Many young people find themselves disinterested in attending church when they get away from home, but that never happened to me.”Peter Nassetta
Photo: Deacon Peter Nassetta poses with his grandchildren after Mass.
CULLMAN – Deacons play a very important role in the Catholic Church because they work to assist the priests in their pastoral and administrative duties, but typically report to the bishops of their dioceses. During Mass, deacons are able to proclaim the Gospel and assist the celebrant, or priest, at the altar. Today, deacons are also granted permission to preach.
Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Cullman has four wonderfully dedicated deacons. Each has a special gift and all go above and beyond the call of duty in serving the church, as well as serving the Lord. One of these deacons is Peter Nassetta.
Nassetta was born and raised in New London, Connecticut. He is the second of four children and a lifelong Catholic. After graduating from high school, he came to Cullman to attend St. Bernard College in August of 1966. He claims it was there his life was formed for the path God would have him travel.
“I thoroughly enjoyed my years at St. Bernard and received an excellent education,” he smiled. “While at St. Bernard, I had the good fortune of being introduced to Sondra Waters on a blind date and two years later, we married.”
The happy couple lived in Birmingham while Sondra Nassetta completed nursing school. Later they moved back to Cullman where Peter Nassetta became a teacher. Over the years, he worked in several different fields and was the Director of Public Works for the City of Cullman, a position he held for 17 years.
One thing is certain though, no matter what kind of work Nassetta has done throughout his life, he never lost sight of God or his faith.
“Many young people find themselves disinterested in attending church when they get away from home, but that never happened to me,” he mused. “I have always been consistent in my duty to God and have felt a closeness to the community at St. Bernard where I lived and studied for four years. I am privileged to be one of the co-founders of the present St. Bernard Prep School and have seen my two sons, and now I have a granddaughter, attending there. I think it was part of God’s plan for me to be involved in that way, even though I was not considering ministry at that time.”
Towards the end of Nassetta’s career with the City of Cullman, he and his wife began a five-year course of study and discernment for the permanent diaconate. He was ordained a deacon by the Diocese of Birmingham on Dec. 7, 2013 and now serves the bishop, as well as the pastor, at Sacred Heart.
“As a deacon, I am able to proclaim the Gospel at Mass and give the homily (sermon) at the discretion of the pastor,” he explained. “I can preside at communion services, Liturgy of the Hours and other celebrations of the Word. I may preside at the rite of benediction, administer baptism to infants, preside at funeral rites in the absence of a priest and give liturgical blessings at those rites I preside at. In some instances, I can assist the bishop and other presiding priests in liturgical actions, catechize and preach apart from the Mass and perform many other works of charity such as visiting the sick in homes and hospitals, prison ministry and youth ministry.
“The most challenging part of our ministry is finding a balance between church, family and other responsibilities,” he added. “It is a wonderful opportunity to serve as a deacon, but it can be overwhelming if you are not attentive to sharing time and talents.”
As trying as things can be, there are many special moments in which the Nassetta feels accomplished and spiritually rewarded.
“Without a doubt, the most rewarding aspect of my ministry is being there for someone in need and feeling like you really are making a difference in peoples’ lives,” he smiled warmly. “As the director of our cemetery, I also deal with the reality of death on a regular basis and it keeps me focused on learning how to minister to someone in the best way that is appropriate for them at that time.”
The Nassettas have been married for 45 years. They have two sons, David, who is an investigator with the Cullman Police Department, and Patrick, a local pediatric dentist. They have five grandchildren: Lilly, Sam, Tallulah, Carolyn and Davis.
Sacred Heart Catholic Church is located at 112 Second St. SE. For more information, call 256-734-3730, visit their website at http://sacredheartchurchcullman.org/ or find them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/sacredheartchurch.
