The Diocese rejoiced on Saturday 20 December as Chris Colaco was ordained to the diaconate at Oscott College, a place rich in Catholic history and notably where Saint John Henry Newman preached his famous “Second Spring” sermon in 1852.
The ordination was celebrated by Archbishop Bernard Longley, with Bishops Timothy Menezes, Richard Walker and Bishop Alan Hopes of East Anglia also in attendance. They were joined by priests from across our Diocese, including the Vicar General, Canon Michael Harrison, along with family, friends and members of the faithful who gathered to support Chris at this important moment in his vocation.
Chris has been training for the priesthood for the Diocese and the Jesus Youth Movement and is due to be ordained to the priesthood in 2026. Reflecting on the significance of the day, Chris shared that he was taken aback when a friend reminded him that “yesterday was my last day as a lay man”, a comment that brought home the profound change marked by his ordination.
In his homily, Archbishop Longley reflected on the ministry of the deacon, emphasising the call to preach the Gospel and to live a life of generous service to others through concrete acts of charity, following the example of Christ the Servant.
After six years of formation in seminary, Chris will now leave Oscott and begin his diaconal ministry serving the Catholic community in Corby. He will continue this pastoral service until his ordination to the priesthood next year.
The Diocese gives thanks to God for Chris’s vocation and assures him of its prayers as he begins this new chapter of ministry in service of the Church.
