Scott Kahler is one step closer to his goal of becoming a Catholic priest. Now officially Deacon Scott Kahler, the aspiring pastor is spending his summer in Alexandria, serving the parishes of The Church of St. Mary, Immaculate Conception Church in Osakis, and St. Nicholas Church in Belle River. Scott knew in his teens that he was being called to be a man of the cloth. All along, he has been open to what God is calling him to do.
On Saturday, June 6, Deacon Kahler, along with one other transitional deacon (Tobias Ellis) and permanent deacons, John Bell, Chad Middendorf, and Ruben Uribe Mejia were all called to be ordained in St. Mary's Cathedral in St. Cloud by Bishop Patrick Neary. Dcn. Scott admits to being a little nervous, but excited as well. At one point in the ordination, all candidates lie prostrate on the floor in front of the altar as the congregation invites many saints to intercede for the men.
Dcn. Scott says one of his favorite saints is St. Joseph because of his connection to fathers. Kahler lost his father while he was in grade school due to a brain aneurysm. As the oldest son, with three younger sisters, he says, along with his mother's leadership, "they really grew in their faith, as a family." He adds that being interested in being a father in the Church made this saint appealing as well. Dcn. Scott says, "When we experience suffering in our lives, it's an invitation to rely on the Lord, to trust in the Lord even more...and that's really your choice. The other choice is to despair and kind of renounce the faith. Those are really your only two options. It's either dive in, or renounce." His faith continued to grow in his home parish within the Haven of Mercy ACC in the Little Falls area.
As part of the inaugural Vocational Synthesis Program for Deacons at the St. Paul Seminary, during his last year, Scott is required to spend more time in a parish. That means Deacon Scott will be in our ACC throughout the summer of 2026, but will be back again in January, March, and May of 2027 as well, with the hope of being ordained a priest in the St. Cloud Diocese in 2027 as well.
Photos below by Dianne Towalski / The Central Minnesota Catholic
To listen to a full interview with Deacon Scott Kahler, listen to this podcast on this edition of LIVING IN HOPE with Joe Korkowski.
