Holy Orders
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"Becoming a priest or a man or woman religious is not primarily our own decision.... Rather it is the response to a call and to a call of love." - Pope Francis, Address to Seminarians and Novices, July 6, 2013 |
Vocations
Diocesan PriesthoodThe priest must be first and foremost a man of prayer. Personally he is a man in union with God through the intimacy of a deep personal relationship with God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. As an ordained minister of the Church, the priest represents Jesus Christ and therefore, the priest’s most important prayer is to re-present the sacrifice of Jesus during the Holy Mass.
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Permanent DiaconateDeacons are ordained members of the clergy who promise to obey their bishop. Besides human and spiritual qualifications, they must undergo a year of aspirancy, three years of rigorous study and pastoral ministry, and undergo scrutiny and discernment by the Church. Like priests, they can preach, teach, lead prayer, baptize and witness weddings, although they cannot celebrate Mass or forgive sins. They are often involved in counseling as well as visiting the sick. Unlike most priests, they may be married men. The minimum age for ordination to the diaconate is 35.
Currently, 20 candidates are in formation for the permanent diaconate in the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend. More Information |
Consecrated LifeConsecrated Life is “a permanent state of life recognized by the Church, entered freely in response to the call of Christ to perfection, and characterized by the profession of the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity, and obedience.”
CCC 916 “The state of consecrated life is thus one way of experiencing a “more intimate” consecration, rooted in Baptism and dedicated totally to God. In the consecrated life, Christ’s faithful, moved by the Holy Spirit, propose to follow Christ more nearly, to give themselves to God who is loved above all and, pursuing the perfection of charity in the service of the Kingdom, to signify and proclaim in the Church the glory of the world to come.” Women discerning religious vocations, including the vocation of a consecrated virgin, are encouraged to contact: Jessica Hayes, OV Advisor for Vocations to the Consecrated Life [email protected] More Information |