Holy Orders
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What is Holy Orders?Holy Orders is the Sacrament by which men become priests and are given a sacred power to act in the person of Christ in order confect Christ’s Body & Blood and offer it up to the Father at the Mass for the remission of sins; to forgive sins through the Sacrament of Penance; to solemnly baptize; to preside during the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony; to offer Anointing of the Sick to the dying; to preach; and to otherwise teach, govern, and sanctify their parish family.
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God has a plan for your life.The best way to discover God's Will is by pursuing a holy life. It's our primary vocation in life to become a saint!
As you begin to pray, reach out to God's people in acts of service, and seek spiritual direction, the particular way in which God is calling you to holiness of life to glorify Him will be revealed.
If you'd like help, please get in touch with the diocesan Vocations office. You don't have to make the journey alone!
Vocations Office Contact Information:
Father Peter Crowe
Diocesan Director of Vocations
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: (814) 317-2681
Please note that the Vocations Office specializes in Diocesan Priesthood Formation. For more information on Religious Orders, please see another section of the Diocesan Website or a Website of the particular Religious Order that interests you.
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Permanent DiaconateThe Permanent Diaconate has been a restored Office of the Church since 1968. Permanent Deacons in the Altoona-Johnstown Diocese receive a minimum of 5 years of academic education and diaconal formation. Some have advanced degrees such as a Master of Arts in Theology or other Ecclesial Discipline.
A Deacon is an ordained minister of the Catholic Church. There are three groups, or Orders of ordained ministers in the Church: Bishops, Priests (presbyters) and Deacons.
Deacons are ordained as a sacramental sign to the Church and to the word of Christ, who came “to serve and not be served.” The entire Church is called by Christ to serve, and the Deacon, in virtue of his sacramental ordination and through his various ministries, is to be a servant in a servant-Church.
The various ministries of the Deacon are:
As ministers of the Word, Deacons:- Carry the Book of Gospels
- Proclaim the Gospel
- Guide the faithful people by giving them instruction
- Announce the intentions of the Universal Prayer
- Preach and teach in the name of the Church
- Provide spiritual direction and counsel (if properly trained)
As ministers of Sacrament and Prayer, Deacons:- Baptize
- Witness marriages
- Function as ORDINARY ministers of the Eucharist
- Assist Priests and Bishops at Mass
- Lead the faithful in prayer and Eucharistic Devotion
- Assist with Christian Burial by conducting Vigils, Services without a Mass and Committals
- Other functions at special liturgies as noted in the General Instruction of the Roman Missal
As ministers of Charity, Deacons:- Are leaders in identifying the needs of others, then organizing the Church’s resources to meet those needs
Deacons, priests, and bishops are considered clerics, members of the clergy, in the Catholic Church. Just as a Priest is normally addressed as “Father”, the Deacon is addressed as “Deacon _______ (first or last name as the Deacon prefers).”
The Attire of the Permanent Deacon:
Although very similar, the vestments of the Deacon and those of the Priest are different. Both wear a white alb. However, the colored stole of the Deacon is worn diagonally while that of the Priest is worn vertically. The outer garment of the Deacon is a dalmatic and it has sleeves. That of the Priest is called a chasuble and does not have sleeves.
In the Altoona-Johnstown Diocese, the proper formal non-liturgical attire of the Deacon is normally a tie and jacket. Sometimes the Deacon wears a lapel pin, which is a cross with a diagonal stole on top of it. This is the symbol of the office of the Permanent Diaconate.
To learn more about the Permanent Diaconate, contact:
The Office of Permanent Diaconate
Deacon Michael Russo, Director
814-288-3036 or [email protected]
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Resources
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In the sacrament of Holy Orders Jesus shares his priesthood with men, making them our spiritual fathers and bestowing on them the power to act in his Person. When the priest says the words of institution at Mass: “This is my body . . . This is my blood,” that which was bread and wine now becomes the whole Christ: body, blood, soul and divinity because Jesus speaks and acts through him. When the priest tells us in confession: “I absolve you of your sins,” Jesus is the divine Physician giving us, through the ministry of his priest, the absolute assurance that our sins are forgiven. When the priest blesses; it is Jesus who blesses.
Jesus challenged the rich young man and in him all of us with these daunting words: "Come, follow me" (Mt 19:21). Jesus also reminds us: "A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master; it is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master" (Mt 10:24-25). Following Jesus means becoming self-sacrificing love poured out for others. It is only in this way that we can truly say with St. Paul, "It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me" (Gal 2:20).
Why Priesthood?
The priesthood is a call from Christ to live a relationship with Him by serving His people. Not content to leave His people.
The priesthood is a calling. Christ asks of some men the sacrifice of their lives in following Him as His more intimate companions. From all eternity, certain men are called to the priesthood. It is a call inscribed in their nature and because of this, is a call that will bring them fulfillment. Thus, the priesthood is not simply one occupation among many. It is a way of life through which God invites a man to enter more deeply in relationship with Him.
The priesthood is a sacrament. Sacraments are physical means through which God’s grace is experienced in the world. The sacrament of the priesthood (known as Holy Orders) is the visible way through which Christ continues His mission in the world today. As Pope John Paul II once noted, “The priest offers his humanity to Christ, so that Christ may use him as an instrument of salvation, making him as it were into another Christ.”
