ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST CHURCH
  • Welcome
    • Mass Times
    • Map & Directions
  • Parish Life
    • Christian Service
    • Evangelization
    • Finance
    • Parish Pastoral Council
    • Stewardship
    • Worship
    • Ministries >
      • Altar Servers
      • Art & Environment
      • Eucharistic Minister
      • Lectors
      • Music Ministry
      • Ushers
      • Bereavement
      • Faith Formation
      • Garden Guardians
      • Hospitality/Greeters
    • History & Mission
    • Parish Directory
  • Sacraments
    • Annointing of the Sick
    • Baptism >
      • Infant/Child Baptism
    • Confirmation
    • Eucharist
    • Holy Orders
    • Marriage
    • Penance (Reconciliation)
    • Vocations
  • Let's Connect
    • Get Involved
    • Calendar
    • Photo Gallery
    • Map & Directions
    • Catholic Links
    • Catholics Come Home
  • Parents & Children
    • Catholic Schools >
      • Elementary (MCES)
      • High School (SMCC)
    • CYO
  • Bulletin
  • Contact Us
  • RCIA
Picture

Holy Orders

Picture
In the Sacrament of Holy Orders, or Ordination, the priest being ordained vows to lead other Catholics by bringing them the sacraments (especially the Eucharist), by proclaiming the Gospel, and by providing other means to holiness.Introduction:

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."

"Ordination" comes from the Latin word ordinatio, which means to incorporate someone into an order. In the Sacrament of Holy Orders, a man is incorporated into the priesthood of Christ, at one of three levels: the episcopate, the priesthood, or the diaconate.

The Priesthood of Christ
The priesthood was established by God among the Israelites during their exodus from Egypt. God chose the tribe of Levi as priests for the nation. Their primary duties were the offering of sacrifice and prayer for the people.

Christ, in offering Himself up for the sins of all mankind, fulfilled the duties of the Old Testament priesthood once and for all. But just as the Eucharist makes that sacrifice present to us today, so the New Testament priesthood is a sharing in the eternal priesthood of Christ. While all believers are, in some sense, priests, some are set aside to serve the Church as Christ Himself did.

The Ordination of Bishops
There is only one Sacrament of Holy Orders, but there are three levels. The first is that which Christ Himself bestowed upon His Apostles: the episcopate. A bishop is a man who is ordained to the episcopate by another bishop (in practice, by several bishops). He stands in a direct, unbroken line from the Apostles, a condition known as "apostolic succession."

Ordination as a bishop confers the grace to sanctify others, as well as the authority to teach the faithful and to bind their consciences. Because of the grave nature of this responsibility, all episcopal ordinations must be approved by the Pope.





Picture

Quick Links

  • Anointing of the Sick
  • Baptism
  • Confirmation
  • Eucharist
  • Marriage
  • Reconciliation
  • Holy Orders/Vocations

Click here to visit the Vocations page if you are being called to be a priest or a permanent deacon.

The Ordination of Priests

The second level of the Sacrament of Holy Orders is the priesthood. No bishop can minister to all of the faithful in his diocese, so priests act, in the words of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, as "co-workers of the bishops." They exercise their powers lawfully only in communion with their bishop, and so they promise obedience to their bishop at the time of their ordination.

The chief duties of the priesthood are the preaching of the Gospel and the offering of the Eucharist.

The Ordination of Deacons
The third level of the Sacrament of Holy Orders is the diaconate. Deacons assist priests and bishops, but beyond the preaching of the Gospel, they are granted no special charism or spiritual gift.

In the Eastern Churches, both Catholic and Orthodox, the permanent diaconate has been a constant feature. In the West, the office of deacon was reserved to men who intended to be ordained to the priesthood. The permanent diaconate was restored in the West by the Second Vatican Council. Married men are allowed to become permanent deacons.
© 2018 St. John the Baptist Catholic Church,
​Monroe, Michigan 48161.
​All rights reserved.
Rev. David Burgard, Pastor
511 S. Monroe Street, Monroe MI 48161
734-241-8910
​734-241-1943 (fax)
Interim Office Hours
Monday  |  9 am-4 pm (closed for lunch from Noon to 1 pm
Tuesday  |  9 am-3 pm
Thursday  |  9 am-3 pm
The office is closed on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday
  • Welcome
    • Mass Times
    • Map & Directions
  • Parish Life
    • Christian Service
    • Evangelization
    • Finance
    • Parish Pastoral Council
    • Stewardship
    • Worship
    • Ministries >
      • Altar Servers
      • Art & Environment
      • Eucharistic Minister
      • Lectors
      • Music Ministry
      • Ushers
      • Bereavement
      • Faith Formation
      • Garden Guardians
      • Hospitality/Greeters
    • History & Mission
    • Parish Directory
  • Sacraments
    • Annointing of the Sick
    • Baptism >
      • Infant/Child Baptism
    • Confirmation
    • Eucharist
    • Holy Orders
    • Marriage
    • Penance (Reconciliation)
    • Vocations
  • Let's Connect
    • Get Involved
    • Calendar
    • Photo Gallery
    • Map & Directions
    • Catholic Links
    • Catholics Come Home
  • Parents & Children
    • Catholic Schools >
      • Elementary (MCES)
      • High School (SMCC)
    • CYO
  • Bulletin
  • Contact Us
  • RCIA