Meet the Ordinands

Michael Hackbarth and Nate Irvine

Before vestments and vows, before the laying on of hands and the careful choreography of an ordination liturgy, there are people—people who have been shaped by family tables, long roads, hard seasons, steady callings, and the quiet conviction that God is, in fact, present and at work.

This January, the Diocese of Wisconsin will celebrate the ordination of the Rev. Michael Hackbarth to the priesthood and Nate Irvine to the diaconate. Their paths to this moment look different, but both are marked by a deep sense of service, an honest faith, and a willingness to show up as themselves—no small thing in ministry.

The Rev. Michael Hackbarth

If there’s a throughline in Dcn. Michael Hackbarth’s life and ministry, its steadiness. Currently serving at St. Paul’s Cathedral in Fond du Lac, Michael describes his call simply: it hasn’t changed. What has changed is the responsibility that comes with priesthood—and he’s ready for that.

A passage that has long grounded him comes from Psalm 46:1–2:

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth be removed, though the mountains be carried into the sea.”

It’s not abstract theology for Michael; it’s lived experience.

Much of that experience was formed during his career in the United States Army, where he learned leadership in situations that tested him emotionally, spiritually, and physically. Rising through the ranks, Michael gained a foundation in responsibility, discipline, and care for others—skills he sees as directly transferable to priestly ministry.

Following his ordination, Michael plans to serve as a supply priest at the direction of Bishop Matt, offering support wherever the Diocese has need. He hopes to be of service to the future Dean of the Cathedral and remains open to any role he’s asked to take on. When it’s time to slow down, his comfort beverage of choice is tea—Ashwagandha or a decaf Earl Grey: grounding, familiar, and dependable.

Nate Irvine

For Nate Irvine, the journey toward ordained ministry has been deeply personal—and deeply human. While he doesn’t name a single favorite scripture, he points to Luke’s Gospel, especially Jesus’ words in Luke 4:18–19, as an anchor through a year of discernment and change.

“The closer I get to ordained ministry,” Nate reflects, “the more I feel like I’m becoming myself.” That clarity didn’t come quickly or easily. Growing up as a pastor’s kid in another denomination, ordination once felt like a source of anxiety rather than life. Through the grounding support of family, therapy, and spiritual direction, that story has shifted. What remains now is gratitude—for healing, for honesty, and for a life that feels increasingly aligned.

Nate will continue serving as Young Adult and Campus Minister in Milwaukee, a ministry he’s been part of since September 2023. After his ordination to the transitional diaconate, he will serve as a deacon at St. Luke’s, Bay View, and St. Mark’s, Milwaukee, where his work already brings him two Sundays each month. He’s especially looking forward to serving St. Mark’s in this new role and reconnecting with his home parish in Bay View.

Asked what has most prepared him for ordained ministry, Nate answers without hesitation: his family. Explaining that fully, he says, would take pages—but it’s enough to say they’ve shaped who he is and who he hopes to be as a deacon, and God willing, one day as a priest. His comfort beverage list is long and seasonally flexible: black coffee at home, lattes or cortados when out, and in winter, a steady reach for rooibos chai with milk.

Come Celebrate

Ordination is a holy moment—but it’s also a shared one. The Diocese of Wisconsin invites you to gather in prayer, joy, and thanksgiving as we celebrate Michael and Nate and the ministries they are stepping into.

Details for the ordination service are included in the attached invitation . We hope you’ll join us as we give thanks for these vocations, offer our prayers, and send them forward surrounded by the community that has helped shape them.