Dcn. Lochner to serve as director of Divine Worship, master of ceremonies

By Caty Mraz
The U.P. Catholic

Feeling like an Old Testament figure called to leadership, Dcn. Paul Lochner has accepted the position of director of Divine Worship and master of ceremonies for the Diocese of Marquette. He succeeds Dcn. Tom Foye and will assume the position on Aug. 1, 2024. Dcn. Lochner was ordained to the permanent diaconate by Bishop John Doerfler on Jan. 10, 2020, and has since been serving at St. Louis the King Parish in Harvey.

Dcn. Lochner shared his vision for his upcoming new position, noting, “My vision for the position is simply to do my best to maintain the standard of excellence that Dcn. Tom Foye has established over his years of service and to try to make the transition as seamless as possible. Dcn. Tom has been incredibly generous in taking the time to mentor me and to share his knowledge and resources, for which I am very grateful. I hope to bring my love for the liturgy and desire to learn to the position to help me get up to speed as quickly as I can.

“I’m really looking forward to getting to know better and working with all the wonderful priests and deacons of our diocese, as well as all the lay staff and volunteers with the parishes and visiting as many parishes as I can.” Dcn. Lochner also described it as “an awesome and humbling opportunity to work closely with a successor of the apostles.”

Dcn. Lochner described his initial reaction to the appointment as that of “disbelief and trepidation,” due to having only been ordained for four years and only having a basic level of liturgical training.

“I feel like one of the least qualified persons in the diocese for the position. Metaphorically, when I received the call from the bishop, I felt like Moses in Chapter Four of Exodus, pointing out how I’m not the right guy for the job,” Dcn. Lochner said. “That said, I am humbled and flattered by the bishop’s confidence in me, and I’m comforted by the familiar adage from scripture that God does not call the qualified; rather He qualifies the chosen. So please pray for me!”

Dcn. Lochner said that he found it quite interesting to see just how much goes on behind the scenes to make the liturgy run smoothly, especially for the bigger diocesan events. “I had no idea how much the emcee does to ensure that everything happens when it is supposed to.”

While Dcn. Lochner will be primarily assisting at diocesan events, he will not be completely absent from St. Louis the King. “I’ll still be able to do things at St. Louis the King, including the First Saturday devotion and assisting at Masses on occasion, so I’ll still have some connection there, even though I won’t be assigned to the parish,” he said.

He said that particular highlights of his assignment at St. Louis the King have been “our wonderful parishioners, and the priests and deacons I’ve had the privilege of working with, especially Fr. Glenn Theoret, Fr. Benny Mathew, Fr. Daniel Fosu, and Fr. Tom Merkel. They have all been very supportive of the deacons at the parish. And Deacons Bill McKnight, Scott Jamieson, and Gregg St. John have been a great team and a pleasure to work alongside. Working men’s ministry through the Exodus 90 program has also been a great joy and highlight of my time at St. Louis the King.”

He added that his faith has been deepened during his time as a deacon, especially in walking with people in their journey of faith and witnessing how God is actively working in their lives. Dcn. Lochner said, “And in shadowing Dcn. Tom, I’ve gained a deeper understanding and appreciation of the liturgy and how we give fitting thanks and glory to God through the liturgy for all the blessings He has bestowed upon us.”

Dcn. Lochner said that he has always had a great devotion to the Eucharist, especially in Eucharistic adoration, describing it as “the source and summit of our life in the faith.” He said that he brings all the most important decisions of his life, as well as his difficulties and struggles, to Jesus in the adoration chapel.

He added, “What a great thing it is to spend time with Jesus, physically present in the monstrance, and in the quiet of the chapel, away from all the relentless noise and distraction of the world, to share my life with Him, to seek His guidance, and to give Him thanks for all His blessings. I hope that all Catholics will join in the Eucharistic revival, recognizing Jesus’ true presence—body, blood, soul, and divinity—in the sacrament and will spend time with Him in adoration. It is truly a life-changing experience.”

“Pope St. John Paul II frequently encouraged us to put out into the deep, to throw open wide the doors to Christ, and to do so without fear. The Second Vatican Council made it clear that the laity is called to evangelize, to be the salt and light of the Earth,” Dcn. Lochner said.
Encouraging those who may be working through the discernment process, he added, “If you feel that God is calling you to do something, whether that be a call to the priesthood, the permanent diaconate, religious life, or to serve in some way at your parish or in your community, be receptive to and answer the call. Do not let the enemy convince you that you are not qualified or that you cannot succeed … God qualifies those he calls. Be open to receive the graces He desires to give you, cast aside fear and doubt, and put out into the deep!”

For more information on vocations in the Diocese of Marquette, visit
dioceseofmarquette.org/vocations.

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