Deacon Mike ZboyovskiASHEVILLE — Deacon Mike Zboyovski doesn’t need elaborate phrases to describe his 25 years as a permanent deacon in the Diocese of Charlotte.
“It’s been absolutely great in every way!” he says when asked how life has been since he was ordained in 2001.
A native of Missouri, Deacon Zboyovski always felt a call to serve the Church and attended a minor seminary discerning a call to the Vincentian order when he was still in high school. A vocation wasn’t right for him at the time, however, and he left seminary to attend the University of Missouri, where he earned a degree in chiropractic and acupuncture. He moved to the Asheville area and worked in that field for nearly 30 years, but always stayed close to the Church.
He and wife Jan, who have been married for 49 years and have two sons and a daughter, were always active in their parishes, but he felt a call to serve in a deeper way.
Several people, including the late Father Jim Solari, encouraged him to follow that call and become a permanent deacon, and he did.
Called to OCIA
Since that day, Deacon Zboyovski has been based at St. Eugene Parish in Asheville – his church home for more than 40 years – and he has worked in a variety of ministries, most notably the
Order of Christian Initiation of Adults, the process by which people become Catholic. He served in that ministry for several years before becoming a deacon, and he has remained active in the ministry at St. Eugene and now serves as chair of the diocese’s OCIA commission.
“People I knew invited me to work in both OCIA and prison ministry, and that was a stepping stone in my ministry, because it opened my eyes to the various ministries available,” he says.
“OCIA has always been a dear spot in my heart, just journeying with individuals on their particular walk and watching them come into the fullness of the faith. There’s a powerful exchange that takes place in those months.”
He especially enjoys helping parishes develop “the pastoral type of care and the open arms” that come with year-round OCIA ministries, and he has seen a steady growth in the number of people seeking out the program, especially in the Hispanic community.
“It’s just beautiful to see people come into the Church,” he says. “Even after (Hurricane) Helene, it was amazing to see how many people were interested in inquiring into the Church – often after they had helped out at one of our parishes from a secular standpoint after the storm. That work they did was the stimulus for many to ask about the Church and inquire, and many have ended up getting involved in OCIA.”
Journeying into prison ministry
Deacon Zyboyovski has also been involved in prison ministry for many years. He leads a weekly service for inmates at Craggy Correctional Center, and he stays on call for ministry needs at the Buncombe County Detention Center.
Bringing Christ’s love to people who are not able to attend Mass at a parish church has been one of his greatest joys as a deacon.
“I love being able to bring the beauty and the sense of community we have at St. Eugene – the kindness and love and welcome – to extend that to people outside of the parish,” he explains.
“Whether it’s prison inmates, people in retirement centers or nursing homes, or others who can’t attend Mass personally anymore – to be able to bring the presence of Christ to them has been a great ministry.”
Deacon Zboyovski also takes great joy in serving at the parish that has been his home for so long.
“It is just honestly such an awesome community, and a diverse community,” he says.
“One of the really chief charisms of St. Eugene is that of hospitality and welcoming. We usually do a little ‘meet and greet’ before Mass begins, and we acknowledge visitors to the parish, and I have had so many people tell me they love it because they come from a home parish where people don’t really talk to each other. They’ve told me they feel at home at St. Eugene, and that type of atmosphere has been wonderful to work in.”
St. Eugene marked his anniversary with a celebration on May 16, and he and wife Jan hope to make a celebratory trip to Italy in the future.
— Christina Lee Knauss
