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Sunday, August 31, 2025

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Faith Fundamentals

Faith Fundamentals

The ministries of priests

A series on holy orders continues with this column on the ministries of priests.
Faith Fundamentals

The priesthood: Ordination and requirements

The priesthood is one of three degrees of holy orders, along with the Order of Deacons and the Order of Bishops. The priest participates in the ministerial priesthood and is a co-worker with the bishop. The bishop possesses the fullness of the ministerial priesthood.
Faith Fundamentals

Symbols of the ordained priesthood

This column is part of a series on holy orders and the first on the priesthood. It follows eight columns by Father Van Sloun on the ordination and ministry of deacons in the Church.
Faith Fundamentals

The formation program to be a deacon

In the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, once a man is admitted to the diaconate formation program, it is a long and spiritually rich five-year journey to ordination.
Faith Fundamentals

The vestments and symbols of deacons

Deacons wear two special vestments unique to the order of deacons: The deacon stole and the dalmatic. They are worn when the deacon serves in a liturgical role such as at Mass or for the celebration of the sacraments of baptism or matrimony.
Faith Fundamentals

How to apply to be a deacon

If a man, after prayer and reflection, thinks that God may be calling him to be a deacon, it is time to begin the application process. It is normal to waver. Is God calling me or not? Should I apply now or wait? It is better to apply sooner rather than later because the application process itself is an exercise in discernment.
Faith Fundamentals

The call to be a deacon

The call to be a deacon comes from God. There is no one way that the call comes to a particular person, so it is important to be on the lookout for signs and then subject the signs to discernment.
Faith Fundamentals

The ministries of deacons

Deacons share in the one apostolic ministry of the bishop who has the fullness of holy orders. Deacons assist the bishop and his priests as they exercise ministries that derive from the bishop’s roles as priest, prophet and king, and his apostolic duties to sanctify, teach and govern.
Faith Fundamentals

The order of deacon

Deacons are members of the clergy along with priests and bishops. A deacon shares in the one apostolic ministry of the bishop, who has the fullness of holy orders. The deacon participates in that ministry through his assistance of the bishop, and by extension, his priests.
Faith Fundamentals

Time for a switch – Holy orders

Holy orders is one of the seven sacraments.
Faith Fundamentals

Wife and husband: a union of equals

Over the years, as I have assisted couples preparing for their wedding liturgy, I have observed that the most chosen wedding Gospels by engaged couples are two parallel texts in Matthew 19:3-6 and Mark 10:6-9, and for good reason.
Faith Fundamentals

Marriage enrichment

The grace that God bestows on a bride and groom on the day of their marriage is not a one-day gigantic salvo of sacramental grace given once and only on their wedding day. Rather, it is a grace that God renews and resupplies each day for the rest of their married lives. The secret to success is to cooperate with God’s grace. And the way to cooperate is for a couple to take steps to strengthen their love and commitment to each other.
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