The Sacrament of Holy Orders places an indelible mark on the one who is ordained.  The three degrees of Holy Orders -- bishop, priest, and deacon -- are integral to the mission of the Church.  

Although each title refers to a particular "office" -- an office that one can be deprived of by order of the Bishop or (if necessary) the Pope -- the one who is ordained never loses that mark.  A man who chooses to "leave" the priesthood is still a priest.   A bishop who is retired is still a bishop.  A bishop is at the same time a deacon and a priest.  A priest is at the same time a deacon.  The marks at each degree of ordination are not lost.   

God our Father, You made each of us to use our gifts in the Body of Christ. We ask that You inspire young people whom You call to priesthood and consecrated life to courageously follow Your will. Send workers into Your great harvest so that the Gospel is preached, the poor are served with love, the suffering are comforted, and Your people are strengthened by the sacraments. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.  

“Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.”
Luke 5:10

1120 The ordained ministry or ministerial priesthood is at the service of the baptismal priesthood. The ordained priesthood guarantees that it really is Christ who acts in the sacraments through the Holy Spirit for the Church. The saving mission entrusted by the Father to his incarnate Son was committed to the apostles and through them to their successors: they receive the Spirit of Jesus to act in his name and in his person. The ordained minister is the sacramental bond that ties the liturgical action to what the apostles said and did and, through them, to the words and actions of Christ, the source and foundation of the sacraments.

1552 The ministerial priesthood has the task not only of representing Christ - Head of the Church - before the assembly of the faithful, but also of acting in the name of the whole Church when presenting to God the prayer of the Church, and above all when offering the Eucharistic sacrifice.

1592 The ministerial priesthood differs in essence from the common priesthood of the faithful because it confers a sacred power for the service of the faithful. The ordained ministers exercise their service for the People of God by teaching (munus docendi), divine worship (munus liturgicum) and pastoral governance (munus regendi).

1544 Everything that the priesthood of the Old Covenant prefigured finds its fulfillment in Christ Jesus, the "one mediator between God and men." The Christian tradition considers Melchizedek, "priest of God Most High," as a prefiguration of the priesthood of Christ, the unique "high priest after the order of Melchizedek"

• The priest, in the person of Christ, is a celibate man.  
• The priest, in the person of Christ, is married to his bride, the Church.
• The priest, in the person of Christ, is a shepherd, a physician, and a caretaker of souls.
• The priest, in the person of Christ, intercedes before God.
• The priest, in the person of Christ, forgives sins.
• The priest, in the person of Christ, offers himself as a sacrifice for his flock.
• The priest, in the person of Christ, re-presents the Sacrifice of Calvary at every Mass.

Please visit the Diocese of Joliet vocations website for additional information on how to begin the discernment process.  

Diocesan Vocations Office

Office of Vocations
Diocese of Joliet-in-Illinois
Blanchette Catholic Center
16555 Weber Road
Crest Hill, IL 60403
[email protected]

Reverend Steven Borello
Director of Vocations
(815) 221-6100
[email protected]

Tamara "Tami" Brongiel
Program Coordinator/ Administrative Assistant
(815) 221-6171
[email protected]