Deacon Glenn Farnet

A desire to know more about the faith in which he was raised led Deacon Glenn Farnet to the permanent diaconate.

Deacon Farnet grew up a cradle Catholic in Metairie. After graduating from Archbishop Rummel High School in Metairie, he attended LSU Law School in Baton Rouge where he met his wife, Christine, who is from Zachary.

They have four children: Michael, 28; Emily McAllister, 25; Johnathan, 21; and Mary Elise, 15. They also have one granddaughter, Amelia, who was seven-days-old and slept peacefully in the arms of her family at St. Joseph Cathedral as her grandfather was being ordained Aug 14.

Christine played a big part in Deacon Farnet’s vocation. Raised in the Baptist Church, Christine entered the church at Christ the King Church and Catholic Center at LSU. Deacon Farnet was her sponsor. 

They became members of St. George Church in Baton Rouge, where Deacon Farnet is assigned as deacon.

“I really enjoy sitting down with people and talking about the faith.”

It wasn’t until his 30s that Deacon Farnet said he got “serious” about his faith. Deacon Farnet, who has clerked with the Louisiana Supreme Court and is an attorney, had “a lot of things going on” and was stressed.

While attending Mass one particular day at St. George,  Deacon Farnet had a “powerful experience” with the Eucharist. That was a turning point and set him on the path to the diaconate.

Christine had a similar experience and became a stay-at-home mom and homeschooled the children. She was former co-director and is currently treasurer for the Holy Family Homeschoolers. 

She asked Deacon Farnet to help teach PSR classes at St. Agnes Church in Baton Rouge, which has now become Deacon Farnet’s assigned mission of charity.

To take a more serious role in teaching children the faith, Deacon Farnet knew he had to learn more about it.

That tug toward the diaconate strengthening, Deacon Farnet entered the Religious Studies Institute in 2010. He completed the three-year academic component in 2013, but didn’t feel “the time was right” to continue. He studied by himself and in 2016 God called him back into formation.

By then, the Diocese of Baton Rouge and Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University had revamped the diaconate program and classes were offered at FranU. 

Deacon Farnet completed the program by assessing at the end of each year whether he should continue to the next year. He went through “spiritual battles” but it ultimately drew him closer to God’s plan for him to become a deacon. 

The “unexpected blessing” was that he studied together with his college and high school age children in the living room. Especially late at night, the children asked him deep and challenging theological questions.

This prepared him for what he looks forward to the most about the diaconate: evangelization and formation.

“I really enjoy sitting down with people and talking about the faith,” said Deacon Farnet.