Rob and Alli Blackburn are the parents of six children: Liam, 12; James, 10; Gabriel, 8; Josephine, 5; Evelyn, 4; and 1-year-old Felicity, called “Cici.” There’s never a dull moment as they navigate daily life, including faith and family responsibilities such as work, school, children’s activities, household chores and Rob’s ministry as a deacon assigned to their parish, St. Basil the Great in Brecksville.

“There’s one thing that is non-negotiable: family dinner,” Rob said. Even if one of the kids has an activity at dinnertime, everyone eats together and either Rob or Alli will wait to eat with the other child.

They also ensure there is time for prayer each day, especially at meals and bedtime. Both Rob and Alli said it’s important to keep God at the center of their family. At bedtime, they pray together, and everyone is encouraged to say who or what they want to pray for. During Lent and Advent, the older children also get prayer books.

Alli often attends Thursday morning Mass at St. Basil, while Rob goes on Friday mornings.

He gets up early — about 5 a.m. — to spend some quiet time for prayer and reflection before the daily bustle begins. Wakeup calls start about 6:30 a.m. and everyone receives a morning blessing. Liam catches the school bus at 7:30 a.m., preschool drop-off (at the St. Basil campus) is at 8 and the other school-age children get on the bus about 8:15.

Alli works in banking from her home office, while Rob tends to Cici and manages much of the household work as a stay-at-home dad.

“I do a lot of the errands, plus the cleaning, shopping and cooking,” Rob said. Alli handles the laundry. He said they’ve honed the system over the past several years and found a routine that works for them. Previously, Rob worked at a school for special needs children and Alli worked from home a few days per week until their second child, James, was about a year old.

Then she got a new job that required her to be in the office. They also experienced some difficulties with daycare. “I became a stay-at-home dad, and we never looked back,” Rob said. Now, Alli works from home full time.

Preschool ends at 11:30 a.m. and school wraps up about 3 p.m. Rob takes advantage of the quiet time to handle chores, plan dinner and work on some of his diaconal duties.

By 4 p.m., all the kids are home ready for a snack, homework and activities. Liam plays the trumpet, James and Josephine take Irish dance lessons and Gabriel takes tae kwon do. “They can start an activity in kindergarten, but they can only do one at a time,” Alli said. Both parents admitted summers and school breaks can be challenging when all six kids are home, but they plan ahead to ensure snacks, meals and activities are scheduled.

Rob, who was ordained to the permanent diaconate in 2023, said he felt called to the vocation several years ago. He and Alli discussed what it would mean to their family dynamic. “I spent a lot of time in prayer and adoration,” he said while discerning his call, which got stronger and was harder to ignore. In addition to silent prayer, Rob said attending a men’s renewal helped him decide to pursue his vocation.

Diaconate formation is a five-year commitment that requires twice weekly visits to the Center for Pastoral Leadership in Wickliffe for classes and formation. Rob would put dinner on the table and head to the CPL on Wednesday nights. Classes also took place on Saturday mornings. He used naptimes and evenings to study and work on projects.

Some of the diaconal candidates’ wives attended classes with them, but that wasn’t practical for the Blackburns. “Alli held down the fort at home,” he said.

“I was pregnant with Gabe when Rob applied for the program,” Alli recalled. 

“We decided to move forward with my application and to continue through formation even though we didn’t feel ready,” Rob said. “Complicating things were Gabe’s birth and some pretty serious health issues he faced, COVID, two more babies, Alli switching jobs and just life in general. In the end, we realized there would never be a perfect time and we would never be ready. We were called. We knew that the two of us would never be enough on our own. We trusted that Jesus would fill in all of the gaps, and he has,” Rob added.

During formation, Rob was assigned to spend time/do field work at St. Albert the Great Parish in North Royalton, St. Michael Parish in Independence, St. Patrick Parish on Bridge Avenue in Cleveland and the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist.

“It was hard,” Rob admitted, as he recalled trying to balance family responsibilities, while keeping up with his studies and finding time for prayer.

After ordination, Rob was assigned to his home parish, St. Basil, where he and Alli were married nearly 17 years ago. He’s a native of Long Island in New York, while she grew up in the parish. They met at Mercyhurst College. Alli’s parents and sister Becky live nearby, which provides them with a great support system.

As a deacon, Rob assists at liturgies and schedules and trains the parish’s extraordinary ministers of holy Communion and the altar servers. “I also do marriage preparation, baptism classes for first-time parents, and assist with children’s liturgies,” he said. In addition, he and Alli work with the parish’s couples’ ministry.

“My favorite thing about being a deacon is baptism. It’s the most joyful thing. Everyone is happy to be there,” he said. “It’s a beautiful thing when a new person enters the Church.” Rob also has witnessed a few weddings since his ordination. He said being able to baptize Cici, their youngest, “was a grace-filled moment.”

Rob tries to spend a few hours in the parish office, sometimes an hour or two in the evening and often on Friday mornings. His young sidekick Cici enjoys going with him.

“Father Ryan (Mann, St. Basil pastor) has been very supportive through my formation and now that I’m in ministry,” Rob said. He also works with Father Jeffrey Liptak, the parochial vicar, who coordinates the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults at the parish.

Rob said the 9 a.m. Sunday Mass is the children’s liturgy, which his family typically attends and at which he often assists. He recalled one Sunday not long ago hearing a young child making noise and calling, “Dad,” while he was preaching from the ambo.

“I realized it was Cici,” he said, laughing. “I really had to focus to stay on track. It showed the humanity of the clergy. Even with distractions, we have to be able to turn back to what Jesus is saying.”

Rob said he enjoys networking with other families in the parish and watching as their children grow.

“I have my own kids and family, so I really smell like the sheep,” he quipped. 

“My favorite thing about being a deacon is baptism. It’s the most joyful thing. Everyone is happy to be there. It’s a beautiful thing when a new person enters the Church.”