The Sacraments

Holy Orders

Following your Baptism and Confirmation, it is important to discern, personally and within the Church, the call that comes to you from God.

Christian vocation

Why speak of Christian vocation? What is a Christian vocation, and where does it come from?

God does nothing by chance, without an original intention: the universe, the solar system, the Earth and all its forms of life, the most evolved of which is the human race, created in His image and likeness. Yes, according to the divine plan, the human being, man and woman, is the summit of creation; everything was made by God for man and woman, in and through His infinite Love, which is both the origin and the end of all creation.

So when God decides to create a new person, soul and body, in a woman’s womb, He does so out of love: He creates that person unique, endows them with their own intelligence, sensitivity and will (freedom), with particular talents and gifts; just as importantly, He creates them with an intention for them, a life project that is both human and spiritual; this project of life – and of happiness – is called a vocation – “call” in Latin.

God, in His infinite Love, offers each of us a vocation, a life project, which we are free to accept or not, in part or in full, early or late in life. For a Christian, to succeed in life is therefore to respond as faithfully as possible to one’s singular, unique vocation and to fulfill it. But to be able to respond to one’s vocation, to say YES to it, one must first know it and discern it among several possibilities.

This personal vocational discernment is lived in and through the Church (prayer, sacraments, accompaniment). It is absolutely fundamental for any Christian life that seeks to be authentically faithful to God.

So what is your vocation? What is God’s singular call for you? Marriage? Celibacy or consecrated life? The permanent diaconate? The priesthood, as a religious priest (in a particular community) or a secular priest (for a diocese)?

Priest

How do I know if I am called to become a priest? What is a priest? Does a priest still have a reason to exist today in a modern metropolis like Montreal? What does a priest do? What is the difference between a diocesan priest and a community priest?

Perhaps you are asking yourself these questions. If so, let us shed some light on them.

The call to the priesthood is powerful and mysterious. It is heard in the depths of the heart, whether one is a child, a teenager, a young adult or a mature adult; one feels a burning desire rising within to follow Jesus, to resemble Him, to work for Him, for His people and His Church. Sometimes the call becomes clearer and more explicit, imposing itself on us. It can also make itself felt over several years, intermittently, in various circumstances of life. Often, despite the strength of the desire we feel, we frequently experience doubts. However, these do not manage to silence the call to give oneself entirely to the Lord Jesus. Then, when we feel ready, we consult a competent person to help us discern the authenticity of this call.

A priest is first and foremost someone who loves Jesus passionately and who, because of this love, has decided to give Him his whole life. A priest is therefore someone who has decided to follow Jesus, to resemble Him, to speak and act like Him, in His Name. A priest is someone who wishes to spend his life in intimacy with Jesus, in His company. He is also someone who tries to imitate Jesus perfectly, in every facet of his being, inner and outer. A priest is another Jesus Christ, that is, someone who speaks and acts in His name!

A priest’s mission consists in representing the life of Jesus, by living to gather the people of God, teach them the Word and give them the sacraments. Following Christ’s example, the priest walks with his people and accompanies them throughout their earthly life, ceaselessly turning and directing them toward the Triune God, the Love-that-saves.

The modern world thirsts for God and for love. More than anything, our world desires an intimate encounter with the One whom the Apostle John said IS LOVE. More than ever, our world needs love, needs Jesus, who came to earth to reveal to us the mystery of God, source of love, goodness and mercy.

Following Jesus, the priest is therefore one sent by God: he brings God to the world and invites it to respond to His love. The priest radiates God’s love through his words, his actions and his prayers. When he officiates in a church, he makes Christ present through the proclamation of the Word and the miracle of the Eucharist (the real presence of Jesus who offers Himself to God and to His own in the host and the wine). The priest gathers the people of God and makes joy grow among them. He guides, supports and counsels; with the Holy Spirit, he builds, together with all the baptized, the Church of God in his community.

Today’s world needs God, and Montreal in particular, a large multicultural city where the faithful of many religions live alongside a growing crowd of non-believers and agnostics (people who “don’t know” whether they believe or not). Montreal is a land of mission that needs vital energy, and new priests passionate about Jesus who will know how to pass on divine love to men and women searching for meaning. That meaning is found in Jesus and His Gospel!

As we know, the priest IS another Jesus Christ.

Now, what does he DO?

Depending on the days and places of his ministry (his occupation, his mission), he may play several roles: proclaiming the Word, preaching (teaching the Gospel) and catechesis (formation); welcoming, listening, dialogue and accompaniment of people on their journey; Christian witness before non-Christians, agnostics or atheists (those who do not believe in God).

On a more strictly religious level, the priest celebrates the sacraments of the Church, which are concrete and effective signs of God’s Love for every human being throughout their life: Baptism, Reconciliation, the Eucharist, Marriage and the Anointing of the Sick. Every day, at a private or public Mass, priests celebrate the Eucharist, which makes present and fruitful the mystery of Jesus’ offering to His Father in the Holy Spirit during His Passion, through which the whole human race was saved; they then act in the name of Christ (in persona Christi), who gathers the community in the unity of His Name. They guide and teach the people of God, so that it may become, in the midst of the world, the visible sign of God’s tenderness.

