What is Holy Orders?
Holy Orders is one of the Sacraments of Service.
Through this sacrament, men are ordained to serve the Church as bishops, priests or deacons. Their ministry is not simply a job or a role in the community. It is a vocation: a call from God to give their lives in service to Christ and His people.
How do I know if God may be calling me?
A vocation may start with a sense that God is asking something more of you. It may come through prayer, the Mass, service in the parish, encouragement from someone else, or a question that will not quite go away.
Discernment is not about having everything worked out at once. It means listening carefully to God, praying honestly, seeking wise guidance, and allowing the Church to help you understand whether the call is real.
If you are wondering about priesthood or the diaconate, it helps to:
- Pray regularly
- Come to Mass faithfully
- Receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation regularly
- Spend time in silence before God
- Pray the Divine Office
- Speak honestly with a priest
- Read about vocations in the Diocese of Brentwood or the Ordinariate
- Ask God for courage and clarity
You do not need to be certain before starting a conversation. A first conversation is part of discernment.
Finding out more
The Diocese of Brentwood has a dedicated vocations website for anyone who wants to explore priesthood, the diaconate or the wider question of vocation.
The site includes guidance on discernment, information about seminary formation, details about the diaconate, vocation stories, prayers and contact details for the diocesan vocations team.
If you feel you may be called to a vocation as part of the Ordinariate, you can also find out more on its vocation page.