Holy Orders

“Holy Orders is the sacrament through which the mission entrusted by Christ to his apostles continues to be exercised in the Church until the end of time; thus, it is the sacrament of apostolic ministry. It includes three degrees: episcopate (bishop), presbyterate (priests), and diaconate (deacons).” - Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition (paragraph 1536).

Ordination, or Holy Orders, is a sacrament that is available only to men who are being ordained as deacons, priests, or bishops. As with Baptism and Confirmation, the sacrament is said to convey a special indelible “character” on the soul of the recipient. During the rite, which typically occurs during a special Sunday mass, a prayer and blessing is offered as a bishop lays his hands on the head of the man being ordained. In the case of the ordination of priests and bishops, this act confers the sacramental power to ordain (for bishops), baptize, confirm, witness marriages, absolve sins, and consecrate the Eucharist. Deacons can baptize, witness marriages, preach, and assist during the mass, but they cannot consecrate the Eucharist or hear confessions. Except for married deacons, an order restored by the Second Vatican Council, all ordained men are to be celibate. In Holy Orders men are ordained as priests, deacons, or bishops. Priests serve as spiritual leaders of their communities, and deacons serve to remind us of our baptismal call to help others. Bishops carry on the teachings of the apostles. The signs of this sacrament are the laying on of hands and anointing with oil by the bishop.