Orders
He said to them, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest." - Luke 10:2
The Sacrament of Orders at St. Brendan
The sacrament of Orders is the sacrament whereby a man becomes a bishop, priest, or deacon. The bishop is the minister of this sacrament.
Bishops are successors of the Apostles and have the fullness of priestly power. Priests (presbyters) are co-workers of bishops and exercise true priestly authority in a lesser degree. They celebrate the sacraments, offer the sacrifice of the Mass, teach, and govern the Church in union with the bishop. Deacons are ordained for service and assist bishops and priests in works of pastoral charity.
St. Brendan is committed to promoting the value of ordained ministry and to helping boys and men discern whether God may be inviting them to consider a priestly vocation. Please contact the pastor or diocesan vocations director if you or someone you know is interested in exploring the possibility of a priestly vocation.
Please pray for holy priestly vocations from our parish!
A Call from God
The United States Catholic Catechism for Adults teaches us, that from the moment of Jesus' conception in the womb of Mary until his Resurrection, he was filled with the Holy Spirit. In biblical language, he was anointed by the Holy Spirit and thus established by God the Father as our high priest. As Risen Lord, he remains our high priest. . . . While all the baptized share in Christ's priesthood, the ministerial priesthood shares this through the Sacrament of Holy Orders in a special way.
Ordination to the priesthood is always a call and a gift from God. Christ reminded his Apostles that they needed to ask the Lord of the harvest to send laborers into the harvest. Those who seek priesthood respond generously to God's call using the words of the prophet, "Here I am, send me" (Is 6:8). This call from God can be recognized and understood from the daily signs that disclose his will to those in charge of discerning the vocation of the candidate.