Grace and peace to you all in the Lord Jesus Christ.
My name is Deacon Evan MacKenzie.
While I know many of you personally, many new parishioners have joined Holy Redeemer over the last seven years. I have been off gallivanting around the country while in seminary, and some of you may not know me or my story, so I wanted to take some time to allow you to get to know me.
By the time you read this, I will either have already been ordained to the Transitional Diaconate or will be awaiting my ordination on November 14, 2026, a blessed day I am sure I will never forget.
My parents are Mark MacKenzie, Director of Evangelization for Columbia River Catholic, and Andrea MacKenzie. I am so eternally grateful to both of them for their support over these last seven years of seminary Formation. I have an older brother and two younger sisters. I was born in San Diego, California, where my father was working. When I was just around a year old, my family moved from San Diego to Corvallis, Oregon, and lived there for nine years. We then moved to Clark County, Washington, and my parents have been there ever since. In 2009, my whole family came into the Catholic Church through the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) at the Easter Vigil at Sacred Heart Parish in Battle Ground. Later, we moved here to Holy Redeemer Parish in Vancouver, and that has been my home parish ever since. Growing up, I was very involved in youth group (both middle school and high school) and later in the young adult group. I also served as a catechist for High School Faith Formation. Before seminary, I attended community college and worked many jobs, anything from landscaping to working in restaurants. I entered the seminary in 2019 and have been in formation for the priesthood ever since.
Growing up, I was not that interested in religion or God. I wanted to take what was mine (as much as a child can), and for me that looked like having my full weekend to do as I pleased. So, when we moved from Corvallis, Oregon to Clark County and began checking out different churches, I was not the least bit happy. But thanks be to God, parents do not succumb to every whim of their child! In 2008, my family entered OCIA (RCIA as it was called then), and at the Easter Vigil in 2009, Christ won my entire family for Himself. In the year or so that followed, each Sunday and Holy Day of Obligation, I would drag my feet in the morning, hoping and (ironically) praying that somehow, we could miss Mass that weekend. Thankfully, unless I was seriously ill, my parents would drag me to Church, even if I was kicking and screaming. It was at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in 2010 or 2011 that I was first awakened to the idea that maybe this was something I could do.
So, there I was, sitting in the back of the Church with my family at Sacred Heart in Battle Ground, waiting anxiously for Mass to be over so I could go and get a donut, when Fr. Matthew O’Leary, after finishing the prayer after communion, turned around, pointed at me, and said, “That is going to be my next priest.” I froze. I thought to myself, “Surely, he is not talking about me?” When I turned around, hoping he was pointing at someone else, my heart sank when I realized that there was, in fact, no one behind me. Fr. Matthew finished the Mass, and the day continued. As you would expect of a young boy, I soon forgot about this encounter at Mass with Fr. Matthew. It wasn’t until a few months later that the thought popped into my head out of nowhere: “Maybe you could do that with your life?” I immediately said no. “I have a plan for my life, and it's not that.” Then it happened again a few months later, and again, a month after that. Before long, it seemed I couldn't get through a week without this thought popping into my head. The more I said no and ran from it, the more it came to me. I kept running for over ten years. There were times during those ten years when I considered it, but ultimately, I rejected it altogether. It wasn’t until I was 19 or 20 that I had a realization. The realization was that the priesthood fulfilled everything I wanted out of life. I was seriously considering several career paths, and in each one, something was missing. That something was Him. When I realized this, and the Holy Spirit convicted my heart of it, I finally decided to see what this seminary thing was all about.
When I first began my discernment process, I was a parishioner here at Holy Redeemer, and Fr. Nathe saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself. He, like a loving father, encouraged me and worked with me. I will admit, I didn't make it easy for him. At the time, I still wasn't convinced this was the path for me. I thought that maybe God had it all wrong, “Just wait, God, I’ll show you. You’ll see that this isn’t for me. Then we can finally move on with my plan for my life.” Nonetheless, if the last ten years had taught me anything, it was that I at least needed to check it out, so that little voice would stop coming back to me. So, I did what we ought not to do, and I bargained with God. I told the Lord, “You have one semester! Then I am leaving seminary and pursuing my own dreams.” I applied to the Archdiocese of Seattle and was accepted. I then applied to Bishop White Seminary and Gonzaga University (Go Bulldogs) and was accepted to both, and off I went. That first semester was overwhelming in many aspects. I was counting down the days. But when the semester ended, I thought to myself, “Well, maybe it would be good to finish a whole year.” When that year was over, I thought, “Regardless of what I do, having a college degree won’t hurt on any resume for a job, so I may as well finish my degree from Gonzaga,” and I did. I graduated from Gonzaga University with Honors.
By then, I had moved from bargaining with God to recognizing a hunger welling up inside me. With each passing year, my desire to continue in the seminary grew, and my desire to pursue a life centered on me shrank. I then transferred to Mundelein Seminary in Chicago and have spent the last four years there, studying theology, growing in my relationship with the Lord, and falling ever deeper in love with Him.
Now, there were a few things I didn’t understand about priesthood or seminary that no one told me, and I offer these to any young man reading this who feels his heart being pulled toward seminary. First, seminarians are normal dudes. We play sports, go out to eat, go shopping, play video games, watch movies, and spend time with each other just like any normal young man does. We are not perfect; we fall short of the mark all the time. For some of us, the school aspect of seminary is difficult. Some brothers excel in the classroom, but struggle with the interpersonal relationships, and everywhere in between. We all have different talents and strengths and weaknesses—and thank God! How dull this life would be if everyone were like me! The other thing I didn’t realize about seminary is that it takes a long time for a good reason. It takes a long time to form a man to think and love with the heart and mind of Christ.
There is no easy way to sum up the last seven years of my life. I have experienced great hardship, loss, and trial. I have also experienced incommunicable joy, peace, love, and fulfillment. It is not easy, but neither is any other path of following Christ. Anyone who tells you anything different is a liar.
As of November 14th, I am an ordained member of the clergy for the Archdiocese of Seattle. There is nothing I would rather do with my life than to give it in love and service to Christ. When we truly understand what He did for us on the Cross, the only response that makes sense is to give our lives back to Him as a gift. It is never too late to follow Him. So, like the wise steward in today's Gospel, take the talents He has given you and, with His grace, multiply them.
Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam,
Deacon Evan MacKenzie
