Holy Orders
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The whole church is a priestly people.
Through Baptism all the faithful share in the priesthood of Christ.
This participation is called the “common priesthood of the faithful.”
Based on this common priesthood and ordered to its service,
there exists another participation in the mission of Christ:
the ministry conferred by the sacrament of Holy Orders,
where the task is to serve in the name and in the person of Christ the Head
in the midst of the community
Catechism of the Catholic Church #1591All Catholics know — or at least have heard about — bishops, priests, and deacons. Catholics know they perform ministerial roles in the community, such as presiding over the Eucharist and administering the sacraments.
We say that bishops, priests, and deacons are ordained. But, what does that mean? How did it all start? Why do these people receive a special sacrament?
To find out the answers and to know more about Holy Orders, click on the links on the left hand column.