Holy Orders
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has chosen me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free the oppressed and announce that the time has come when the Lord will save his people.”
Luke 4: 18-19
“Once we realize how much God has given us, we learn that a life of sacrifice, of working for Him and for others, becomes a privileged way of responding to His great love.”
Pope Francis at Saint Patrick's Cathedral in New York
“Holy Orders is the sacrament through which the mission entrusted by Christ to his apostles continues to be exercised in the Church until the end of time: thus it is the sacrament of apostolic ministry. It includes three degrees: episcopate, presbyterate, and diaconate.”
Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1536
Holy Orders includes three degrees: episcopate (bishop), presbyterate (priest), and diaconate (deacon). Through Holy Orders, the mission entrusted by Christ to his apostles continues to be exercised in the Church until the end of time. A man receiving the Sacrament of Holy Orders is ordained a bishop, priest, or deacon.
Everyone has a vocation! In simple terms, "vocation" means a "call" - your vocation is what God calls you to do with your life. Everyone is called by God to know, love, and serve Him. Individual vocations vary between being single, married, consecrated/religious, or priesthood.
If you are discerning a vocation to the priesthood, please contact Fr. Eugenio de la Rama, Director of the Vocations Office for the Archdiocese of Newark at (973) 313-6190 or at info@newarkpriest.com. You can learn more by visiting newarkpriest.com.
If you are interested in pursuing a vocation to Religious or Consecrated Life within the Archdiocese of Newark, please contact Fr. Emaka Okwuosa, S.D.V., Director of the Office for Religious Life of the Archdiocese of Newark, at (973) 497-4368 or at okwuosem@rcan.org.
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