage that. But it and so as a um you know when I'm ordained I'll be uh required to do the morning and the evening. So the past five plus years we've been doing that. And there's oftentimes it just feels like there's at least one sentence that just jumps out and that's what I needed to hear that day.

SPEAKER_01 22:43

Yeah wow so big big life transformation for you.

SPEAKER_00 22:48

Yes yeah my actually my son when I first you know started talking to him about it he looked at me and he said what are you thinking? Don't you give enough time to the church? And and now he he was they were just here visiting and um and he's starting to get it. Yeah so it's great. That's awesome.

SPEAKER_01 23:09

Well Trace I really appreciate this time. It's hard to believe I mean we we usually shoot for about 20 minutes and uh we're we're over that but it's great. I mean there's so much here and I could talk to you probably for another two to three days. I think you and I both probably have schedules here that I got to deal with today. But um uh if let me just ask you as we kind of wrap up to maybe maybe there's a maybe there's a gentleman that's out there listening right now and maybe he they're struggling with that discernment of is is is maybe pursuing a deacon's role like yourself what would you encourage them to do to try to help in that discernment?

SPEAKER_00 23:52

Well when we're all called as part of our baptism to call out and evangelize and to uh be active in our faith not called to be comfortable I mean just as you know this wasn't comfort you know your first comfort level and so so I think it's important that we recognize that and then um then it's a lot of prayer it's a lot of prayer a lot of conversations with your wife a lot of conversations with uh with with other deacons just to just to see and really it's to show up it's like almost everything you know involved with being a a a deacon or deacon candidate is just to show up let the Holy Spirit take you from where it is and then the I would say that um if you say yes to that doesn't mean that you're committed to being a deacon it just means you're learning more you're discerning more I mean there's even you know um we're scheduled to be ordained the uh 30th of January okay and um uh there's been times that uh a couple of situations where the week of someone discerned out wow so I mean yeah so there's a lot that goes in you really got to talk to your your wife's got to be on board that's a very big commitment for the family but but it's well well worth it wow well I uh I thank you first of all for sharing your time today with us and I want to remember to keep you and your family in our prayers for sure as you continue your journey I mean God bless you for for taking this on as a deacon I think you're gonna be a phenomenal deacon by the way I really do and I mean that with all my heart and I look forward to hopefully being at that mass when you get uh confirmed or ordained I guess ordained that's the right word not confirmed I should know better and uh as we wrap up hey for you for all of our listeners out there hey thank you for tuning in and being part of my brother's journey seek Jesus in all you do and be fishers of men God bless you and please join us again viva Jesus