Fr. Chris Garrett’s appointment will take effect from May 1st.
He was ordained to the priesthood by the Bishop of Elphin, Most Reverend Kevin Doran in Sligo Cathedral in May of 2023.
He was ordained a deacon in Castlerea in September of 2022 and has been ministering alongside Fr. John McManus and Fr. Kevin Reynolds in the parish since.
Fr. Garrett, the nephew of former Bishop of Elphin, the late Dr. Christy Jones, was a highly regarded oncologist before deciding to enter the priesthood. His decision to embark on the journey to the priesthood did not come as some bolt from the blue for the San Francisco native.
Rather, “it was a slow burner,” he said previously in an interview with the Roscommon Herald.
Although born and raised in the US, his links with Ireland and County Roscommon remained very strong throughout his life. He travelled to Ireland to attend boarding school at the age of 13 and thoroughly enjoyed his time there.
He completed his secondary school studies at St Andrew’s College, Booterstown, and his university education at University College, Dublin where he studied medicine. In 1991, he left Ireland to train in oncology in the United States.
After three years of Haematology and Oncology house officer training in Dublin, he completed his subspecialty training at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.
He practiced academic medical oncology and clinical research for 28 years in the United States, and was as Professor of Oncology at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Centre (Houston, Texas). In 2012 he received a licentiate in bioethics from the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum (Rome). While working in Houston, he was active in Church life there.
In his homily at the ordination, Bishop Doran said that he was delighted Chris chose to offer himself for service in the diocese and thanked in particular his family who had supported him on his journey of faith.
During his homily, the Bishop expressed concern on the falling number of vocations to the priesthood. He added: “While the call to mission is part of the Sacrament of Confirmation, the discernment of a vocation to priesthood, as we can clearly see in the life of Chris, is not just for teenagers. Increasingly, it is men in their twenties and thirties who come to seminary, bringing with them a very diverse experience of life and of Church.
“You may receive a call at any time. You may even have a “missed call” from God. Call him back - or call me, if you wish - and I will try and connect you,” said Bishop Doran.