By Anne Marie Amacher
The Catholic Messenger
One man will be ordained to the priesthood and two to the diaconate during Masses on June 5 and 12 at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Davenport. Both liturgies are closed to the public, but can be viewed via livestream (https://tinyurl.com/4wbyrvfb).
Priesthood ordination
Bishop Thomas Zinkula will ordain Deacon Andrew Rauenbuehler, 30, to the priesthood on June 5 at 10 a.m. at the cathedral. Deacon Rauenbuehler said he first felt called to the priesthood as a “young kid. There were times when it felt stronger and weaker, when I wanted to pursue it and when I didn’t. But even when I wasn’t thinking all that much about it, the thought would always find its way back into my mind and through prayer.”
During high school, he spoke to priests about a possible calling to the priesthood, and some priests approached him as well. “After high school, I decided to spend some time with a religious community in Rome. I have two cousins who are missionaries in the community, The Family of Mary. It was a time to grow in prayer, experience missionary life and discern God’s call for my life.”
“After having pursued the call for a couple years, I took time away from seminary formation,” he said. He attended school and worked. In the couple of years before entering St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota, “I was working as an EMT in Davenport. Even when I’ve stepped away and discerned and done other things with my life, God has always had a roundabout way of showing me his will that I become a priest. It’s hard to know why and it isn’t always easy to cooperate with God’s will, but ultimately I know that his plan is always one that is geared towards our peace and joy and one that allows us to play a role in it.”
Deacon Rauenbuehler completed his theology studies at St. Paul Seminary, School of Divinity in St. Paul, Minnesota. He did internships at Our Lady of Victory Parish in Davenport, Prince of
Peace Parish in Clinton and the cluster parishes of St. Mary Parish in Riverside, St. Joseph Parish in Wellman and Holy Trinity Parish in Richmond.
On June 6, 2020, he was ordained to the diaconate at Ss. Mary & Mathias Parish in Muscatine.Following his ordination to the priesthood, he will celebrate his first Mass June 6 at Ss. Mary & Mathias Parish. A reception will follow.
Deacon ordinations
Dale Mallory and Ben Snyder will be ordained deacons June 12 at 10 a.m. at Sacred Heart Cathedral.
Mallory, 30, graduated from the University of Iowa with a bachelor’s degree in anthropology. He worked for the university’s housing and dining department from 2013-16 before discerning a call to the priesthood. He taught at Totus Tuus during the summer of 2017 at Prince of Peace Parish in Clinton, St. Joseph Parish in Columbus Junction, St. Wenceslaus Parish in Iowa City and St. Mary of the Assumption Parish in West Point. He has done internships in Bettendorf and Burlington. He continues his studies at St. Paul Seminary, School of Divinity.
Snyder, 25, was homeschooled and completed his pre-theology studies at Conception Seminary College in Conception, Missouri. He also taught at Totus Tuus, has completed internships in Iowa City and Davenport and completed his clinical pastoral education at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis. He continues his studies at St. Paul Seminary, School of Divinity.