Deacon Warner Holm

Deacon

       Deacon Warner Holm was born February 20th, 1962 in Butte Montana. He likes to point out that this was the same day John Glenn orbited the earth three times aboard Friendship 7.

He has an older brother Eric, younger sisters Nicky, Narda, Dawn and Heather (who are twins), and a younger brother Aaron.

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      Deacon Holm’s dad Howard was born in Butte and his mother, Sheran, in Great Falls. His grandfather John migrated from Finland to live and work in the Butte copper mines. The original last name was Holmstrom, but John shortened it to Holm when he became a citizen of the United States. His other grandfather Leal Loomis was a gifted leather craftsman and was famous for his hand tooled saddles.

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      Deacon Holm’s faith life started in the Lutheran Church and he has many fond memories of Sunday school and singing in the church choir.  He attended Butte High and graduated in 1980.

After graduation he went off to Havre to study Automotive Technology at Northern Montana College earning a Bachelors of Science Degree in 1984.  He has worked at only two places since graduation: Penske Auto Centers and O’Reilly Auto Parts.

While in college he met Patty Lehnerz and the two would unite in marriage on March 16th, 1985. It was at this time that Deacon Holm made his Profession of Faith and joined the Catholic Church. From this union would come six children, Kevin, Jonathan, Trevor, Rebecca, Ashlynn, and Cassandra.

In 1998 he attended a Cursillo Journey weekend and this experience reignited the fire of his faith and this was the start of a journey of Faith that would lead to his discernment to serve the Church.

He started prison ministry in 2002 and became involved in the parish as Lector and Extra-Ordinary Minister of Communion. In 2007 with the encouragement of Father Moriarty he discerned to enter the Diaconal Formation program. Father Gilbaugh would later become a mentor to see him through the remainder of his formation period.

On June 29th, 2012, along with 16 other men, Warner Holm was ordained Deacon Warner Holm. It has been not only a life changing experience but a life giving experience.

       Deacon Holm would like to acknowledge the many people, who, by their sharing of faith and being strong witnesses, helped him to realize the love of God. “If it were not by their sacrifices and examples of love, I do not know that I would be a Deacon. To them I am grateful for showing me the way to Christ.”