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St. Mary Episcopal Church Meet Deacon Koenig |
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The Rev. Diane L. Koenig, Deacon Pastoral Assistant at St. Mary's Parish, was born in the "Dune Country" of northwest Indiana, and baptized into the Episcopal Church at the age of 9. A nudging toward some sort of dedicated ministry began during the junior and high school years, though it wasn't immediately clear what form that ministry might take until many years later, when she completed the three-year Deacon Formation Program of the Diocese of Chicago, and was ordained on February 7, 1998. Prior to Deacon School, Diane graduated from the four-year Education for Ministry study program, through the University of the South, Sewanee, in December of 1993.
Having a father who spent part of his life as a professional musician, Diane has always been avidly interested in music, and after high school, went on to complete both a Bachelor's and Master's Degree in Piano Performance and Music Theory, at the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago, IL where she ultimately joined the faculty and taught for five years. While living in Chicago, she was very active as a professional accompanist and also sang in a paid Episcopal Church choir.
She also taught on the faculty of two other private music schools. in Evanston and Arlington Heights. After marrying in 1967, Diane and her husband moved to Crystal Lake, IL where she eventually opened her own private studio, which still keeps her very busy teaching students of all ages and levels of proficiency. A broad musical palate has provided Diane with many performance experiences from musical and dinner theatre, to chamber music, to being half of a duo-piano team which performed most of the major repertoire for that medium for some ten years. Diane has also done a great deal of accompanying - really her first love - for vocal, choral, instrumental, and dance performance. She also continues to be an adjudicator throughout the Midwest for a number of professional organizations, including the Illinois State Music Teachers' Association, and the National Guild of Piano Teachers.
Currently, in addition to her studio teaching and musical commitments, Deacon Koenig continues to direct the two Youth Choirs at St. Mary's, both of which she began in the Parish in 1989. It is one avenue through which she can exercise her strong conviction that young people need to find their voice and ministry within the Church, and also need to explore viable possibilities for outreach in the community and in the world. The choir kids share their gifts at a local nursing home, and spend time talking with, and helping, the residents in any way possible. It is Deacon Koenig's hope to focus on more opportunities and experiences which will empower youth to discover what God's call might be to them, as they carry their faith beyond the comfortable wall of the Church.
The other end of the life spectrum - that of the elderly - is also part of Deacon Koenig's ministry as she conducts services at a local retirement center and nursing home complex. Her musical background comes into play in this ministry as well, as she leads the singing of many of the old familiar hymns, in the context of a simple "user-friendly" worship service.
As the Parish's newest Deacon, Diane will share deaconal liturgical functions at St Mary's with her friend and fellow Deacon, Barb Bishop. She will also share in the pastoral visitations of the Parish to the sick, and plans to continue, and possibly expend, her current ministry with children and youth.
In her "other life", Deacon Koenig enjoys hiking, nature, cooking, cross-stitching, reading and quality time spent with close and special friends.