Welcoming Deacon Hackenjos

Dear friends in Christ,

My name is Deacon Daniel Hackenjos, and I am so excited to be assigned here at OLGC as a weekend Deacon during the academic year while in my last year of studies at Sacred Heart Major Seminary.

I was ordained a Deacon of the Archdiocese of Hartford on May 20, 2023. God willing, I will be ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Hartford in the Spring of 2024. I have been studying at Sacred Heart for the last five years and before that spent a year at Our Lady of Providence Seminary in Rhode Island while taking classes at Providence College.

Before entering seminary, I earned my Bachelors in Education at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., where I also discerned my vocation to the priesthood.

I grew up in a suburb of New Haven, CT, where I attended public schools my whole life. Both my parents still live in Connecticut in the childhood home where I grew up with my younger brother.

Many people wonder how a Yankee from Connecticut ends up studying in Detroit. In short, my Archbishop, Archbishop Blair, felt that Sacred Heart would ultimately be the best place for my formation as a priest. After five years in Michigan, I wholeheartedly agree.

I first felt called to the priesthood in third grade upon witnessing the profound impact that John Paul II had on the world and being enamored by all the media coverage surrounding his death.

In my spare time, I enjoy going to the theater, reading memoirs and theology, and trying new restaurants.

Although my time with you is bound to be short, I look forward to growing in faith with you as we strive to follow God’s will in our lives together.

May we pray for one another.

Deacon Daniel Hackenjos