Fr Jonathan Henry Ordained to the Priesthood at St Chad’s Cathedral

There was great joy at St Chad’s Cathedral on Saturday 4 July as Jonathan Luke Henry was ordained to the priesthood by Archbishop Bernard Longley during a Mass celebrated in the Roman Rite.

Fr Jonathan, 28, who comes from St Anthony of Padua Parish in Oxford and is currently serving at St Carlo Acutis Parish in Wolverhampton, was ordained before a congregation of family, friends, clergy and faithful from across the Archdiocese.

Archbishop Bernard was joined by Bishops David Evans and Timothy Menezes as concelebrants. Serving as deacons were Deacons Jithin Titto and Tenny Antony, both of whom are also due to be ordained to the priesthood this week.

During the ordination rite, Jonathan made the promises of priestly ministry before Archbishop Bernard and the faithful gathered in the Cathedral. Following the laying on of hands and the Prayer of Ordination, he became Fr Jonathan Henry and was vested with stole and chasuble by Mgr Mark Crisp, Parish Priest of St Carlo Acutis Parish, before joining the Archbishop at the altar for the Liturgy of the Eucharist.

At the end of Mass, Archbishop Bernard presented Fr Jonathan with a Papal Blessing, saying:

“Fr Jonathan we want to give you our heartfelt congratulations and the assurance of our prayers from today onwards as we give thanks for your priestly ordination. And at your dear parents' request, I'm very pleased to entrust you with this papal blessing:

"The Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV cordially imparts the requested apostolic blessing to Jonathan Luke Henry on the occasion of his Priestly ordination invoking through the intercession of the blessed Virgin Mary an abundance of Divine Graces”

Fr Jonathan’s vocation began to take shape when he was around 14 years old. He credits both the vibrant life of his home parish, St Anthony’s, and the experience of studying theology in a non-Catholic school with helping him take ownership of his Catholic faith and discern God's call.

Unlike many young people exploring different career paths, Fr Jonathan says he never seriously considered another profession. After studying theology at university, he entered seminary formation in preparation for priestly ministry.

Writing in the days before his ordination, Fr Jonathan reflected honestly on the significance of the step he was about to take: “Truth be known I’m rather anxious about it: no amount of study or practice activities can actually prepare you for hearing confessions or saying Mass, for working along with real people’s lives and circumstances. But I remain confident that this is what I feel called to.”

Alongside his theological studies and parish ministry, Fr Jonathan is a gifted musician and composer who enjoys writing music for liturgical celebrations. His compositions have been used in parish worship, including Vespers for the Solemnity of St Peter and St Paul at St Carlo Acutis Parish.

He is also an enthusiastic runner and recently completed a half-marathon from the presbytery in Wolverhampton to St Chad’s Cathedral to raise funds for young people attending the Kenelm Youth Trust summer camp.

Fr Jonathan celebrated his First Mass at St Anthony of Padua Church in Oxford on Sunday 5 July, returning to the parish community that first nurtured his faith and vocation.

Please keep Fr Jonathan in your prayers as he begins his ministry as a priest, serving God's people with faith, generosity and joy.