Deacon Bob Hardy will lead ongoing diaconate formation program

Friday, Jan. 30, 2015

SALT LAKE CITY — Deacon Bob Hardy has been assigned as the director of ongoing training for the permanent diaconate for the Diocese of Salt Lake City.

Deacon Forrest Gray is retiring from this position, which he has held since 2007; he was ordained in 2004.

In this position, Deacon Hardy will be the director of the permanent diaconate and diaconate personnel, including planning an annual spiritual retreat. He will take care of situations as they arise, for example, a deacon who wants to go to another state to perform a marriage, or assist deacons in increasing their education and service. He also will have influence on deacon assignments and he will support the Most Rev. John C. Wester, Bishop of Salt Lake City, and Monsignor Colin F. Bircumshaw, vicar for clergy. 

“Deacon Hardy’s previous work as an executive in the Miller Brewing Company in various states highly qualifies him for the position,” said Deacon Gray. The diaconate “deals only with Utah, but we get calls from all over the United States; he is personable and has the ability to talk to people. He has been a great support as a deacon at Saint Mary of the Assumption Parish in Park City as well as tutoring third-graders.” 

Deacon Hardy has been involved in the preparation of the sacraments of marriage and baptism, liturgy, RCIA and other parish education programs, said Father Stan Herba, pastor. “He is a wonderful person, very helpful and the parishioners love him,” he said.

Deacon Hardy tutors third-grade students in reading at Jeremy Ranch Elementary School. “It is very rewarding to help these kids improve their reading skills; I have a lot of fun with it,” he said.

Deacon Hardy was ordained in 2010. He was living in Park City after moving from New Orleans, La. 

“I was working for a distributorship that was sold, and my wife, Carol, and I wanted to go West. There was an opening in Salt Lake City, and I took it as an interim job hoping to get a job in Phoenix,” he said. “About nine months later a call came, but we had reacquainted ourselves with skiing, hiking, biking and decided to stay in Utah; it’s the longest I’ve ever lived in one place – 19 years.”

Throughout Deacon Hardy’s life, he has been actively involved in parishes. When discerning the diaconate, he was working with Deacon Tom Tosti at St. Mary of the Assumption in the RCIA program and as a lector. 

“One evening while I was lectoring, Monsignor Bob Bussen encouraged me to look into the diaconate,” he said. “I took his advice and discerned for three years. I’ve been very pleased with my decision.”

During the diaconate training a variety of presenters spoke on topics such as the Old and New Testament, and “each brought a different aspect to our training that I thought was marvelous; it was enjoyable to go to class,” he said.

Deacon Hardy was raised Catholic in Traverse City in northern Michigan. His mother was Catholic and his father was Protestant from a long line of Irish Protestant preachers, who first came to America with the Governor Winthrop Fleet in 1632. 

“My father took raising us Catholic very seriously even though he did not convert,” said Deacon Hardy. “When my brother and I were altar boys, we served at a 6 a.m. Mass, and my father would drive us and wait for us. He was a very religious man, too, and saw to it that we prayed at meals and together as a family, which my wife and I have made an important part of our family.”

Deacon Hardy received a bachelor’s degree in education from Central Michigan University in Mount Pleasant, Mich. Instead of attending his college graduation ceremony, he and his wife chose that day to be married in 1968. He taught for three years before entering the business world, he said. 

“I recently retired after working 40 years with Miller Coors LLC,” he said. “Prior to Miller Coors, I worked for Shell Oil and ABC Television.”  

Deacon Hardy and his wife have three daughters and two granddaughters.