Holy Orders

             The Sacrament of Holy Orders

In Catholicism, Holy Orders is the sacrament by which men are ordained as priest or deacons. It is a sacrament carried out by a bishop, who must lay his hands on the candidate.
The priesthood is a call from Christ to live in relationship with him by serving his people. Not content to leave his people with simply the memory of his redeeming love, Christ chose certain of his followers (the Apostles) to continue his work on earth until the end of time. The priesthood is an extension of this, and is thus a continuation of the work of Christ in the world today. The whole Church is a priestly people, sharing in the common priesthood of Christ by their daily sacrifices, prayers and sharing of the Gospel. However, God calls specific people to serve in His name in the midst of the community.
The sacrament of Holy Orders includes three degrees: episcopate (bishops), presbyterate (priests) and diaconate (deacons).