News of Fr Colin Golden’s death was announced at Sunday Masses in parishes across Dunkeld – many of these parishes had their own fond memories of the popular priest.
When Fr Colin was ordained on June 24th, 1998, in the parish of Ss Leonard and Fergus’, Dundee it have might have been said that he was a late vocation to the priesthood, having worked in the field of banking for over twenty years. But at that time he was leading a move to vocations from mature candidates.
During the final stages of preparation for his ordination, Fr Colin helped out in St Francis’ parish, Dundee, alongside parish priest, Fr Eugene O’Sullivan; with Fr Mark Cassidy he visited hospitals, the housebound and the sick, helping him to develop the pastoral and caring skills for which he was so much loved; and then at Our Lady of Sorrows, Fintry and St Matthew’s, Whitfield he worked with Fr Pat McInally helping to prepare candidates for Confirmation, working with the RCIA programme and learning how to plan the liturgy,.
Shortly before his ordination Fr Colin served as a Deacon in St Columba’s, Kirkton, Dundee, where he worked with Fr John Harty, at that time the Diocesan Vocations Director, a role he was later to taken on himself. With the Sisters or Namur, he visited Strathmartine Hospital and carried out house visits to the sick and housebound and well as visiting the staff and pupils at St John’s High School, Dundee.
His first appointment as assistant priest was at St John the Baptist, and St Mary Magdalene’s, Perth with Mgr Hendry afterward taking up his first appointment, as a Parish Priest, at St Bride’s, Pitlochry – serving the highland Perthshire parishes of Holy Cross, Aberfeldy and Kinloch Rannoch. He also served as parish priest at St James’, Kinross combined at that time with Our Lady’s, Perth. Finally he served the Perth parish working closely with the children as school chaplain at Our Lady’s Primary and St Columba’s High School and then St John’s Academy.
Inspired by the work of Sr Aloysius, a Sister of Mercy at Lawside Convent, Fr Colin was deeply committed in his support for the Romanian Project which saw him make repeated appeals, supporting the work undertaken at the Budimex Hospital in Budapest. He led many parish and school groups on mercy trips with clothing, medicines and food and to volunteer with the project.