Deacon Brian Callister
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Parish Deacon/Infant Baptismstbriancallisteryahoo.comDeacon Brian is a native of Lafayette, California and the youngest of five children. Growing up as an "unchurched kid," he spent most of his youth "playing football and flying small planes" and somehow managed to get his pilot's license by the age of 17. After graduating from Stanford University with a degree in Economics, he began his "first real job" at Pacific Telephone in San Francisco as a Corporate Budget forecaster. His administrative assistant at that time was Rose Lorea.
Brian decided the business world was not for him and left that job (and Rose) to go to medical school. Rose followed a year later to pursue her dream of becoming a dietitian. They were married the day after she graduated.
Brian did his specialty training in internal medicine at UCLA where Rose received her Master's Degree in Public Health. Their first child was born a few days later.
Brian and Rose came to Nevada after accepting a public health service offer to work in Tonopah - "a package deal" as they like to say - Brian as the hospital physician with Rose as the hospital dietitian. Four years (and two more children) later, they relocated to Reno to begin a private medical practice.
After watching his three children being baptized here at OLS, Brian surprised Rose, a life long Catholic, with his decision to enroll in the RCIA program. Little did she know that her unwavering support would one day help Brian to hear the call to become a Deacon. Deacon Brian, along with Deacon Dave Norman, was ordained to the Permanent Diaconate in the Diocese of Reno on September 17th, 2011 and have been working together here at OLS ever since.
Deacon Brian remains a practicing physician and teaches hospital medicine as an Associate Professor at UNR. He is also the National Medical Director for a nationwide system of 27 hospitals. He enjoys "mixing the medicine with theology" and firmly believes that a strong faith is a vital part of being healthy - in body, mind, and spirit. Rose and Deacon Brian are active in a variety of ministries here at OLS and perform medical missionary work abroad. They feel blessed to have the opportunity to serve the parishioners and are grateful to be a part of such "a vibrant spiritual community at Snow's." They've been married for 27 years and are the proud parents of Liam, Erin, and Connor Callister.
