6 AQUINAS LANDMARK | SUMMER 2020 WF ohcauts’sONne wFasi t h . . . | SPRING 2023 Deacon Mike celebrates his 70th birthday with wife, Kathi, their two children, their spouses, and six grandchildren. From Both Sides Deacon Mike Piehler ’64 and his wife, Kathi. The most powerful, dynamic and precious gift we will ever receive is the Gift of Faith. I have had the humble honor of living most of my adult life on Both Sides of the Altar, if you will. On one side of the altar, I am a husband of 50 years, a father of two children and a grandfather of six. I am an automobile dealer by profession. On the other side of the altar I have been an ordained Permanent Deacon for 39 years. Through business I have associated with the wealthiest 1% of our country. Through the Deaconate I have ministered to the poorest 1% of our country. I have enjoyed some of the finest resorts in our nation and I have slept on the floor of trailers in Appalachia. I have flown on private jets owned by millionaires and brought Holy Communion to the dying in nursing homes. My point is this: Through my Faith and the Grace of God I have gone places and met people and done things I never thought possible. My dear friends, the seed of Faith that is planted within us by the Holy Spirit at Baptism is very real. The most powerful, dynamic and precious gift we will ever receive is the Gift of Faith. If you and I want life to the full we must open that gift and allow it to be not just fed but nourished -- nourished by our parents, our Church and the Body of Christ. Aquinas Institute and the Basilian Fathers played a major role in nourishing and calling my Faith into action. Aquinas taught me that I have a dual nature, both human and divine. Aquinas taught me the value of Human Reason and Divine Revelation. Aquinas taught me the powerful truths of Hope and New Life in Christ. Truths that give us a life-long purpose and value – even when the world does not. Aquinas did not teach me culture. Aquinas did teach me the virtues of Goodness, Discipline and Knowledge which gave me the tools to deal with and manage the secular culture in the times of my life. The Basilian Fathers inspired my Faith. These men were teachers, coaches and priests who lived together in community life to support one another. I liked that! I wanted some of that! So, after graduating from Aquinas in 1964, I joined the Basilian Seminary, which began with a year of Novitiate (a Monk-like life – Spiritual Bootcamp). After surviving that year in Pontiac, Michigan I was assigned to the Basilian House of Studies at St. John Fisher for my college education. Upon graduation I was assigned to Aquinas Institute as a teacher and a coach – I had come full circle. The Basilian life was my Call for six years after which it was also my Call to leave the Order. My Faith was being asked to grow in a different direction and to trust in God’s will. Please note: Those six years were not wasted. The lessons and charisms of those years have stayed with me my entire life and played a significant role in my choice to become a Permanent Deacon. Probably what I have enjoyed most about being a Deacon is the variety of people I have met, ministered to and ministered with. I have ministered with both Bishops and the Franciscan Sisters of Appalachia. I have ministered to those who live from hand to mouth on Food Stamps and Medicaid, as well as, witnessed the wedding vows of the rich and famous. I have had the joy of giving the young their First Communion and the pain of comforting those in intensive care units. From Baptizing the newborn to burying the dead, I have had the distinct honor of ministering in people’s lives at their happiest and their saddest moments. Please understand that none of this would ever be possible without God’s Grace which I have learned can touch every part of our lives. In closing, I offer this message to the Aquinas student body: Our Church has two dimensions – one is Religion and the other is Faith. You and I must always make the distinction between the two. Religion is the human institution
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