Jim Trout may be an ordained deacon with a master’s degree in theology, but as a teacher at Cathedral High School in St. Cloud, he’s just as at home in the shop as he is behind the ambo. Teaching applied engineering might seem like an unlikely fit for a deacon, but he says it’s exactly where he belongs.
“One of the things I really value is the connection with the kids,” he said. “Applied engineering classes are generally smaller and, because you’re teaching them something hands-on, it becomes intimate and you have room for conversations that you wouldn’t have in a regular classroom.”
Ordained in 2013, Deacon Jim says his diaconate formation has opened his eyes to see the world from a more objective view and exposed him to different ideas.
“One particular class focused on the importance of listening as a ministry,” he remembers. “The idea is that if God dwells within us, the goal is to help people recognize the presence of God in their lives rather than trying to inject God into them. Being aware of that makes my approach much more pastoral than just educational.”
And that pastoral approach doesn’t go unnoticed.
“Jim is a gift to our community,” said Kathy Crispo, Cathedral’s principal. “The way that he presents himself to his students is as a regular guy teaching engineering who has a deep understanding of our Catholic faith and is willing to share it through each and every interaction he has with students, staff and parents.”
Students say what sets Deacon Jim apart is how patient and supportive he is.
“He wants us to create something great, and he’ll support us all the way until we get there,” said Jacob Tomczik, a junior at Cathedral. “He cares so much and wants us to love the process just as he does.”
His encouragement is summed up in a phrase students hear often: “Take it to the next level.”
“I think it describes his classes perfectly,” Jacob said. “He teaches you how to operate the machines, then gives you a basic project that you can make as easy or as complicated as you are comfortable with. This kind of dynamic creates a very fun and engaging class that really gets you excited and draws you in.”
He walks with each student without judgment and with care for the dignity of the individual, Crispo said.
His classes often attract students who don’t always thrive in traditional settings.
“The students who take my shop classes are often different from those in the general required theology classes,” he said. “You get a lot of kids who don’t fit in a desk very well — not size-wise, but just in who they are. They see me differently. They see this deacon who is out welding with them and yucking it up but also calling them out on offhand comments and having real conversations. I feel like I’m connecting with them in a much deeper way than I would in a traditional classroom.”
Deacon Jim also believes his role gives students a new perspective on the diaconate.
“People often see priests and deacons as people who are just ‘up there’ preaching and not real people,” he said. “But then they see me at school Mass and I’ll preach or assist. I think that is a unique opportunity for them to see that this guy is legit.”
Deacon Jim attended Hennepin Technical College and began his career as a machinist and tool‑and‑die maker, working alongside his father at D&J Tool Co. before moving on to several small manufacturing firms.
While working full‑time, he volunteered in youth ministry and faith formation at St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Brooklyn Park — a role he eventually stepped into full‑time in 1986.
During those eight years in ministry, he was encouraged to take classes at the University of St. Thomas. What began as a few courses turned into a degree: at age 34, he graduated with a major in theology and a minor in secondary education. His student teaching took him to Hill‑Murray High School in Maplewood, where he later taught for two years before accepting a position at Cathedral.
After four years at Cathedral, he spent three years in faith formation at St. Michael Parish in St. Cloud, then returned to manufacturing for a time before eventually finding his way back to Cathedral in 2007.
“I’ve been back ever since,” he said. “When I returned, they asked me to be the campus minister. It was not my greatest gift, but I had done parish ministry before, so I did that for two or three years before a teaching position opened up in the theology department.”
“I loved that,” he said. “I was back in my groove.”
Because of his background in manufacturing, he was asked to help start an applied engineering program.
“I spent a lot of time researching, and we gradually started this shop piece by piece,” Deacon Jim said. “One of the things that is fun for me is that every piece of equipment in there has a story behind it. We didn’t just order a bunch of stuff.”
The program grew gradually over the years. They currently offer four different courses.
“I went from teaching full-time theology to teaching one theology class a day, and the rest is all shop,” he added.
The other part of the story, he recalls, is that back when he was volunteering as a young single guy, people often asked if he was discerning a vocation to the priesthood.
“Everyone was wondering if I was being called to the priesthood, including me,” he said. “But I never felt called to the priesthood. I went on a vocation discovery weekend in the 1980s and never felt that pull.”
Discovering the diaconate changed that.
“I wasn’t married at the time, and I thought it sounded interesting. But it had to be the right time,” he said.
When he returned to Cathedral to teach theology, the time was right. He entered formation in 2007 and was ordained in 2013.
“Deacon Jim’s humor, care for the dignity of others and deep understanding of the Catholic faith is a model that we all need to see and have in our lives,” Crispo said.