Dcn. Nick Klear

When Nick Klear was in high school, a military recruiter visited and, as part of the presentation, asked the students if anyone was considering going into ministry. When Klear raised his hand, his classmates gave him a look of astonishment.

While Klear’s classmates were surprised, he felt comfortable with the idea of being a priest or a deacon. His grandfather was a deacon and Klear served at many Masses with him. He once took Klear to a dinner event at which the speaker’s theme was being open to God’s call. That concept stuck with Klear.

“I was always open to what God wanted me to do, but I didn’t know what that meant – priest or deacon?” he said. “Then I met Rachel and that question was answered.”

Klear and his wife of 13 years, Rachel, met when they were students at the University of Toledo. They have five children ages  2 to 12. 

Rachel saw Klear at a Catholic Student Association activity at the University of Toledo, asked a friend about him and told the friend she was going to marry him. 

“That story was part of my grandfather’s homily at our wedding,” Klear said. “How do a girl from Marietta and a guy from northwest Ohio meet in Toledo? Because of divine providence. God put us in these positions to be able to meet and fall in love.”

Marriage was the selected path for Klear, but the diaconate, while not an immediate priority, remained a possibility.“

I felt like I got that tap on my shoulder again after being married a couple of years and I thought, ‘What is this?’” he said.

The Diocese of Toledo decided to start a deacon class, so Klear attended a meeting for anyone interested.

“I went to this meet-and-greet and I really surprised grandpa, because I was living in Fort Wayne, Indiana at the time,” Klear said. “I found out I was way too young, so that was a surprise. I was 26 at the time and you have to be 35 (to be a deacon) and so I was a little disappointed, but it turned out God really understood that it wasn’t the right time for me.”

During the next three years, Klear changed jobs twice, he and Rachel moved, and they welcomed three children to their growing family.

“I could not have prepared for the diaconate at that time in my life, but God watches over us to make sure everything comes through,” he said. “After those three years, it was funny because everything felt calm. I felt like I got a tap on the shoulder again and it was like ‘Hey, Nick, remember me? It’s time to think about this again.’”

Klear is a service manager and electrical engineer for APTIM Corp. and volunteers with the youth group and RCIA programs at his home parish of Ada Our Lady of Lourdes. Add five children in various activities and it seems impossible to add the diaconate preparation program to his schedule. But everything fell into place.

“It’s not us,” he said. “It’s what the Lord gives us and you follow the Holy Spirit and you get done with the week and you think ‘Wow, that’s a lot. I wonder how we did all of that.’ The Lord directs you to the things you need.”