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Holy Orders:
“It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain.” John 15:6
Those who receive the sacrament of Holy Orders — as a deacon, priest or bishop — are consecrated in Christ’s name “to feed the Church by the word and grace of God.”
Through ordination, priests become representatives of Christ to the Church—as witnesses of holiness and love, preachers of the Gospel, shepherds of the faithful, conveners of divine worship, and builders of the Church. Through their ministry, priests are called, in imitation of Christ, to “preach good news
Bishops and priests preside over the Eucharist, offering the sacrifice in the name of the whole Church, the Body of Christ. Deacons are ordained to imitate Christ in his ministry of service and charity to the poor and needy in the community.
If you are discerning a vocation to the priesthood or as a vowed religious, please contact the Diocese of Memphis Vocations Office at 901-373-1200.