Welcome, Deacon Don Tienter!

Greetings from the new Permanent Deacon at Nativity!

My name is Deacon Don Tienter.

It is with great joy and excitement that I introduce myself and my family to the community of Nativity of Our Lord Catholic Church. I have been assigned to your parish and will be serving as Permanent Deacon alongside Father Hipwell, Father Powers, and Deacon Kocemba. On December 9, I was ordained a permanent deacon by Archbishop Bernard Hebda.

In retrospect, I have always had a servant’s heart and have long felt a subtle calling to serve the Church as a deacon. Over the past twenty years I felt God’s gentle nudging in prayer and heard others’ remarks asking if I had had I ever considered the vocation. In 2012, my wife and I enrolled in the Archbishop Harry J. Flynn Catechetical Institute where we heard Deacon Joseph Michalak, the Archdiocese’s Director of Diaconate Formation speak about upcoming diaconate information sessions. Once I attended those, the spark was ignited, and after five years of formation I was ordained.

I work full time in Oakdale as an information technology specialist. I grew up on a dairy farm in Onamia, MN. I moved to the Twin Cities to attend college and have been a resident here ever since.

My wife, Maria Tice, is a Professor of Nursing at the University of St. Catherine. Maria grew up in the Holy Childhood parish and school. Our home in the Como Park neighborhood has been in her family since the 1930’s, and our children are the fifth generation to live there.

Our five children are aged 17–34 and we also have three young granddaughters. Grace, our youngest, still lives at home, and you will meet her attending Mass with Maria.

My wife and I have been active parishioners at nearby St. Cecilia’s for the last 18 years. We have been involved with many facets of the Church including leading youth groups, teaching confirmation and religious education, serving on parish council, and marriage preparation ministries.

We look forward to getting to know folks and being involved in the Nativity community.

I am honored to be your Deacon!