ROSWELL, GA – The Reverend Mr. Colin Patrick, (Cpt) USAR, a candidate for the Catholic priesthood and United States Military chaplaincy, was ordained a transitional deacon on Saturday, May 20, in his home Archdiocese of Atlanta, GA. The new deacon is on track to be ordained a priest next year and hopes eventually to serve as a Catholic chaplain on active duty in the U.S. Army providing pastoral care to Catholic soldiers and their families with endorsement and faculties from the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA (AMS).
The Rev. Mr. Patrick’s diaconal ordination was celebrated at St. Peter Chanel Catholic Church in Roswell, GA, through the laying of hands and the prayer of consecration invoking the Holy Spirit by Archbishop Gregory Hartmeyer, OFM Conv. AMS Auxiliary Bishop F. Richard Spencer concelebrated the 10:00 a.m. ordination Mass. Among those in attendance were family and friends of the new deacon.
The Rev. Mr. Patrick, 33, is 2008 graduate of Norcross High School in Norcross, GA. In 2012, he earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Geography from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, NY. He served as an active-duty infantry officer from 2012 to 2017, during which time he says his faith was challenged: “My experiences in the Army – from Ranger School to Afghanistan – challenged my ‘cradle’ Catholic faith, but it was ultimately this real faith in Christ that helped me get through the daily grind. Through these experiences, Christ confirmed my vocation and led me to seminary.”
The new deacon is currently enrolled at Mundelein Seminary in Illinois, where he is working toward a Master of Divinity Degree. He is on track to be ordained a priest next year. Under a co-sponsorship agreement with the AMS he will serve in his home Archdiocese of Atlanta for three years before going back on active duty as a chaplain.
The Rev. Mr. Patrick says he discovered his vocation early in life: “From a young age, my vocation to the priesthood was nurtured through the love and faith in Christ Jesus that I received from my family. Additionally, I always felt a deep sense of call to service, which was instilled through my parents’ care for the poor in our community.”
The eventual service of the Rev. Mr. Patrick and other Catholic chaplain candidates is greatly anticipated by the Army, which, like all other branches of the U.S. Military, continues to suffer a chronic shortage of Catholic chaplains. Currently, the Army has only 87 Catholic priests on active duty, serving more than 120,000 Catholic soldiers and their families spread worldwide.
Young men interested in discerning a priestly vocation, and the vocation within a vocation to serve those who serve in the U.S. Military, can find more information at milarch.org/vocations, or may contact AMS Vocations Director Father S. Matthew Gray by email at vocations@milarch.org or by phone at (202) 719-3600.
Donations in support of AMS Vocations are gratefully accepted at milarch.org/donate.
