MCC honors Deacon John Weaver of Milan, Unionville
Example of deep faith, steadfast service, bridge-building
Deacon John Weaver isn’t much for accolades, but this one came with a great opportunity.
He got to have an informal conversation with Bishop Ralph B. O’Donnell and speak lovingly of his parishioners near the Missouri-Iowa border.
“Yes, they’re my people,” said Deacon Weaver. “They’re family.”
Deacon Weaver, who assists the pastor of St. Mary Parish in Milan and the Mission of St. Mary in Unionville, traveled to Jefferson City on Jan. 29 to accept the Missouri Catholic Conference’s (MCC) 2025 Citizen Recognition Award.
The MCC (mocatholic.org), public-policy agency of the state’s four dioceses, bestows the award each year on an individual in each diocese who exemplifies Catholic values through faithful service, civic responsibility and commitment to the common good.
Bishop O’Donnell and MCC Executive Director Jamie Morris presented the award.
“This award recognizes Deacon Weaver not only for what he does, but for how he serves — steadfastly, humbly and with a genuine love for the people of God,” said Bishop O’Donnell. “His life and ministry offer a strong example of Catholic citizenship rooted in faith, service and unity.”
The bishop pointed out that Deacon Weaver has served faithfully and selflessly in every assignment entrusted to him since his ordination, both in urban settings such as Columbia and in rural communities like Milan.
“He is known for modeling true humility and deep faith,” the bishop stated. “He willingly steps into roles and ministries that may be challenging or intimidating to others, always with a spirit of generosity and service.”
The bishop added that Deacon Weaver’s pastoral presence is marked by warmth, compassion and approachability.
Those who nominated Deacon Weaver for the honor noted that he has a big heart and presents himself well to the public, both in word and deed.
“His is a fine homilist, using his communication skills to illuminate and educate,” they stated.
They emphasized how hard he has worked to be a welcoming resource to people from other cultures who may be new to Missouri.
Until death
Deacon Weaver was born in Iowa, moved to Kansas City with his family and later moved to Columbia.
He spent his entire career, beginning in 1965, as a computer software engineer and programmer.
He and his wife, Deidra, met in Kansas City. She was initiated into the Catholic Church before they were married.
They brought five children into the world.
The Weavers were married for 29 years before Mrs. Weaver died suddenly in her sleep at age 53.
Deacon Weaver was shocked, but “I don’t think I ever blamed God for it,” he said. “I was more worried about how I was going to be a good parent to the kids.”
He’s happy for how well they all turned out.
“I think most of what the kids are is what their mother taught them,” he said.
“Tell him yourself”
Deacon Weaver did not feel called to be a deacon when he entered formal discernment for the Diaconate.
“You remember Sister Agnes? She turned my name in!” he said, referring to Precious Blood Sister Agnes Schlereth (1919-2011), a longtime pastoral minister at Sacred Heart Parish in Columbia.
He tried to quit formation.
“I pretty much made up my mind that it wasn’t for me,” he said.
He asked a priest who worked in the Chancery to tell the bishop that he’d be dropping out of formation.
“Absolutely not!” the priest told him. “If that’s what you’re going to tell him, you go and tell him yourself.”
“I never could do it,” Deacon Weaver recalled. “I tried, but I never could say ‘no.’”
He’s very happy now that he stayed with it.
“Being a deacon has been great for me!” he said. “It’s who I’ve become.”
He was one of seven men of the diocese whom Bishop John R. Gaydos, now deceased, ordained permanent deacons on May 4, 2002.
Deacons can be ordained while they’re married, but they cannot enter into marriage once they’ve been ordained.
Since Mrs. Weaver had died and Deacon Weaver did not plan to remarry, he promised at his ordination to remain celibate for the rest of his life.
He was assigned to assist the pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Columbia.
About eight years later, Father Edwin Cole, his pastor, was transferred to St. Patrick Parish in Laurie and the Mission of St. Philip Benizi in Versailles.
Fr. Cole was diagnosed shortly thereafter with cancer. Bishop Gaydos asked Deacon Weaver to assist Fr. Cole while he was undergoing treatment.
Deacon Weaver preached a stirring homily for Fr. Cole’s Funeral Mass in 2009.
