Oriel College exceeds 1,000 donors in 2024–25 financial year
Oriel Emeritus Fellow and Former Director of Development ordained deacon
2 July 2024
On 15 June 2024, Emeritus Fellow Sean Power was ordained a deacon for the Diocese of Westminster, at Westminster Cathedral in London.
Formerly Oriel’s Director of Development (2011 – 2021) Power commenced his training for ordination three years ago at Allen Hall seminary in Chelsea, named after Cardinal William Allen (1532 – 1594), who was also a former fellow of Oriel.
Ordination to the diaconate is the penultimate step towards ordination as a priest and involves a number of lifelong promises. By the conferral of the sacrament, deacons are configured more closely to Jesus Christ. They are called to serve God both at the altar and in charity to His people, especially the sick and the poor; they baptise and conduct weddings and funerals. As part of the rite, those being ordained prostrate themselves on the ground, both in an act of submission and surrender to God as well an act of communion with Christ who descended into the grave and rose from the dead to new life. The ordination itself occurs when the bishop lays his hands on the heads of those being ordained, and then prays the Prayer of Ordination.
From September Power will be based for one year at the Parish of Our Lady and St Vincent in Potters Bar, Hertfordshire, and would be delighted to see any Orielenses who happen to be passing by!