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Holy Orders

Set Apart for the SacredMysteries 

Diaconate, Presbyterate, Episcopate

(Deacons, Priests, Bishops)

 

Holy Orders is first and foremost a call from the Lord. It is a gift which can never be earned and which a man is never entitled to. As with the Apostles, the men whom God calls to Holy Orders are not always those most esteemed by the world. Though he can use the skills and qualifications of the ordained for his purposes, these are not the reasons why particular men are called. The Lord calls whom he calls for reasons unknown to us, and he provides them abundant graces so that they may follow him faithfully.

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Q: What does a Priest do all day?

 

A: A parish priest celebrates daily Mass, hears confessions every week, gives marriage counseling, provides prenuptial counseling, gives spiritual direction, anoints and visits shut-ins and the sick in hospitals and nursing homes, teaches catechism (a book that contains the doctrines of Catholicism) to children and adults, baptizes, witnesses marriages, performs funerals and burials, attends numerous parish and diocesan meetings, prays privately every day, does spiritual and theological reading, and finds time to relax now and then with family and friends. And once a year, he’s expected to make a five-day retreat in addition to doing his regular spiritual direction and daily prayer.

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