Holy Orders
All the baptised share in the common priesthood of Christ in that we all share in his mission of spreading the Good News and building the kingdom here on earth.
To assist this common priesthood of the faithful there is another form of priesthood which is conferred by the Sacrament of Holy Orders. Ordination confers a sacred power for the service of the faithful by which the ordained teach the faithful, lead divine worship, and oversee the running of the Church.
There are three degrees in the ordained priesthood – bishop, priest and deacon.
At the head of the Church is the bishop who also represents Christ as the shepherd of the flock.
Working with him are his priests who receive their authority to minister from him.
Assisting these are the deacons who are servants of the Church. In the Roman and Orthodox Churches, only men may be ordained for ministerial service and only a bishop may ordain. (Catechism 1536-1600)
A vocation is an initiative of love from the heart of God.
He calls in a gentle and loving way and invites us to respond in freedom.
Discerning a vocation to the priesthood takes time, prayer, reflection, patience and attentiveness to God’s action – undertaken with the assistance of others.
It also takes courage to respond to the interior movements of the Holy Spirit.
To make further enquires please click on the National Vocations Logo or drop us a line and one of the Pastoral team will get back to you.