Through his whole life, through his love of Jesus, the priest transforms people’s lives by giving them a taste for the true God, a love of spiritual things and of the inner life, but also of a life of charity turned toward others. In this way the priest responds to the search for hope and to the need for consolation of lonely souls, who are legion in today’s society. In short, by offering everyone the One who is their treasure, Jesus, priests do immense good within society.

A priest, wherever he lives and whatever he does, remains a priest. That said, there are two categories of priests, distinguished mainly by their way of life: diocesan (or secular) priests, and priests living within one of the very many communities of religious priests.

Diocesan priests work for a diocese (a defined territory with a certain number of parishes and/or churches); since the bishop of their diocese is their hierarchical superior, he decides where they are assigned (called an appointment). For example, the priests of the Diocese of Montreal answer to the Archbishop of Montreal, who assigns them a mission (appointment) in the greater Montreal area (including Laval, Repentigny and L’Assomption). Diocesan priests receive a modest salary, which they manage entirely on their own.

Community priests have chosen, most often at the time of their call to the priesthood, to join a spiritual family (or community) with a particular charism (a personality, a mission) that distinguishes it from other spiritual families. These spiritual families nevertheless have in common that they were founded by an extraordinary Christian, often declared a saint by the Church, who sought to respond to the pressing needs of their time (education, health, social services, etc.), or, in the case of monastic religious families, to satisfy a radical need to lead a life withdrawn from the bustle of the world, entirely devoted to individual and communal prayer. Priests of religious communities report to the superior of their community. They may be called to live their vocation-mission wherever their community is established in the world. If they receive a salary, they give it all back to their community, which provides for their basic needs and other necessities.

What? Priests can work somewhere other than in a church? Of course. Diocesan or community priests, although their main mission is always spiritual in nature, can exercise their ministry (work) in many settings: in prisons, in hospitals, in residences for seniors, in the street (organizations for the homeless), in schools (teaching or youth ministry), in organizations (Church-run or not) serving families, etc. In addition, over the course of their priestly life, many priests take training of varying length that allows them to update their knowledge or specialize in a particular field.

As we can see, this is a vocation-mission whose possible contours are extremely varied, but whose heart always remains the same: to love God and make Him loved, to live by His Love and spread it in every heart. In short, it is about uniting the heart of God with the hearts of His creatures.

The life of a priest is often exhilarating, a source of great spiritual joy, but it is also a great challenge, particularly on the emotional and relational levels (think of celibacy, for example). Those who form candidates for the priesthood, well aware of these crucial issues, do everything possible to ensure the sound emotional development of future priests. Ordained priests, for their part, can find among their friends and fellow priests, or with their bishop, an attentive ear for their fundamental human needs, first among them the need for a life that is as balanced as possible. Let us recall the obvious: like any person, a happy and joyful priest will bring happiness and joy to others.

Resources and links

Videos (in French)

Deacon

Are you a layman, married or not, with a deep love for the Catholic Church? Do you feel a deep desire to commit yourself to serving her, particularly in her liturgical and sacramental life, but do not feel called to become a priest? Have you ever thought of becoming a permanent deacon?

The Greek root of the word deacon means “one who serves.” In the New Testament, the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 6:1-6) tells us that in the early years of the Church, wise men were chosen by the first apostle-missionaries to carry out various material tasks so that the apostles could devote themselves entirely to their mission of evangelization. The apostles laid hands on the first deacons, consecrating them in their new ministry (function) of service in the Church. Then, over the centuries, the role of permanent deacons evolved: tasks of a liturgical and sacramental nature were added to the first material tasks.

In today’s Church, the permanent deacon plays a role of leader and unifier. He may be married and a father, while keeping all or part of his work in society.

Following Christ’s example, the permanent deacon’s service in the Church unfolds in three distinct ways:

  • service of the Word: proclaiming the Gospel and preaching on it at Mass;
  • service of the liturgy: assisting the priest, celebrating certain sacraments;
  • service of charity: many good works serving the Christian community and society.

Because of the nature of his vocation of service to the Church, the permanent deacon is chosen and ordained by the bishop of his diocese. Following his ordination, the deacon receives an appointment (assignment) authorizing him to serve in a particular Christian community.

In short, the permanent deacon helps the faithful of his community live their Christian life as fully as possible!

To become a permanent deacon, one must be a man married for more than 10 years, or a single man between 35 and 55 years of age who is not called to the vocation of marriage. A single man who becomes a permanent deacon may also, after discernment, decide to move toward the priesthood.

Once his application has been received by those responsible at the diocese, the candidate for the permanent diaconate will be invited – alone (if single) or as a couple (if married) – to take part in discernment meetings (diaconal meetings). If, after these, the candidate still feels called to this vocation-mission, he will begin a probationary year, followed by five years of formation (see below).

The candidate admitted to the diaconate must complete academic and psycho-social (personal) formation, in which he will take theology courses, prepare a commitment project and take part in diaconal meetings. These will allow him to meet the requirements for diaconal ordination while preparing him for the responsibilities of his future ministry.

Diaconal meetings are times of prayer, discernment, reflection, sharing of experiences, spiritual renewal and formation.

At specific stages of his formation, the candidate must formally present the following requests to his bishop:

  • The Rite of Admission
  • The ministry of the Word (lectorate)
  • The ministry of prayer and service at the altar (acolytate)
  • Ordination

Please contact Deacon Réjean Leblanc by email (devenirdiacrepermanent@diocesemontreal.org) or by phone: 514 925-4300, ext. 278.

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