Deacon Casey Flack

Introduction/Tell things about you, your family, your Catholic journey

I grew up in the Quad Cities with my parents, Brad and Karen along with three brothers, Mac, Connor and Cameron. I am the second oldest of the group. I attended Catholic schools and Sunday School, but it took me and my family some time to grow into the practice of our faith. It wasn’t until I was able to begin serving in a Bible school for those with special needs and a youth bible study that I began my own personal journey in faith. I grew to love the gifts of the Scriptures and those I taught at bible school ended up teaching me way more than I ever taught. This allowed me to take some ownership in my personal faith into college.

I went on to attend Loras College in Dubuque, graduating there in 2017. In my time at Loras I began to delve more deeply into my faith academically and spiritually. While my classes taught me a lot about the Church, it was the good example of others that helped me to learn how to welcome Jesus as an active part of my life. I started praying more often with a men’s prayer group, and I began to attend daily Mass and Adoration. When it came time to graduate I went on to graduate studies at St. John’s University in Queens, NYC. From there I felt the need to consider the priesthood more deeply in the seminary.

Where/when did your sense of call develop?

My call was something I definitely struggled with for a long time. While I may have had inklings of what I felt God calling me to, I didn’t really know what the life of a priest was or how to discern it. So God had to do a lot of the heavy lifting, which He did. By that grace I was led to Loras College, began to study philosophy, pray the Liturgy of the Hours, attend daily Mass and get to know the seminarians. It was all this that led me to begin discerning with a spiritual director, yet even then it wasn’t until my time in grad school that I knew I needed to discern the priesthood more deeply. I had an encounter with Christ in Adoration where the words, “I want you to feed my people” were deeply impressed into my heart. I had not heard them spoken, or thought them, but seemed to receive them. My response was to begin my journey of applying to formation.

Were you invited by others to enter seminary?

As I mentioned above, it wasn’t until I entered college that I began to think about the priesthood in a serious way. This was in part because of the priests I got to know there. Fr. Doug Wathier, Fr. Bob Gross, Fr. Dennis Miller, and the now Bishop William Joensen all had a tremendous impact on me by the way they lived their priestly lives. Their invitation was their priesthood, instilling me with an idea of what it would be like to live as a priest. Just as helpful was getting to know seminarians as well. As I started at Loras I began to know the men already in formation and was able to see their transformation in their own journeys. This inspired me to consider the seminary, especially as I saw some of them ordained!

What was your main motivation in pursuing your call?

My biggest motivation is to follow the Lord. I spent a long time ignoring this call, not necessarily because I didn’t want it but because I didn’t understand how I could live as a priest. It took time for me to learn how and in my desire to stay close to the Lord, I must go where He is leading me. Along the way I have found a deep love for the life of the Church in the Sacraments, Tradition, and Scriptures. I want to share that life with others. In particular I have a desire to give these gifts I have received to others. I received a great gift in the persistence of God in my own life, and I hope I can return that gift by giving it to others as well.

Who were/are your biggest influences?

Some of my biggest influences are those priests who formed me from the beginning: Bishop Joensen, Fr. Dennis Miller, Fr. Bob Gross, along with those I encountered along the way; Fr. Tom Toale, Fr. Greg Bahl, Fr. Kyle Digmann and those who form me at Mundelein. More than that, most of my biggest influences are the people I have met. People who long to have priests in their life to share the important moments, to give the Sacraments, and know Jesus more deeply. I am always spurred to more fervent preparation when I return to Iowa and see all the people who want good and holy priests in the Archdiocese. 

What advice would you give other men who are discerning their call?

My primary advice is to be open. I mean this in a particular way: First to pray. If you want to receive your vocation you need to be in communication with the one who has it all planned out. Spend time in prayer, and if you need help to know how to pray ask! Secondly, you don’t do this alone. If you have considered any vocation at all, whether marriage, religious life or priesthood, please talk to somebody about it. Explain why you feel called. Thirdly, do not let fear close you up. Fear is not of God. If you are afraid to discern a vocation, bring that fear to someone you trust. We cannot run to a vocation because of fear, but must come to receive our vocations in love and relationship.