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November 23, 2008

The making of deacons, priests and bishops

By Dave Brencic

CONTRIBUTOR

There is much more to the sacrament of holy orders than the average Catholic probably realizes. Yes, it’s the sacrament by which a man becomes a priest, but there are actually three degrees or levels to the sacrament: deacon, priest and bishop.

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “the word ‘ordination’ is reserved for the sacramental act which integrates a man into the order of bishops, presbyters or deacons and goes beyond a simple election, designation, delegation or institution by the community for it confers a gift of the Holy Spirit that permits the exercise of a ‘sacred power’ which can come only from Christ himself through his church” (No. 1538).

Like all the sacraments, holy orders has its roots in Scripture from when Jesus sent out the apostles two by two to heal and preach up to the Last Supper.

There also are references in the Acts of the Apostles and the epistles to presbyters being chosen to oversee Christian communities and “men acknowledged to be deeply spiritual and prudent” (Acts 6: 3) who were selected as assistants (the first deacons) to the apostles.

Holy orders is a sacrament that is given “once and for all,” the Catechism states. “The sacrament of holy orders, like baptism and confirmation, confers an indelible spiritual character and cannot be repeated or conferred temporarily” (No. 1582).

Furthermore, the “essential rite,” as the Catechism calls it, is when the bishop lays hands upon the candidate and then prays a prayer of consecration.

Only a bishop can confer the sacrament of holy orders in each of its degrees and a bishop receives the fullness of the sacrament when he is ordained.

Bishops are seen as the successors of the apostles and have a responsibility to the universal church and the local church. These shepherds of the church are considered the teachers of the faith.

All bishops are priests, but not all priests are bishops. It is the pope who calls a priest to become a bishop, signifying that bond to the universal church.

The apostles ordained bishops by laying on of hands and calling down the Holy Spirit upon them. This practice continues today in all of the forms of holy orders and is the most visible sign of ordination.

Successors to apostles

The basic elements of the ordination ceremony for priests include the calling and presentation of the candidates, examination of the candidates, a promise of obedience, the litany of saints where the men lay prostrate, investiture with a stole and chasuble, anointing of hands, the bishop’s imposition of hands on the heads of the ordained and the prayer of consecration asking for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

Priests are co-workers of bishops. Where bishops have authority over a region and responsibility over a broad range of parishes and people, priests can be assigned to serve in parishes, teach in schools or serve as chaplains and counselors in hospitals or prisons.

Priests share in the universal mission of the church to preach the Gospel to all peoples and nations. By their ordination they are able to consecrate the Eucharist, bestow forgiveness through the sacrament of reconciliation and anoint the sick.

The sacrament of Holy Orders unites all priests in a brotherly bond of service. It is the priest who has the most direct day to day contact with people whether it’s at daily Mass, visiting students in schools, counseling, making house calls or any number of ways they make people aware of God in their lives.

Service to church

Deacons are ordained for service to the bishop and assist priests in serving the Lord. In fact, the word deacon comes from the Greek word “diakonia” meaning service.

A man can be ordained as a transitional deacon, which is the last step to being ordained a priest, or as a permanent deacon. While deacons are considered clergy, permanent deacons can be married, have families and regular jobs. A man who is not married can become a deacon and make a special promise of celibacy. A married deacon promises not to remarry if his spouse dies.

The deacon has a threefold ministry to the church: service of the altar, service of the Word and service of charity.

Service of the altar includes assisting the priest at Mass, but deacons cannot consecrate the bread and wine. Service of the Word involves proclaiming the Gospel and preaching, leading Scripture studies, serving as a catechist or teaching adult education and being involved in the adult catechumenate for those wanting to join the Catholic Church.

Deacons cannot anoint the sick nor can they absolve anyone of their sins.

An important aspect of ministry for deacons are works of charity. This can run the gamut from volunteering at a soup kitchen or homeless shelter to visiting inmates in jail to serving as a chaplain in a hospital.

The idea is that deacons are ordained to serve the whole church and not just their home parish. For deacons with jobs in the secular world, this also extends to ministering in the workplace and being Christ’s presence while on the job.

Brencic is a permanent deacon assigned to St. Barbara Parish in Brookfield.

This is the second to last installment of our Finding Grace series about the sacraments. The 2009 Finding Grace series will explore the seven deadly sins.

Who's who?

So what are the signs or symbols of an ordained Catholic clergy member?

One of the most visible and recognizable signs for a priest in the United States is the black and white Roman collar.

While celebrating at Mass, a priest wears a white alb or robe that covers his clothes. Over the alb is worn a vestment called a chasuble and a stole, which is the sign of priestly office. The stole is a narrow strip of cloth of a liturgical color worn over the shoulders.

When officially presiding at Mass, a bishop wears these same vestments but also wears a miter, which is a ceremonial hat of silk or linen that can fold. He also carries a crosier, which is a pastoral staff reminiscent of a shepherd’s staff.

At Mass, a deacon also wears an alb and a stole worn over the left shoulder and crossing to the right side of body.

There’s also the dalmatic, which is a sleeved outer garment fashioned after the chasuble. When not serving at Mass, permanent deacons normally do not wear any kind of clerical collar.