2024 marks the 50th Jubilee of the Permanent Diaconate here in the Archdiocese of Denver. Through preaching, service, worship and prayer, deacons serve the people of God in unique ways through their various ministries and lives. This article is one of a series of articles the Denver Catholic will publish in 2024 which will feature local deacons and/or a diaconal ministry. There are many Deacon Saints who were martyred for their faith. In this year of Jubilee, the deacons of the Archdiocese of Denver are asking for prayers through the intercession of Saint Euplius of Catania, deacon and martyr.
Deacon Phil McNulty has worked as a Judge in the State of Colorado for over 28 years. As he reflects on his career, he clearly sees the hand of God guiding him to the bench and then to the altar.
As a University of Denver Law School student, he would go to the courthouse to watch trials and found himself drawn to becoming a judge.
So firm was his conviction that when he was eventually appointed as a Municipal Judge in Lakewood, Deacon McNulty joked that they should give him his gold watch, a traditional retirement gift, at that point since he would never leave.
“At the time, I wasn’t open to the possibility that God had other plans for my career. After several years, however, I began feeling a certain restlessness,” Deacon McNulty said.
Only a decade before, he had begun reconnecting with his Catholic roots, and as his faith grew, he felt called to more.
“Right after law school, I began to go deeper in my faith. I had some personal challenges and was led to the realization that, although I had a doctorate in law, I had an elementary school understanding of my faith,” Deacon McNulty shared, recalling his journey of growth in his faith that led him to St. John Vianney Seminary Lay Division’s Biblical School, bible studies, volunteer opportunities and Eucharistic Adoration.
“As my faith increased and I spent more time in Adoration, I began to surrender and ask God to show me his will. I began to recognize that what I thought of as a career was actually a vocation–God’s call for a person’s life and the way they are asked to love and serve God,” he said.
Amid this restlessness, he applied for a District Court judge position in 2008, hoping and praying that God would show him his will through the process. To that end, he stopped at the local Adoration chapel on his way to the interview.
Even still, Deacon McNulty said he felt he was “bombing” the interview until he was asked a providential, three-part question: “What is wisdom? Do you have it? And could you give us an example?”
“With that question, I just smiled inside myself. In Adoration, I tried to be still and listen to the voice of God. That question encompassed everything I had been reflecting on in the Adoration chapel just before my interview. I recognized it for what it actually was – a moment of actual grace,” Deacon McNulty said.
Blessed with newfound peace, he aced the interview and subsequent meetings and became a District Court judge. Six years later, he was appointed to lead the 1st District as the Chief Judge, overseeing 300 employees and a $26 million budget. By all earthly standards, he had “made it.”
Yet, he felt a call to something more, he said.
“I felt strongly after I was appointed to the District Court and then again when I was selected as Chief Judge that God was calling me to be in those positions. But after I served as Chief Judge for five years, I again began to feel a certain restlessness. The thought of whether God was calling me to the diaconate was almost always on my mind when I prayed or spent time in Adoration,” he shared.
After discerning with his wife, Deacon McNulty applied and was later accepted into formation. With all that formation required, he quickly realized he couldn’t do it all and decided to step down as Chief Judge.
“I felt like I owed the people I work with an honest explanation of why I was stepping down as Chief, so I sent an email explaining that I was accepted into formation to become a deacon in the Catholic Church,” he recalled. “I was surprised by how well that news was received. It led to many great conversations with others in the courthouse who wanted to share their faith but were afraid to do so.”
Now, as a deacon-judge, he brings his faith and the virtues it has taught him into the courtroom, striving to show compassion to victims, treat defendants fairly and uphold justice in a broken world.
“All judges have an obligation to treat people who appear in their courtroom with courtesy, dignity and respect. But, as a Catholic, I have always felt that my faith required more. I’ve often prayed for the gifts of patience and kindness when handling the cases in my division,” Deacon McNulty said.
“In my work as a judge, I have a deep appreciation for how much people are struggling. Life is messy, and that messiness is often on full display in the courtroom,” he added, highlighting the need for prayer in his work. “I have always felt that there is a higher authority than the Supreme Court, and that belief has guided my decisions. I have always felt that my faith made me a better judge. For example, I’m not patient by nature, but my faith has helped me with that virtue. Even though I have been a judge for 28 years, going through the formation program for the diaconate not only prepared me to be a deacon but has also made me a better District Judge.”
Though not all his colleagues share his faith, Deacon McNulty has been blessed to work with great people who need a lot of prayer as they make difficult decisions and to be Christ to them.
“There are some very good people in politics, on the bench and in roles of leadership that are sincerely trying to do the right thing and make good decisions,” he said. “Most all of the people I work with are hard-working, honest public servants who have to make very difficult decisions. My suggestion is to pray that the Holy Spirit guide them in their work.
“In addition, encourage and pray that people of faith be motivated to run for office, apply for judicial vacancies and strive for leadership roles in the public square,” he concluded.
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