Catholic priest ordination ceremony

A sacramental rite of the church by which God gives authority and the grace of the Holy Spirit through prayer and the laying on of hands by bishops to those being made bishops, priests, and deacons BCP, pp. Bishops carry on the apostolic work of leading, supervising, and uniting the church. The BCP provides rites for the ordination of bishops p.

The earliest known text of ordination rites is in the Apostolic Tradition of Hippolytus c. The BCP did not include ordination rites. Rites for ordination were included in many subsequent revisions of the Prayer Book.

Ordination ceremony program

The Preface to the Ordination Rites of the Prayer Book notes that the church intends to maintain and continue the three orders of bishops, priests, and deacons. The ordination services are therefore appointed by the church. No person is to exercise the office of bishop, priest, or deacon unless he or she has been ordained. The manner of ordination in the Episcopal Church has been generally recognized by Christian people as suitable for conferring the sacred orders of bishop, priest, and deacon.

At the ordination of a priest, the bishop is joined by priests in the laying on of hands. Only the bishop lays hands on the head of the ordinand at the ordination of a deacon. The bishop-elect leads the Creed at the ordination of a bishop after the Examination. The Creed precedes the Examination at the ordination of a priest or a deacon.

The newly ordained bishop is the chief celebrant at the eucharist. The newly ordained priest joins in the celebration of the eucharist with the bishop and other presbyters.