On the 23rd July 1816 Fr. Colin, with other young priests and seminarians, pledged to establish a Society of Mary, in the chapel of Our Lady of Fourviere, Lyons. In the same year he was ordained and joined a country parish in Cerdon as curate. He did not seem a likely candidate to found a worldwide religious congregation, as he was shy and retiring. Yet there he began his work which eventually led him to attracting hundreds of men to his side and sending some of them across the world to die even, for the ideals he set before them. This young curate was busy putting onto paper plans for the future Society of Mary.

In 1824 Father Colin with his brother Pierre and two other priests were allowed by the bishop to form themselves into a little band and to preach missions in the diocese (Marist Fathers). At the same time a number of young women started with him the Sisters of the Congregation of Mary (Marist Sisters). The first beginnings of the third Order of Mary for lay people (Marist Laity) had also taken shape. Yet another group, under Saint Marcellin Champagnat, (Marist Brothers) was being formed for teaching. The original seed sown in the group of seminarians was growing into a tree with various branches.

In 1830 Fr. Colin was elected "superior" of the group of Marist aspirants as they endeavored to attain approval for their group from Rome.

In January 1836 the Pope confided the missions of Western Oceania in the South Pacific to this new group of Marist Fathers and the following April Rome approved the Society of Mary, Marist Fathers. The following September the first twenty Marist Fathers made their profession and Fr. Colin was elected as the First Superior General. On Christmas Eve 1836, the first group of Marist missionaries left for the missions in Western Oceania in the South Pacific.

In 1854 Fr. Colin resigned as Superior General of the Marist Fathers and retired to La Neyliere where an atmosphere of prayer allowed him to work on the Constitutions. Jean Claude Colin died on the 15th November 1875.