Holy Orders is a covenant made between a man and God, where a man commits his life in service to God and to the Catholic Church. Holy Orders, like the other sacrament of vocation, marriage, is connected to Baptism, in that it is the conscious life given in service, as a way to live out one’s baptismal call.

The sacrament involves a signing with oil, just as is done in baptism and confirmation, signifying the special character taken on through this commitment. In this sacrament, one promises to live in the person of Christ, offering Christ’s presence to humanity through the gift of the sacraments. The priest commits to the threefold munera, or offices of Christ, as priest, prophet, and king. This means that the ordained priest has special responsibilities to lead, teach, and sanctify. Holy Orders marks one’s commitment to lead people to God’s love and mercy, to help unite people to live Christ’s call to build a just world, and to bring Christ’s offer of hope, love, and mercy to the world at every moment in time, and in all places of the world.

A man may be ordained as a priest or a deacon. If you are interested in knowing more about Holy Orders, you may contact our pastor, Fr. Benedykt Pazdan, at 708-423-8110 or the Archdioese of Chicago’s Vocational Office at 312-534-8298 or [email protected].