He was ordained to the transitional diaconate May 18
By Jeff Kurowski | For On Mission
GREEN BAY – “He seems very much at peace.”
That’s how Fr. Mark Mleziva, vocation director for the Diocese of Green Bay, described Nathan Budde in the moments prior to the Mass of Ordination to the Order of the Diaconate on Sunday, May 18, at St. Francis Xavier Cathedral.
“It’s a great day. It’s Easter (Fifth Sunday), we have a new pope (Leo XIV) and we will have a new deacon for the church,” Fr. Mleziva said.
Family, friends, priests, deacons, seminarians, classmates and other supporters gathered for the Mass.
Bishop David Ricken ordained Deacon Budde to the transitional diaconate, which was his next step on the path to the priesthood.
He is expected to be ordained a priest in the summer of 2026.
Bishop Ricken opened his homily by thanking the Budde family: parents, John and Jenn, and siblings, Matthew, Anna, Andrew and Mary.
He described Deacon Budde as a “homegrown vocation,” pointing out that his call was fostered by how the family “prayed together” and “attended liturgy.”
Deacon Budde, whose home parish is St. Mary, Ledgeview, is a “product of Catholic education,” including graduating from Notre Dame Academy in Green Bay in 2018, Bishop Ricken said.
The bishop pointed out that the readings for the Mass (Acts 14:21-27, Rev 21:1-5 and Jn 13:31-33a,34-35) “give us hope.”
Bishop Ricken said that he had watched the inaugural Mass of Pope Leo XIV earlier in the day when the new pontiff shared his core values of “unity and communion and charity.”
“Selfless love: Nathan’s diaconate is a beautiful reminder of our love for one another,” said Bishop Ricken, connecting the moment to the pope’s message.
Following the Laying on of Hands and the Prayer of Ordination, Fr. John “Jack” Harper vested Deacon Budde. Fr. Harper, a senior priest of the diocese and former pastor at St. Mary Parish, Ledgeview, said that he was honored to serve in that role at the ordination.
“I’ve maybe known (Deacon Budde) for around 18 years,” said Fr. Harper. “He was a (altar) server and was very dedicated to the parish. St. Mary is a wonderful parish. I was not surprised (when Deacon Budde entered seminary). I saw qualities (for a priestly vocation) in him.”
Deacon Budde said that he is grateful for the many priests who have supported him. Fr. Daniel Schuster, his confirmation sponsor, is among them. They met while Fr. Schuster was serving as the vocation director for the diocese and living at Xavier House in De Pere.
“His family is just a good church family of disciples,” said Fr. Schuster, pastor of Holy Trinity Parish, Casco/Slovan, and Immaculate Conception Parish, Luxemburg. “As he was growing up, he partook in all of the offerings of the Vocations Office. He truly benefited from the ministry the bishop provides the diocese, the ministry of accompaniment for young men who are interested and open to a call to the priesthood.”
Deacon Budde was also an altar server for Masses celebrated by Fr. Schuster at Notre Dame Academy.
The newly ordained deacon pointed to a personal encounter with Jesus in the Eucharist during the fall of 2017 that was significant to his vocation. Fr. Schuster led Eucharistic Adoration at that youth group retreat at Camp Tekakwitha in Shawano.
In the spring of 2018, Deacon Budde took part in a “vocational journey” pilgrimage to California, led by Fr. Schuster, to walk in the footsteps of St. Junipero Serra, the patron saint of vocations.
“It’s been wonderful personally to watch his vocation grow,” Fr. Schuster said.
“(Fr. Schuster) helped me to deepen my relationship with Jesus and remains a great example of priestly life for me,” Deacon Budde said.
Following high school, Deacon Budde attended St. Norbert College in De Pere for a year to study environmental science. He decided to pursue his vocation and applied to become a seminarian in the spring of 2019.
Fr. Schuster said that the Norbertines have also been very influential in Deacon Budde’s faith journey and he has a strong affinity for St. Norbert Abbey in De Pere.
He added that it took courage for Deacon Budde to leave St. Norbert College to answer the call.
“Some would finish their degree and mull it over,” Fr. Schuster said. “He’s a great disciple.”
“I think the most important thing is the ministry of the Vocations Office and the accompaniment that is available to all these young men in our diocese,” he continued. “When they take advantage of it, it just might put them in the right place, the right time to hear the call. Nathan accepted those invitations and the Lord spoke to him.”
Deacon Budde is from the “first group that I welcomed as seminarians,” said Fr. Mleziva, who became vocation director in 2018.
“I’ve been able to walk with him these past six years and have been able to see the whole journey, so it’s special for me,” Fr. Mleziva said.
Deacon Budde will serve as a deacon this summer at St. Thomas the Apostle Parish, Newton, under the guidance of Fr. Dave Beaudry, pastor.
In August, he will return for his final year of studies at Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology in Milwaukee while receiving priestly formation at St. Francis de Sales Seminary in the Milwaukee area.
“I will especially be doing visits to the homebound. I will be preaching three weekends a month,” Deacon Budde said about his summer diaconal assignment.
During the fall semester, Deacon Budde, who enjoys playing the guitar and fishing in his free time, will serve on weekends at St. Leonard Parish in Muskego.
In the spring, he will serve on weekends in the diocese at St. Thomas the Apostle Parish.
For more information about vocations for the Diocese of Green Bay, visit https://gbvocations.org/.
Click here to see more pictures of the ordination.
