Moscow, Idaho Man Set for Catholic Deacon Ordination After Faith Transformed His Family
Moscow Resident Describes Feeling ‘Wonderfully Terrified’ Ahead of Ordination Ceremony
MOSCOW, Idaho — Colin Meyer, 58, a licensed massage therapist and longtime Moscow resident, will be ordained a permanent deacon in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Boise in just five weeks — a milestone that represents the culmination of a years-long journey of personal transformation, family healing, and spiritual renewal.
Meyer, who will receive the Sacrament of Holy Orders alongside three other candidates from Bishop Peter F. Christensen, described his emotions in the days leading up to the ceremony in characteristically candid terms.
“I think the best way I can describe how I feel right now is being wonderfully terrified,” Meyer said in remarks reported by FāVS News. “It’s not really fear in the sense of being afraid but being in right worship. A wise deacon once told me that God is not calling you to walk on water; he is calling you to walk in the mud with those who are deeply in need of your service.”
Meyer and his wife Kirstin, 53, have been married for 35 years. The couple will stand together at St. Mary’s Church in Moscow — their home parish — for the ordination. Kirstin, a cradle Catholic, has been a steadfast presence throughout both her husband’s conversion and his four-year diaconal formation process.
“Colin got saved by God — He saved his marriage and family,” Kirstin Meyer said, as reported by FāVS News. “There were addictions, abuse, belittling, controlling and lots of anger to work through.” She added, with compassion in her voice: “There’s still a lot of healing that needs to happen, but now we have a pleasant marriage.”
Colin Meyer described his wife as his “life force and true guiding light” in both their marriage and his upcoming ministry. “She is truly a reflection of Christ’s love in our ministry,” he said.
Baptism at 49 Marked a Turning Point for Meyer and His Family
Meyer’s path to the permanent diaconate did not begin in childhood. He was baptized and confirmed on Easter Vigil in 2017 at St. Mary’s Church — at the age of 49. He credits his eldest daughter, Ashley, with bringing him to the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults classes that set everything in motion.
“You see, she had a hard adolescent life mostly, I’m sure, due to my nonexistence as a good father,” Meyer recalled in remarks reported by FāVS News. “I felt the Holy Spirit worked through her to get to me.”
The impact of that conversion, by all family accounts, was immediate and lasting. His youngest daughter, Cassidy Rydeen, 23, said the change in her father was unmistakable. “I really feel Jesus came into our life and fixed our family,” she said. Before her father’s baptism, Rydeen said there were times she feared him and could not speak openly with him. “But all that changed when we started going to church; a bond started to form between us,” she said.
His son Brandon Meyer, 25, echoed that sentiment. “I’m proud and inspired by him,” he said, noting that his father’s willingness to listen and be present transformed their relationship. Brandon’s wife, Eleanor Meyer, who has known Colin Meyer for a decade, offered perhaps the simplest summary: “Colin is a great example that people can change.”
Meyer identifies strongly with the Apostle Paul — known before his conversion as Saul — as a model for his own spiritual journey. “Like him, I experienced a kind of blindness before truly seeing and submitting to God’s will,” he said. “His life is a beautiful reminder of how God can transform us, no matter where we start.”
Upon ordination, Meyer will join a permanent diaconate that numbers approximately 100 men strong across the state of Idaho. Nationally, according to the most recent U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops report — A Portrait of the Permanent Diaconate in 2024, released in June 2025 — more than 20,000 permanent deacons serve Catholic communities across the United States.
Moscow continues to be a community where faith plays a central role in public and family life. For more on community events and local faith-related stories across Latah County, readers can follow coverage here and visit Idaho News for statewide reporting. For broader regional coverage across the Pacific Northwest, visit IdahoNewsNetwork.com.
Other community stories drawing attention in Moscow recently include a Turning Point USA stop in Moscow, reflecting the range of civic and community engagement taking place across Latah County.
What Comes Next
Colin Meyer is scheduled to be ordained a permanent deacon of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Boise in approximately five weeks. The ceremony will be held at St. Mary’s Church in Moscow, Idaho, with Bishop Peter F. Christensen presiding. Three additional candidates will be ordained alongside Meyer. Following ordination, the four men will serve their respective local parish communities as part of the Diocese’s permanent diaconate. No further scheduling details were available at time of publication.