I’d seen Maurice Baillargeon at family events for over 30 years; he was my brother’s father-in-law. But it wasn’t until he was well into his 80’s—and after I had started to think about my own retirement—that I noticed this: he was vibrant.
I wanted what he had.
Around his 90th birthday, I asked him to share his story.
Who He Was
Maurice Baillargeon was a loyal husband and proud father of nine children. He retired at 61, after careers as a farmer and a union carpenter. For a few years, he helped friends and family build decks and he busied himself with odd jobs around his church.
Eventually, he got bored. Too much free time became a burden; he itched to do more.
“I didn’t want to just sit around.”
How Maurice Got Involved
Maurice shared his discontent with a member of his Bible group who suggested Maurice become a deacon. Now, Maurice was a humble, introverted man. Although he liked the idea, he couldn’t picture himself as a deacon.
He felt too old.
He felt unqualified.
The thought of speaking from the altar terrified him.
He didn’t believe he had “the faculties for teaching.”
To top it off, becoming a deacon in the Catholic Church required four and a half years of study. He hadn’t taken a formal course in fifty years.
Imagine. Here’s a guy who wants more meaning in his life—he wants to become a deacon—and at the same time he can’t quite picture himself in the role. There are all kinds of barriers to getting what he wants: fear, feeling inadequate, a huge commitment of time and effort.
He has his foot on the gas and the brake at the same time. Until he lets up on the brake, he’s going nowhere.
We all face fears, anxieties, and roadblocks that threaten to keep us stuck. So how did Maurice make the transformation? What persuaded him to see himself differently?
How did he find the courage to take his foot off the brake?
He asked for advice and support from people he trusted—his wife, the current deacon, his priest. Each assured Maurice that he had the right stuff to be a deacon. Finally, he shared his concerns with the bishop, who encouraged Maurice and said he would not be required to preach. With that, Maurice had enough confidence to start.
Maurice’s Contribution
Mr. Baillargeon joined a cohort of men who supported one another through four-and-a-half years of study (Notice the support again? He was surrounded by people who wanted him to succeed). He was ordained July 27, 1991, at the age of 71, at St. Anne’s Church in Somerset, Wisconsin.
It took 10 years from the time Maurice retired until he became a deacon. Then he spent the next 20 years caring for parishioners. He baptized babies, officiated at weddings, assisted at Mass, led the rosary, and visited the sick and shut-in. He embodied charity and love.
Maurice’s Reward
When I asked Mr. Baillargeon, What’s the most rewarding part of being a deacon?, his eyes filled with tears. He said,
“I feel more accepted than I ever thought I would be. I feel the congregation really appreciates me. I didn’t realize they would.”
The fellow who felt too old and unqualified grew to feel accepted and appreciated.
Maurice served as a deacon until the day before he died at age 91.
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I love Mr. Baillargeon’s story. It starts with an inkling of desire—a feeling that there must be something more to life. And it ends with a feeling of being so loved—so fulfilled—that he can barely believe it.
The thing that strikes me about Maurice is his courage. It could not have been easy to take courses after a 50-year hiatus from the classroom. It could not have been easy for a shy man to take on a public role. It could not have been easy to transform from feeling too old and unprepared to feeling capable enough to start.
Maurice taught me that when we don’t quite have the nerve to move forward, we need to reach out to others. We need to surround ourselves with people who cheer us on, support us, and help us see who we can become even when we can’t quite see it—or believe it—ourselves.