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May 1, 2019Bismarck native, Seminarian Mark Aune, took, what some might call, a non-traditional path to the seminary. He’s about to be ordained to the transitional diaconate on May 13 and remains a testament to how God follows His plan, not ours.
Mark was born in Bismarck, baptized at the Church of Saint Anne and grew up attending Corpus Christi Church. After graduating from physical therapy school at the Chicago Medical School, he worked for a few years in Fargo. In 1995, he moved to Phoenix and became the director of rehabilitation services.
Encounter with God
It was while working in Phoenix that Mark said he had a profound moment that changed his thinking. It is an experience that he rarely shares because it was an extremely sacred encounter.
In November 2011, Mark was asleep in his Phoenix home one night when he was suddenly awakened. “God woke me from sleep. It was like being struck by lightning,” Mark explained. “God came to me in the form of a cloud. I had a brief conversation with God whose last words to me were, ‘Evangelize my people.’ It sounds crazy, but it was real and not a dream.”
Although he didn’t know quite what to make of this experience, Mark contemplated those last words on a regular basis—several times a week, in fact. “I was a physical therapist and I was good at what I did. I loved my profession,” Mark said. “I kept thinking, God you are using me as a physical therapist to bring healing into people’s lives. I was confused and wondering what else God desired from me.”
He might not have known it right away, but Mark’s true vocation grew out of this encounter with God. “Over time I became more involved in my parish community. I started to attend daily Mass and spent time in daily prayer seeking God’s direction.”
Seeking something more
That growing desire for a deeper relationship with God progressed over the next three years. “I was very cautious and wanted to do God’s will; however, also wanted to make sure I wasn’t reacting to a ‘mid-life crisis,’” as Mark had a successful career in place and was already in his 40s.
In his personal prayers and daily Mass, Mark kept hearing a few messages from God — “I will not lead you where I will not sustain you;” “Trust in Me” and “I expect more from you, you have more to offer.”
From here, the contemplation of discerning a vocation to the priesthood evolved. There was a constant gnawing and restlessness, he explained. “The nagging of God continued until I broke down and prayed that I would do whatever He asked of me. I surrendered my entire being to the will of God and, when I did, a peace surrounded me like being wrapped tightly in a blanket. It was a beautiful, peaceful experience with great joy.”
Mark told God that he would contact Fr. Josh Waltz, Diocesan Vocation Director, by the end of October. He ended up flying to Bismarck and met with him at the end of September 2013. After meeting with Bishop Kagan, Fr. Waltz informed Mark that the diocese would accept him despite being older than average for a seminarian.
A bit of “divine intervention” might have been at play again as Mark described his next steps. “I then needed to proceed in selling my house in Phoenix and wrapping up my life there. At this point in time, Phoenix was economically affected by the recession of 2008-09 and my realtor informed me that my house may take up to a year to sell. My house sold in about 10-12 days!”
The closing of his house and physical therapy business happened relatively smoothly and quickly with help from family and friends. On Easter Monday of 2014, Mark rented a U-Haul in route to Bismarck. The journey to be formed in the image and likeness of Christ was to begin!
Entering seminary
Mark was 49 years old when he started seminary formation in the pre-theology program at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary in St. Louis. He will return to the seminary in August for the last year of priestly formation before being ordained a priest for the diocese in 2020 at age 55.
Even though Mark is what is considered an older-than-average vocation, his life experience will be an asset to his priesthood.
“I had a wonderful life prior to seminary life. I have experienced many of the joys and heartaches that the people in the pews have experienced. People with older vocations have life knowledge that allows for teaching in the seminary classroom along with greater compassion, mercy and empathy in their pastoral care.”
Regarding anyone considering a vocation later in life, “Always be open to God and His will in your life. God calls people of all ages to work in His vineyard. In being docile to what God desires for us brings great joy, love and peace. I have never experienced such profound joy in my life. We must not put constraints on God. God works in His time frame and on His schedule, not ours; therefore, always be open to allowing God to work as He sees best!”
Diaconate ordination
Bishop Kagan will ordain Mark to the Holy Order of the Diaconate on Monday, May 13 at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit in Bismarck beginning at 3 p.m. Mark will assist and be the homilist at Mass on Tuesday, May 14 at 12:10 p.m. at the Church of Corpus Christi in Bismarck. Lunch will follow in the parish hall. All are invited.
“I am excited for this next step in my vocation journey. I have studied hard and spent a great deal of time in prayer for this day to publicly affirm my commitment to God and the Church. I love God and His people, and desire to love them both more. I wait with great joy for my ordination and desire to serve God’s people in western North Dakota.”
He readily accepts the duty of the deacon in service to the bishop and the Church. “I desire to grow in my service to those in need—those sick, suffering, and dealing with heavy hearts. May my heart be transformed into the heart of Jesus, where everyone who encounters me will encounter Christ—this is my prayer for myself. May I serve Christ and His Church with a zeal for the souls entrusted to my care.”
After diaconate ordination, Mark will spend his summer at Spirit of Life in Mandan. “They have a variety of apostolic work for me to gain experience in growing my pastoral skills. I also look forward to developing my skills of assisting at Mass as a newly-ordained deacon.”
Mark will continue to develop those skills and form the heart of a priest as he returns to seminary in the fall. “At the seminary, we have parish assignments each year which allow us to develop our four pillars of formation—intellectual, human, pastoral and spiritual dimensions. As a deacon, I will spend every weekend in the parish assignment assisting my pastor with marriage preparation, funerals, weddings, RCIA, religious education of the youth and weekend Mass. This experience will help me to become a well-rounded future priest for the Diocese of Bismarck.”
Lastly, Mark appeals to the faithful for continued prayers. “Please continue to pray for me and the men in formation. The Church is in need of happy, holy, healthy priests.”