Deacon Mahoney answers God's call to priesthood

May 15, 2024

By Ryan Johnson

During adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, God spoke to Mike Mahoney. The message: “Mike, I want you to be a priest.”

That was 2010. Since then, God has called Deacon Mike Mahoney, of St. Francis of Assisi Parish, again. He will celebrate the sacrament of Holy Orders as he is ordained to the Catholic priesthood by Bishop William Joensen on June 21, at 5 p.m. at St. Ambrose Cathedral.

Raised Catholic

Deacon Mahoney was raised in a Catholic household and attended Catholic elementary and middle school at Sacred Heart and St. Francis of Assisi in West Des Moines. He continued his education at Dowling Catholic High School.

When Deacon Mahoney was younger, he recalled his parents asking him if he ever considered a vocation to the priesthood. At the time, he dismissed the suggestion, thinking he was called to a different vocation as an adult.

During his sophomore year in high school, he attended the National Catholic Youth Conference. It was during adoration there that he recalled receiving a message from God about serving the Church as a priest. But he wasn’t quite ready ... yet.

First Minnesota, Then California

After graduating from Dowling Catholic High School in 2012, he attended St. John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota, where he studied religion. While he was there, he continued to live out his faith life through campus ministries. 

“I was still trying to lean into my faith,” he said.

In 2016, Mike earned an education degree in social studies with a double minor in secondary education and theology. His next step was a move to California to pursue a master’s degree in education at Santa Clara University while teaching middle school social studies and religion at a nearby small Catholic school.

“I thought teaching would be my life,” he said. “I thought I would get married and have children. I had this great vision for what my life was going to be like.”

It became clear to him that his vision for his future may not have been what God was calling him to do. 

Answering the Call

Following a trip home for Easter, Deacon Mahoney recalled his earlier calling to the priesthood.

“I knew a life change had to happen,” he recalled. “The voice that called me in 2010 started coming back. The thoughts of the priesthood. I thought ‘It’s time.’”

Under the guidance of then Vocations Director Father Joseph Pins, Deacon Mahoney began his seminarian studies in the fall of 2017. He spent the first two years at St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota. His next step was major seminary in Italy, where he enrolled at the Pontifical North American College in Rome.

During his formation, Deacon Mahoney was assigned to St. John the Apostle Catholic Church in Norwalk, where he worked for eight months with Father Dan Kirby, the pastor. 

“The parish became one of Deacon Mike’s best formation experiences,” said Father Kirby. “He was able to learn what the priesthood is all about from his greatest professors of all, the parishioners of St. John the Apostle. Through his time in the parish, Deacon Mike grew in confidence in his vocation and that he would be able to minister to the faithful in a wide variety of different pastoral situations.”

Deacon Mahoney looks forward to being able to walk with others on their faith journey.

“I have always been service-driven and feel that the priesthood will allow me to share my gifts,” he said.

Father Kirby believes Deacon Mahoney is also ready to share his spiritual gifts with a parish.

“I have no doubt that Deacon Mike will serve the people of God very well as a parish priest,” said Father Kirby. “His strong work ethic, his desire to grow in his spiritual life, and his desire to teach the faith to both old and young. I know that whatever parish he is assigned will be blessed with a priest who always wants to serve.”