The Sacrament of Holy Orders is the continuation of Christ’s priesthood, which He bestowed upon His Apostles; thus, the Catechism of the Catholic Church refers to the Sacrament of Holy Orders as “the sacrament of apostolic ministry.” In the Sacrament of Holy Orders, a man is brought into the priesthood of Christ to serve the Church through teaching, celebrating the Sacraments, and leading their flock. Through Holy Orders, a man can be ordained a priest, deacon, or bishop.
God has a call, also known as a vocation, for each of us. Most are called to the vocation of marriage, where we give ourselves to a spouse for life in order to get them, ourselves, and (God willing) our children to Heaven. This is a beautiful vocation! God also calls some men to be religious brothers or priests and some women to be religious sisters. These are beautiful vocations where men and women give their lives to serve the family of the Church.
If you want to talk more about what God’s call is for you, contact one of the parish priests using the contact information on this page to set up a meeting.
There are programs for young men (Melkizedek) and women (Avow) designed specifically for age 16 through mid-twenties. The groups help them discern whether the Priesthood or Religious Life is something that God is calling them to. See detailed information on the programs below:
is for young men. It is a national initiative and the meetings are once a month.
is for young women discerning religious life follows the same format. The Polish Dominican sisters are part of these meetings, as well as one or two lay volunteers.
Also, check out the great resources below.