We live in a moment in history when all are searching for meaning. What is the meaning of my life? Where am I to find the happiness that I desire? Our being cries out for meaning, for purpose, and, if we are honest with ourselves, for love. God has not left us alone. He has heard our cries for love, for mercy, for justice, for beauty, for goodness, for truth. And He has loved us so much that He has become man and dwelt among us. He has sent His son, Jesus Christ, as an answer to human longing. Christ instituted the priesthood so that we would not be alone. It is the priest who makes present Christ Himself in the Eucharist through the daily offering of Holy Mass. It is the priest who leads men and women to God. The world needs priests, because ultimately the world needs Christ. Jesus has not forsaken His flock but He keeps it under His constant protection through His priests.
Jesus Christ and His people are the focal point of a priest’s life, but each one is unique. A priest has his own talents, hobbies, sports, friends and family, and all of this gets factored into the life of a priest. God takes whatever is good in a man’s life and transforms it to be of service.
To any young man in our parish who is discerning a call to the priesthood or who feels some attraction to priestly life and ministry, please contact the Parish Office to make an appointment with our priest.
Let us all continue in fervent prayer for vocations to the priesthood and religious life. May God grant all of us the grace to follow Christ’s call and the joy of inviting others to respond to that call in their lives.
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Prayers from USCCB.org
Parents Prayer for Vocations
Almighty and eternal God,
in your unfailing love you provide
ministers for your Church.
We pray for those whom you call
to serve the Church of Divine Mercy
as priests
Inspire in them a generous response.
Grant them courage and vision to
serve your people
May their lives and service call your
people to respond to the presence
of your Spirit among us
that, faithful to the Gospel and
hope of Jesus the Christ, we may:
announce glad tidings to the poor
proclaim liberty to captives,
set prisoners free
and renew the face of the earth.
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O God, Father of all Mercies,
Provider of a bountiful Harvest,
send Your Graces upon those
You have called to gather the fruits of Your labor;
preserve and strengthen them in their lifelong service of you.
Open the hearts of Your children
that they may discern Your Holy Will;
inspire in them a love and desire to surrender themselves
to serving others in the name of Your son, Jesus Christ.
Teach all Your faithful to follow their respective paths in life
guided by Your Divine Word and Truth.
Through the intercession of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary,
all the Angels, and Saints, humbly hear our prayers
and grant Your Church's needs, through Christ, our Lord. Amen.
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Loving and Generous God,
it is You who call us by name
and ask us to follow You.
Help us to grow in the Love
and Service of our Church
as we experience it today.
Give us the energy and courage
of Your Spirit
to shape its future
Grant us faith-filled leaders
who will embrace Christ's Mission
of love and justice.
Bless the Church of Divine Mercy
by raising up dedicated and generous leaders
from our families and friends
who will serve Your people as Sisters,
Priests, Brothers, Deacons and Lay Ministers.
Inspire us to know You better
and open our hearts
to hear Your call.
We ask this through our Lord.
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Loving God, you call all who believe in you
to grow perfect in love by following in the footsteps
of Christ your Son.
Call from among us more men and women
who will serve you as religious.
By their way of life, may they provide a convincing sign
of your Kingdom for the Church and the whole world.
We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.
Gracious and loving God, help the
men and women of our parish to hear the
call to serve in the Archdiocese of New Orleans.
Our needs are great and our people
thirst for your presence.
Open the hearts of many, raise up
faithful servants of the Gospel, dedicated,
holy priests, sisters, brothers and deacons,
who will spend themselves for your people and their needs.
Bless those who are serving now
with courage and perseverance.
Grant that many will be inspired by their
example and faith.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
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The Mission (as understood by the Church)
The ministerial priesthood has the task not only of representing Christ – Head of the Church – before the assembly of the faithful, but also of acting in the name of the whole Church when presenting to God the prayer of the Church, and above all when offering the Eucharistic sacrifice.” (CCC 1552)
To serve the people of God in the person of Christ by fulfilling three offices:- Teaching – a priest proclaims the Gospel of Christ on a daily basis and brings that Word of God into the very lives of the people he serves. As the age-old adage goes, “At all times preach the Gospel, and use words when necessary.” A priest must give witness to Christ in the words he says, the actions he carries out, and the way he presents himself to others.
- Shepherding – a priest acts in the person of Christ, and Jesus Christ was first and foremost the Good Shepherd. It is the duty of the priest to bring the people he serves to an understanding of the love of God and to a place where they can live out God’s will for them in their own lives.
- Sanctifying – a priest has the responsibility of offering the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass with the people of God and for the people of God. In the Old Testament, the priest went before the throne of God once a year to plead for the Israelites. In the New Testament, Christ goes before the throne of God once and for all, but daily, a priest brings the prayers of God’s people to the altar so that Christ might intercede on our behalf.
A priest is first and foremost called by God. He is called by God from among the people of God to offer worship, honor and praise, to God for himself and for the people of God.
A priest brings the people to God and God to the people. (from a man to the Cure d’Ars) - Teaching – a priest proclaims the Gospel of Christ on a daily basis and brings that Word of God into the very lives of the people he serves. As the age-old adage goes, “At all times preach the Gospel, and use words when necessary.” A priest must give witness to Christ in the words he says, the actions he carries out, and the way he presents himself to others.
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