Holy Orders
Ordination To Priesthood
MOM, DAD, I THINK GOD IS CALLING ME” … How do you respond to that? The answer to this question and how to support a vocation or encourage a family member to consider a religious vocation can be difficult at times. Fr. O'Connor is always available to offer assistance in helping your son discern a vocation to the priesthood. You may also contact Fr. Paul Noble at the Vocations Office of the Diocese of Columbus at 614-221-5565, pnoble@columbuscatholic.org
The future of the Catholic Church depends on the presence of priests to continue the sacramental ministry of the Church. Never discourage any young man from considering a call to priesthood.
What is a Deacon?
It is often said that a Deacon is better described by who they are versus what they do. A Deacon is a man who is ordained and promises to live a life of service for God’s people in the Word, Sacrament and Charity. He assists bishops and priests by answering the call to serve the needs of the diocese, parish and others. Through his life he models the vision of the faith community which is to be a community of service.
A potential deacon candidate requires emotional maturity, personal integrity, Christian holiness and an active prayer life. He shows a lifestyle of service and involvement in his parish community even before being considered for the Diaconate. Both the candidate and spouse should be in good physical and psychological health. Characteristics that demonstrate an ability to work in teams work with people and communicate both as a speaker and as a listener are necessary for the candidate to be effective in his ministry. There should be a need for his service in the parish and a level of acceptance by the parish community reflected in his ministry involvement.
Requirements for the potential Deacon candidate are:
- A man must be a Catholic in good standing and fully initiated into the faith
- He must be between the ages of 32 and 60 years of age.
- If married, there must be evidence of a stable and growing marriage relationship. His spouse must be willing to support her husband actively through formation and in his ministry. His wife must also be an active practicing Catholic.
- He must have completed the requirements of the Lay Ministry program and classes required by the Office of the Diaconate at an accredited Roman Catholic University or College. The required classes are:
- Introduction to the Old Testament
- Introduction to the New Testament
- Introduction to Philosophy
- Basic Roman Catholic Doctrine or Ecclesiology
- Theology of the Diaconate
- Equivalent education is evaluated on an individual basis
- He demonstrates his ability to respond to the needs for service and enables others.
- The present pastor endorses him
If a man is interested in further exploring the call to the Diaconate his first step is to speak to one of the Deacons assigned to Pope John XXIII.