Holy Orders

Down the centuries men have offered themselves to the church for service as either priests or deacons. They do this because they sense within themselves a calling (or vocation) coming from God. At the Last Supper when Jesus gave us the gift of the Eucharist, He also bestowed upon the Apostles the power to make available this gift to others. From the Apostles, right down to this present day, the church has made available the gift of the Eucharist through the ministry of priests.

The priest also has the authority to Baptise, bestow absolution for the forgiveness of sin, witness marriages and to bring Christ’s sacraments to the sick and the dying, particularly the Sacrament of the Sick. As you can see this is another of the sacraments of service along with Matrimony.

Deacons also share in the Sacrament of Holy Orders being ordained to preach, teach, baptise and be witnesses to people’s marriages. The Deaconate is especially associated with the idea of service as we have in The Acts of the Apostles an account of the choosing of the first Deacons for service in caring for the needs of the Christian community.

If you would like to know more about these vocations please feel free to contact us, or you can get in touch with the Diocesan Vocations Director here.