CHAPLAIN BIO
Fr. Cris Graas
Fr. Graas was born in 1954, the fifth child of nine in a family living in Wormerveer, a village close to Amsterdam, the Netherlands. In 1972, he was introduced to Opus Dei, later becoming a member. He obtained a Law degree at the University of Utrecht in 1980, followed by theological studies in Rome and Pamplona, Spain.
In 1983, Fr. Graas was ordained to the priesthood for the Prelature of Opus Dei, and the next year obtained a doctorate in Theology at the University of Navarra in Spain. He then returned to the Netherlands to start his pastoral work, focusing especially on the needs of young people.
He worked first in Utrecht, and then in Amsterdam. There, among other assignments, he took care of the downtown parish of Onze Lieve Vrouwe, as an assistant pastor and later as pastor. At the same time, he gave courses on Catholic doctrine and theology, preached retreats, and published articles in several journals and newspapers. In 1999, he moved to Vienna, where he worked with young people and served as an assistant pastor in the parish of St. Peter's. In 2006 he came to Canada, and was named chaplain of Ernescliff College in 2007.