carving stone, making jewelery, writing poetry

Deacon Dan Rigel was born in 1951 in Waterloo IA, has been married to Nancy, his best friend for 50 years, and has 4 children, Bridget, Kerry, Andrew, Teresa and 11 grandkids.

He became interested in writing poetry in high school and his English teacher Gail Rimmer encouraged him to write and, gave him her copy of the Anthology of Famous English and American Poetry.

Very early in their marriage Dan & Nancy were involved in assisting woman with problem pregnancies through Birthright and eventually served as house parents in a home for women with problem pregnancies. From there they became missionaries of the Southwest Volunteer Apostolate, moving to New Mexico to open a similar home in an old motel called Casa San Jose as well as evangelizing on the Navajo Reservation, working out of Saint Bonaventure Parish in Thoreau, New Mexico.

Graduated from Upper Iowa University with a Bachelor of Science,

1994

2013 Ordained a Permanent Deacon, in the Catholic Church, Formation for..