Holy Orders
“These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands upon them.” (Acts 6:6)
About the Sacrament of Holy Orders
Holy Orders is the sacrament through which the mission entrusted by Christ to His apostles continues in the Church. Through ordination, a man is configured in a particular way to Christ and receives the grace of the Holy Spirit for sacred ministry in the service of God’s people.
The sacrament is conferred by the laying on of hands and the prayer of ordination offered by a bishop. In this way, apostolic ministry is handed on in the Church from generation to generation.
Holy Orders is one sacrament with three degrees: bishop, priest, and deacon. Those who receive this sacrament are ordained not for status or honor, but for sacrificial service to Christ and His Church.
Through this sacrament, ordained ministers preach the Gospel, serve the people of God, and, according to their degree, exercise sacred ministry in the Church with humility, fidelity, and charity.
The Three Degrees of Holy Orders
The ecclesiastical ministry instituted by God is exercised in three degrees: bishops, priests, and deacons.
Discerning a Vocation
A vocation to Holy Orders begins with prayer, generosity, and a willingness to listen to the voice of Christ. If you believe the Lord may be calling you to serve His Church as a priest or deacon, the Diocese of Knoxville can help guide you in discernment.
Men discerning the priesthood ordinarily prepare through seminary formation. This formation includes human, spiritual, intellectual, and pastoral preparation so that they may serve Christ and His Church with maturity, holiness, and fidelity.
Learn more through the Diocese of Knoxville’s pages on discernment, seminarians, and the Vocations Office.
In this short video, Fr. Mike Schmitz explains how to begin discerning God’s call in your life.
The Diaconate
Deacons are ordained ministers of the Church who serve in the proclamation of the Gospel, in the liturgy, and in works of charity.
Some men are ordained as transitional deacons on the path to the priesthood. Others are ordained as permanent deacons and remain in the diaconate as their lifelong vocation of service.
To learn more about the permanent diaconate in the Diocese of Knoxville, please visit the diocesan diaconate page.
Other Vocations in the Church
In addition to ordained ministry, some men and women are called to consecrate their lives to Christ through religious life as brothers, sisters, or priests in religious communities. These vocations are distinct from Holy Orders, but they share the same call to love Christ and serve His Church with generosity. Learn more about consecrated life in the Diocese of Knoxville.
Prayer for Vocations
Please pray for seminarians, for those discerning priesthood or the diaconate, and for all whom God is calling to serve His Church.
Loving God,
Creator of heaven and earth,
the mountains, rivers, lakes, and woods proclaim your glory.
You have made man and woman
in your image and in every heart,
You have placed a purpose and a calling.
Joy is found in learning our purpose and saying
“yes” to your call for each of us.
Raise up and strengthen the Catholic Church in East Tennessee.
May we praise you in truth and always strive to be your hands
in love and care for all people.
Raise up men and women to lives of service in the Church
as priests, brothers, sisters, and deacons.
Help people to say “yes” to the joy you have prepared for them.
Raise up families of faith and commitment in our church.
Bless spouses, parents, and children
in their love and witness as Christian families.
Loving God, you are the giver of every good gift,
may we always be grateful
for all that you bestow upon us.
We ask these things through Christ our Lord. Amen.
You can also learn more about the men preparing for priesthood in the Diocese of Knoxville on the seminarians page.