After more than three decades in aeronautical engineering and four college degrees, alumnus Tony Darnell followed a different calling at Newman — to become a deacon.
Born in Bristow, Oklahoma, with four other siblings, Darnell lived all over the United States due to his father’s service in the Air Force.
“We lived in Michigan, Georgia, Kansas, New Jersey and Oregon, but Oklahoma is home,” he said.
A career set in aviation
After earning his first degree, an associate of technology, from the Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology, he began his career with AT&T Network Systems in the early 1980s. Later, he joined the Federal Aviation Administration. As his career progressed, new roles often required additional education.
“Each time I changed jobs that had credential requirements, I completed another degree,” Darnell said.
While working for the FAA, Darnell earned a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology from the University of Phoenix in 2004 as aviation navigation systems transitioned from radio-frequency technology to GPS satellite-based systems.
Later, when he moved into a management role overseeing technical and engineering training, he completed an additional associate degree on the engineering path from Oklahoma City Community College in 2006.
Those credentials supported a 31-year career in aviation, during which Darnell served as the FAA’s representative from the Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center in Oklahoma City, managing partnerships with organizations such as NASA and the U.S. Air Force to integrate aircraft systems into the national airspace.
The call to ministry
But even while building his career, Darnell said he felt called to ministry for years.
“I became Catholic before I was married in 1986, after I studied the Catholic Church and realized that it was all about Jesus,” he said, “I knew God wanted me to become a deacon for a very long time, but I put it off until the opportunity was nearly gone — it turns out, there is an age requirement for ordination to the deaconate.”
Knowing the time was limited to make the decision, he finally did it in 2020. Darnell entered the diaconate formation program through the Catholic Pastoral Center in Oklahoma City, which partners with Newman to provide theological education. The four-year program allows candidates preparing for diaconate to also pursue a bachelor’s degree in theology at the same time.
“I chose this degree path for the same reason as my other three degrees; I wanted to be the best I could be,” he said. “To this day, I still subscribe to the idea of lifelong learning. I believe that the success in my career is largely due to the excellent education that I received, and the hard work that I put into each pursuit.”
Theology, it turns out, was more challenging for him than any of his technical degrees.
“I have a technology and engineering background that’s very math intensive, and I’ve always been an ‘A’ student, but this theology degree was more difficult than anything I have ever done,” he said.
Still, he said the experience at Newman was deeply rewarding both academically and spiritually, particularly because of the professors he had.
“My Theology of the Liturgy instructor, Alexander Schmitt, was my favorite,” he said. “I finally got questions answered that I’ve had since becoming Catholic about why churches are the way they are and what the art and symbols mean.”
Finally a deacon
After graduating from Newman in May 2025 with his fourth degree, Darnell retired from his aviation career to focus fully on ministry. He was ordained a deacon on Nov. 7, 2025.
Today, he serves at St. Andrew the Apostle Catholic Church in Moore, Oklahoma, where he assists at Mass, delivers communion to the sick, teaches youth and preaches once a month.
“I’ve got a new heart,” Darnell said. “I had a stony heart and now I’ve got a fleshy heart. Thank you, Jesus.”
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