At the beginning of August, Deacon David Viscount was moved to Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Dartmouth. Before he left, we spoke with him about his time here and how God worked in his life during his ministry at the parish.                       

Can you tell us about your next parish?                       

DEACON DAVID: I am being assigned to Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Dartmouth. It is an amalgamation of 4 churches: St. Paul’s, St. Anthony’s, St. Peter’s, and Immaculate Conception.       

How did you find out you were moving to another parish? How did you feel?         

In February, I was consulted by Archbishop Dunn about a potential change. My wife Patty and I realized that we’ve been at Saint Benedict for six years. Assignments are typically three years, so we knew that this would likely happen at some point. This is not a change we were looking for, as we love Saint Benedict, but we also need to be respectful of the Archbishop and his request. He wouldn’t ask me to consider the change if he didn’t feel that it was what the Archdiocese needed. To be honest, we felt sad. It was a big ask for me and my family to leave a parish that we called home for six years. We were comfortable, we felt loved and cared for by the parish. To consider what the Archbishop was asking of us, as
a family, was difficult to process. But at my ordination, I said that I would
be obedient to the Archbishop. That commitment needs to be honoured and the office of the Archbishop needs to be respected. So, after much prayer and discussion, we agreed to the move to Our Lady of Guadalupe. We also rest in the confidence that this is all about God and how he needs us somewhere other than Saint Benedict for now. As Fr. Simon said when he and I talked about this possible move, ”God will richly bless the work we do.” We trust that God knows what he’s doing.  


How has God helped you to grow in the last six years? How have you changed as a person and as a deacon?                       

Oh boy, I could write several pages on this question alone. Saint Benedict was my first assignment as a deacon. All that I have learned comes from the generous opportunity that I’ve had while at Saint Benedict. We have grown as a couple and as a family. We’ve grown in our prayer lives, through the many experiences that we’ve had – not only through Sunday worship, but with Praise & Worship, Adoration, Gregorian Prayer Nights, Holy Hours, Alpha, Connect Groups, and Life Groups. I’ve grown by celebrating many weddings, funerals, and baptisms. We’ve grown by being around such a vibrant faith family, where everyone is growing in their own personal relationship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We’ve just had such a wonderful opportunity to grow in a parish that is not only alive in its faith, but thriving in its faith. We’ve been able to experience it up close and personal, which has been such a blessing to Patty and me and to our family as a whole.                   

How do you think you’ve grown as a preacher?

Well, if I had to go back and look at my first few homilies, I’m sure I would see a real rookie at work. I would like to do that, but I’m also terrified of what I might see. It’s only been in the past year that the priests and I have really collaborated as a preaching team and worked at helping each other hone the weekly message. Public speaking does not come naturally to me, I will always need help. I believe that the more pairs of eyes that look at my homilies, the better they can become. We all have blinders and it’s only when other people see my work that I can learn
how to think things through differently, how to word something differently, for example. I may tell a story that I think is pretty funny, but then someone else who hears the same story may think differently, and they may even think it’s quite hurtful for certain reasons, reasons that I didn’t see! Having people review my homilies and help me build them gives me a better perspective on the message, and that’s something I will always need.

What’s something that most people wouldn’t know about being a deacon at a parish?                 

Probably the most common misunderstanding or misconception is that we are not paid as a deacon. The work we do is volunteer. That’s probably the one that I get asked the most often.                       

What will you miss most about Saint Benedict?

I know it’s tiring to hear, but it is the truth: I will miss the parishioners the most, and primarily I’ll miss the kids. Saint Benedict comes alive when there are little ones around. They are the future of our church.

Is there anyone in particular who made a big difference in your time at the parish?                       

There have been many people who have been a huge influence on me
here. Everyone has been so supportive, there are too many people to list. The generosity of parishioners is what always gets me. I am in awe of people who are so incredibly generous with their time, talent, and treasure. I will also say that I admire anyone who comes to their faith in a profound way. It’s like a light has gone on in their life and they want to tell the world about it. To see that is awesome.                   

Do you have any parting words for Saint Benedict Parish?

The gospel on my last weekend at Saint Benedict Parish was John 6 – the feeding of the 5,000. A little boy offers his five loaves and two fish. Jesus takes what the boy offered and multiplies it! The story for me was about how, just as the little boy, we have things to offer the church, to feed our brothers and sisters. And sometimes our offerings can seem so insignificant. But God can take whatever we have to offer, big or small, and use it for his good. We must never underestimate the power of God working through us. We must also trust in the Lord, that whatever we have to offer as gifts, he can use. The little boy offered up what he had and God took his offering, and a miracle resulted. So too it can be with us if we trust in God and allow him to use us.