Kevin Keech is one of three men to be ordained to the permanent diaconate on July 22 at St. Joseph’s Basilica. Bishop Paul Terrio, retired bishop of the Diocese of St. Paul, will be the principal celebrant. Kevin will be assigned to his home parish, St. Francis Xavier in Camrose, where he and his family have been active for many years. There are currently 36 permanent deacons serving in the Edmonton Archdiocese.
Tell me about yourself
I consider myself to have an unusual faith history. I was born in Winnipeg to a mid-size family. I was baptized along with two of my brothers in an Air Force chapel by a Presbyterian minister. I recall as a young lad being at Sunday school at the United Church as I remember my parents claiming they were “United” anytime they were asked. In my early adulthood, influenced by a friend’s family I attended a few classes with a Lutheran pastor and was confirmed as a Lutheran in Camrose. This attempt at religion faltered and I fell into a secular lifestyle.
In 1989, I attended college to pursue a career in law enforcement, and it was there that I met a beautiful girl whom I quickly learned was a devout Catholic. As a college student, having a break at Easter, I asked her if she would like to go downhill skiing. She replied, “My family goes to church at Easter, so I am going home.” But she kindly invited me to tag along. My introduction to the Easter Triduum was as a non-practising Lutheran who had not attended a church in years! What a surprise it was!
Our Lord does work in mysterious ways as I grew into this wonderful family and married that beautiful Catholic girl in 1990. Amelia and I began our family with Megan in 1992, Letisha in 1994, and Kayla in 1996.
I remained a secular man, and in 1994, five years into my policing career I was in a serious accident on the job. With so much evidence of having my life spared, I began wondering if God was somehow working in my life. This began a lengthy process of discernment and led to a yearning to become part of my practising Catholic family, and in 2000 was welcomed into the Church.
Although I felt a new beginning, I took for granted what being Catholic meant. I still had an incredibly stressful career to contend with, and scars were not obliterated because I had a newfound faith. Within a couple of years, about the mid-point of my career, the stress of the job had built up, and without a proper outlet I struggled to find balance in work, marriage, and family life.
Being at an all-time low I had the wherewithal to seek the guidance of our parish priest. A slow and often painful experience of rebuilding became a testament to what can be accomplished with God at one’s side. Receiving the Sacraments and giving back to our parish community created a whole new outlook on my life and my relationship with Amelia, our daughters, and others alike.
What attracted you to the diaconate and how did you become involved?
Behind the scenes, without my realization at first, was my dear mother-in-law Maria. Parishioners referred to her as a prayer warrior. In the last few years of her life, I developed a much deeper relationship with her. I realized that she had been my silent spiritual director, and had likely spent hours in prayer for me during my tough times.
As time went on, I became friends with a few deacons who encouraged me to apply to the Permanent Diaconate Program, but I strongly resisted the idea. I retired as a sergeant with the Camrose Police Service in 2014 and had a post-policing career in information technology. My mother-in-law passed in early 2019, and I felt a huge void in my life. It was during my morning prayer routine on several consecutive days that I began to feel a strong calling to the diaconate. I felt as if what Maria wanted to tell me on earth was now coming via the Holy Spirit in a way I could no longer ignore.
In May 2020 I decided to retire altogether and wait and see if my discernment and application to the Permanent Diaconate would be accepted. Well … here I am Lord, I come to do your will.
What was the highlight of the formation process? What was the toughest part?
Formation has led me to growth that in previous years of my life I would not have considered possible. The hardest part of formation for me was and will continue to be is human transformation. Putting on a new man can be challenging when for decades I was embedded in a secular lifestyle.
Oddly enough, the best part of formation is also the human transformation. Learning so much more about our faith and spending time with such devout and knowledgeable people in my cohort, those ordained ahead of us, and those journeying behind us was the perfect environment to grow in faith. I thoroughly enjoyed being in the same room as such wonderful instructors who provoked awe and wonder in our God.
In your opinion, why should a man consider the permanent diaconate?
To the men who may consider the diaconate I will say pray hard. It is extremely important to discern whether the voice telling you yes, or no is God’s and not your own. If God is telling you yes, even against your will, let go and let God. And, if you do hesitantly submit your application, I assure you the reward is great. An openness to God’s plan for you, be it diaconate formation, will result in the stirring up of the gifts of the Holy Spirit in ways you cannot imagine.
What particular skills do you have that will help you serve the Church?
As a police officer, I have experienced our fractured society, and I have intervened in the lives of hundreds of people. I pray this experience will assist me to serve people in a compassionate way grounded in the truth, the truth of Jesus Christ. Living myself as a fractured part of God’s one body will help me face challenges as a deacon and help heal the wounds of those I serve.
I am incredibly thankful for the grace of God in our family. Our daughters are all married to great men, and two have started their own families. They have all followed in careers of service: Megan is a police officer, and Letisha and Kayla are registered nurses. And all three, with their husbands, attend Mass as regularly as shift work allows.
What do you hope to achieve as a deacon and what will be the biggest challenge?
St. Peter asks us to proclaim the glorious works of the One who has brought us out of darkness. I am a testament to that, and will indeed proclaim. People have asked me why I chose to become a deacon, and I say, “I have no idea where I would be without God, but I do know where I am with Him, and I am forever grateful He chose me.”
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