St Joseph’s parish in Enfield in Sydney’s inner west has welcomed Anthony Karaira as the archdiocese’s newest deacon.
Originally hailing from Kampala, he is the second Ugandan national to become a deacon in Sydney in 2026, following Deacon Lawrence Zimbe, who was ordained in February.
Bishop Richard Umbers ordained the new deacon on 14 May, and told him, “God has called you, the church has discerned that calling in you, and this is the way marked out for you.”
Deacon Karaira also spoke following the Mass, sharing words given to him by his friends and mentor, who had eased his anxieties by telling him it would be odd if he weren’t nervous about this next step in his life.
“He explained that we can never become worthy on our own merit, rather, it is God who grants us worthiness,” he said.
“This is the moment in which I have to always remember with greater depth that without God, I am nothing.”
Deacon Karaira thanked his family, who followed the ordination ceremony via livestream, in his native language.
He also thanked Our Lady, offering flowers to her statue as a sign of devotion.
Born into a devout Catholic family that attended daily Mass and prayed before every activity, Deacon Karaira learnt his prayers from his earliest years.
“We always knew exactly whose turn it was to lead morning prayers, evening prayers, and rosary on a daily basis, and I loved serving at the altar,” he told The Catholic Weekly.
Deacon Karaira’s time as an altar server as an adolescent was the first time he heard a call to God’s ministry. Soon afterwards, at age 14, he enrolled in a minor seminary with his parents’ permission.
He said his parents were a defining force in his formation, encouraging him in the faith from a very young age and supporting his decision to join the priesthood.
Outside of the home, he was encouraged by Fr Tony Kizza, who not only baptised the new deacon but is his namesake, and Fr Emmanuel Mukasa, the spiritual director of the minor seminary.
Deacon Karaira also looks to saints to lead his way, taking his motto from St Francis of Assisi: ‘O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console, to be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love.’
“I love this phrase because even though this all starts with my yes it is not all about me alone, which makes sense to me, as I am called to this order of service,” he said.
“As a deacon, I am hoping to offer my availability to serve the people of God but most importantly, to let the Holy Spirit guide me towards God’s will and obviously I am looking forward to priestly ordination in the near future, God willing.”