He noted in that homily that not everyone is as gifted for ministry as Fr. Cole was.
“But every one of us can love our God from our very inside out, and every one of us can be a good neighbor,” he said. “Every one of us can wear the crown of a race well run and a faith held strong.”
“Are you willing?”
Deacon Weaver served as pastoral administrator of the Laurie parish and Versailles mission until a new pastor could be assigned.
He eventually returned to Columbia. Having retired from work, he told Bishop Gaydos that he would like to serve a parish full-time as a pastoral administrator.
He figured that would mean someplace within driving distance from Columbia.
Monsignor Gregory L. Higley, who was vicar general at that time, called to ask if he’d consider taking care of St. Mary Parish in Milan and the Mission of St. Mary in Unionville.
“I had never been to Milan. I knew zero about it,” Deacon Weaver recalled.
He didn’t ask any questions.
“There is no prudent question except for, ‘Are you willing to serve?’” said Deacon Weaver. “The rest of them don’t really matter.”
The main part of the job description was “providing religious formation for everyone in the parish.”
“The bottom line,” Deacon Weaver recalled, “was, ‘you’re expected to do everything that a pastor would do except what is reserved particularly for a priest.’”
He arrived in Milan feeling like the rich man whom Jesus told to “go and sell everything you have and come follow me.”
“The greatest gift I was given by coming up to Milan was that I really honestly learned that material possessions are not that important,” he said. “You just don’t need that much stuff.”
After a while, everyone in town, Catholic and non-Catholic, got to know him as “Deacon John.”
“Whatever you can”
The Milan parish has a significant population of immigrants from Central and South America.
Many work long hours in nearby food-processing plants.
For Deacon Weaver, a typical day includes two or three hours of paperwork for the parish, a couple of hours in some service in the community, such as Meals on Wheels or a local food pantry, followed by providing some kind of religious formation or liturgical service.
A disproportionate number of people in Sullivan County, both Anglo and Hispanic, experience intergenerational poverty.
Some of the calls the deacon receives for help are urgent and heartbreaking.
“Whatever happens that day, whatever the need is,” he said, “you do whatever you can.”
Deacon Weaver served as pastoral administrator (later known as parish life collaborator) in Milan and Unionville until Archbishop Shawn McKnight assigned a full-time pastor to the parish in 2024.
He stayed on to minister in various ways.
Lately, he’s been assisting Father César Anicama, the pastor, by overseeing the construction of a new parish center near St. Mary Church in Milan.
The 7,200-square-foot structure will have three classrooms, two offices and a large commons area with a kitchen.
It will be large enough to accommodate the numerous social functions that take place at the parish.
“A birthday party or a Baptismal dinner is often 200 or 250 people,” he noted. “That’s the way Hispanic celebrations are. It’s a community event, which is rightly how it should be.”
“My people”
Deacon Weaver believes it’s easier to understand these things when people form personal relationships with the people around them.
Spanish is the first language for many Milan parishioners.
Deacon Weaver said his goal in Milan has always been to help integrate the Anglo and Hispanic cultures, not assimilate one into the other.
“I’ve learned enough Spanish to get into trouble!” he said. “I can pray in Spanish. I can read it well. I’m still working on my conversation skills.”
He said the ordination of Deacon Jeronimo Chinchilla has been a Godsend for the parish.
“He’s great!” Deacon Weaver stated. “He really understands the people and the language.”
Deacon Weaver said he plans to spend the rest of his life in Milan.
“This is my home now,” he stated. “These are my people.”
Each night before bed, he thanks God for whatever happened that day.
“And if there’s anything I’m struggling with,” he prays, “let me be wise enough to accept the wisdom you’re going to be able to offer me.”
Deacon Weaver asks for prayers for his parishioners, who are both friends and family to him.
He wants them to be able to know that they’re safe and welcome.
“Right now, I’d like to see some sanity with the immigration circumstances,” he said.
He noted that many parishioners are from countries that until recently had Temporary Protected Status in the United States.
They immediately lost their driver’s licenses and work permits when that status was lifted.
“We need some kind of provision that allows folks who have been here for a while and formed families and been good members of the community to have at least the right to earn a living,” said Deacon Weaver.
