Sacrament of Holy Orders

“But we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction, and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Live in peace with one another.”

— 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13

holy_orders_insetThe Sacrament of Holy Orders is the continuation of Christ's priesthood, which He bestowed upon His Apostles; thus, the Catechism of the Catholic Church refers to the Sacrament of Holy Orders as "the sacrament of apostolic ministry." There are three levels of participation of the Sacrament of Holy Orders: as bishop, as priest, and as deacon.

We ask that you pray for our bishop and all of the priests and deacons in our Diocese and throughout the world. We also ask that you pray for our seminarians and those whom are prayerfully considering answering the call of our Lord. For more information about vocations in our Diocese including the current list of seminarians visit the Lafayette Vocations website.

Prayer for Priests

Heavenly Father,
You draw men with love and grace
into the Mystery of the Priesthood,
where they find the Heart of Jesus Christ,
the High Priest.

May they always teach as Jesus taught,
serve as Jesus served, and love as Jesus loved. 

Enlighten them in their teaching,
sustain them in their service, and
enliven them in their loving. 

May Mary, the Mother of Your Son, always
be at their side, until the end of their pilgrimage,
when they will see You as You are,
adoring Your Triune Majesty in Heaven,
forever and ever.

Amen.