HOBART – How humble is the Friendly Sons of Erin’s 2023 Shamrock Award winner Deacon Dennis Guernsey?
So humble that when presenter Peter Doherty mentioned in his introduction at this year’s March 10 St. Patrick’s Day Banquet that the recipient was born Nov. 3, 1953 in Gary, the deacon exclaimed to his tablemates: “Hey, this guy was born the same day as I was!”
At least that’s the way Father Kevin McCarthy tells the story, and who’s going to argue with the pastor of Nativity of Our Savior parish in Portage, where Deacon Guernsey has served since he was ordained to the diaconate in 2009.
“He truly has the heart of a deacon,” said Father McCarthy. “His ministry is really touching; he is continually giving of himself for the parish, the Diocese of Gary and the people of God. “Before I came to the parish (in 2016), he served so many organizations. He and his wife, Janet, lead the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) program. He also serves at the Juvenile Center for Porter County, and was one of the late Bishop Dale Melczek’s assistants (for diocesan events).
“Pope Francis said that priests and deacons ‘should smell like their sheep,’ and (Deacon Guernsey) does that in such a perfect way,” the pastor added.
“I was honored to present the Shamrock Award to him,” Doherty said of his freshman classmate at Bishop Noll Institute in 1967-68. “He’s been coming to this dinner for many years, starting when his father would bring him, and he is certainly a man of Irish heritage who serves the Catholic Church and his community very well and is very deserving of this award.”
The son of Mike and Yolanda Guernsey and brother to Peggy and Lisa, he attended Holy Rosary School and parish and spent a year at BNI before his family moved to Miller and he transferred to William A. Wirt High School, graduating in 1971. He spent eight years as an active member of the U.S. Marine Corps and two years in the reserves, where he became a competitive runner, completing 11 marathons and twice qualifying for the prestigious Boston Marathon.
What he couldn’t outrun was his affection for his wife Janet, whom he married in 1983. The couple proudly claims five grown children, Sherry, Dennis Jr., Angela, Beth and Tina, and 13 grandchildren.
Deacon Guernsey retired after a 36-year career as a planner and scheduler at Inland Steel (later Arcelor Mittal Steel), and became an on-call chaplain at St. Mary Medical Center in Hobart, also completing the diocesan Lay Ecclesial Ministry program before enrolling in the diaconate program.
The deacon’s father was the youngest of 14 siblings in a family that immigrated from County Mayo, Ireland, and it was Mike Guernsey who began bringing his son Dennis to the annual St. Patrick’s Day Banquet along with uncles and cousins.
“I came out of the Marine Corps in 1979 and probably attended my first Sons of Erin banquet in 1980 with my dad. I went to most of them after that, always with dad and other relatives, until he died in 2005,” said Deacon Guernsey, who now joins cousins and friends at the annual dinner.
If anything hinted at the honor to come, it was when Deacon Guernsey ran into his son at the bar during the social hour this year. “He came from California, it was his first banquet, and I was surprised to see him,” admitted Deacon Guernsey. “I think of my dad every year when I come to this event, and it was special to have my son here. I was also surprised to see Father Kevin (McCarthy) and Jason Yurechko from our parish.”
Deacon Guernsey said he was humbled by the service award from the Friendly Sons of Erin, especially when he looked at the list of past honorees. “Men like Father John Burke from the Basilian Fathers at Andrean (in 1960), Col. Walter J. Riley, businessmen Robert J. Welsh and Arnold Gough and Father Joe Murphy; these are very prominent men in Northwest Indiana,” he said.
“I haven’t been to Ireland, but I like the friendly heritage of the Irish and like to have a good time, sharing in the company of other Irishmen at his banquet each year, being generous and rooting for the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame, too.”
“Over the years, Deacon Dennis has been recognized for his caring, inspirational leadership and service to our Catholic mission,” read the banquet program book. “His devotion to family, faith and Irish heritage is well-known and befitting recognition as recipient of the 2023 Friendly Sons of Erin Shamrock Award.”