Sacraments

Holy Orders

In the Sacrament of Holy Orders, there are three degrees or "orders": bishop, priest, and deacon. The rite of ordination is the sacramental act that makes this possible. Ordination "confers a gift of the Holy Spirit that permits the exercise of a 'sacred power' . . . which can come only from Christ himself through the Church" (CCC, no. 1538).

Holy Orders requires a discernment process before acceptance as a candidate for the Sacrament of Holy Orders by the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City.

If you believe you are being called to Holy Orders the first step is to speak with your pastor to help you on your discernment process.

There are many discernment tools available on the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City’s Vocation page https://www.okcvocations.com.

Prayer is also a very important tool in your discernment process.

Prayer To Know One's Vocation

Lord, my God and my loving Father, 

you have made me to know you, to love you, to serve you, 

and thereby to find and to fulfill my deepest longings. 

I know that you are in all things, and that every path can lead me to you. 

But of them all, there is one especially by which you want me to come to you. 

Since I will do what you want of me, I pray you, send your Holy Spirit to me: into my mind, to show me what you want of me; 

into my heart, to give me the determination to do it, and to do it with all my love, with all my mind, and with all of my strength right to the end. 

Jesus, I trust in you. 

Amen