Dcn. Rick Wagner

"You're not worthy."

That's what Father Don Schmidl—a priest of 55 years—told Deacon Rick Wagner just months before ordination.

"And I'm not either," Father Don continued. "It's not about being worthy. It's about being called."

Deacon Rick Wagner serves in the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, where he was part of only the second cohort of permanent deacons ever ordained (2012). He's spent over 40 years in Catholic education—including time as director of deacon formation for Saint Meinrad Seminary—and currently serves as president of a Catholic high school.

But here's what strikes you about Rick: he serves at the same parish where he was baptized, attended grade school, and has been a member for all 67 years of his life. Parishioners in their 80s and 90s still remember him as their paperboy.

In this conversation, Rick shares how he felt called to "something more" from his early 20s but didn't understand what it was—permanent deacons didn't exist yet in Indianapolis. It wasn't until he was running Our Lady of Fatima Retreat House and met men in diaconate formation that the pieces finally clicked.

We talk about:

His "Tell Your Story" retreat ministry, which he's now brought to 15+ dioceses across the country

Why he spends 15 minutes of his morning prayer time on social media—intentionally, as a pulpit

Walking with his wife through a cancer battle in 2024 and the gift of shared prayer after 43 years of marriage

What it means to accompany the dying—and why that's the ministry he'd choose if he could focus on just one thing

The moment his spiritual director's blunt honesty about worthiness set him free

Rick's favorite saint is St. Joseph—"the quiet dad doing what he was supposed to be doing and listening to the voice of God." His favorite devotion is novenas. And his daily scripture blog has become such a part of parishioners' prayer lives that they text him when he misses a day.

This is a conversation about integration—ministry and career woven together so tightly they can't be separated. About planting seeds of hope by sharing our stories. And about showing up, unworthy as we are, because we've been called.

Listen now and subscribe wherever you get podcasts.