Celebrating Deacon Clary Nash

Cathy Flynn, Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church

DEACON CLARY NASH IS THE HEART AND SOUL OF SACRED HEART OF JESUS CATHOLIC CHURCH IN SHREVEPORT, LOUISIANA. He will celebrate 38 years as a Permanent Deacon this month. He has been with us at Sacred Heart for 18 years and continues to faithfully serve our church day after day with dedication and commitment to God and our parish. Deacon served our diocese as the first Director of the Permanent Diaconate Program and remained in that role for over two decades. He is so proud of the men he saw ordained during his tenure and continues to promote vocations within our parish.

Deacon Clary always has a warm smile and greets everyone who walks through our church doors. He visits the sick at hospitals and homes and always offers a listening ear to those needing someone to talk with. He is a man of faith, with a kind heart and words of encouragement. He is very supportive of our pastors, proclaims the gospel and preaches homilies relatable to all. Deacon helps the poor and is very committed to the needs of our community. He reaches out to the forgotten and neglected, he is the face of hope, faith, and love for those who live in the neighborhood. He has been called upon many times to help a neighbor start a lawnmower, jumpstart a car, help someone stuck in the mud, just to name a few.

It was Deacon Clary who lifted us up and offered words of wisdom and encouragement during the initial and difficult time of COVID-19. He worked together with us when we cleaned the church every week. Deacon Clary sees his desire to serve as a true vocation and calling from God. He builds up the body of Christ, leads by example and promotes the ministries of all the baptized.

Beside every great man is a great woman. Deacon’s wife, Mary, serves this calling as well, as an integral part in the life of the Church, supporting Deacon, sharing in the joys, sacrifices, and blessings of this ministry. Mary supports Deacon with love, prayer, and commitment.

The parishioners of Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church recognize and express our heartfelt thanks to Deacon Clary and Mary Nash for their faithful and outstanding service to God, our diocese and “The Little Church with the Big Heart”!