Helpful Links
How to become a permanent deacon in the Catholic Church (aleteia.org)
Frequently Asked Questions About Deacons | USCCB
FAQs- Priesthood, Ordination, Seminary | USCCB
Catholic Priests - Hierarchy, Roles, and Requirements - Scripture Catholic
Holy Orders | Sacraments | Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. John's (rcsj.org)
Diocesan, Religious, Eastern, oh my! The different types of priests serving (denvercatholic.org)
Ordained Life
If you are wishing to speak to someone in the Cedar Rapids area about vocations please reach out to:
Fr. Loecke
Dcn. Rich Wallace
Fr. Jon Seda
Associate Director of Vocations (Cedar Rapids)
515-292-1192
DBQ032@dbqarch.org
or go to the link below, from the Archdiocese of Dubuque:
Questions about becoming a Deacon please reach out to Deacon John Stierman at DBQCPD@dbqarch.org.
Three Degrees of Holy Orders
Holy Orders : The Sacrament or rite of Ordination. The Sacrament of Apostolic Ministry that continues the mission entrusted by Christ to his apostles.
Deacon - Seminarians are ordained as Deacons.
Priest - After a required time and education, a Bishop will ordain a Deacon into a Priest.
Bishop - To become a Bishop is the complete fulfillment of Holy Orders.
Deacons
Transitory Deacons - These are Deacons on the path to becoming a Priest.
Permanent Deacons - Those that get ordained Deacons after the age of 35. While regularly, those who are ordained are called to live a celibate life, many of these “mature deacons” are married. They are allowed to be married, but if their wife dies, they are not allowed to remarry. Most of these Deacons require a second vocation, or job, to support their regular life and family.
Priest
Ordained priests have many duties, including preceding over Sacraments such as providing the Eucharist and completing Baptisms and Funerals.
Religious Priest - Religious Priests are attached to religious order. The rules and lifestyle they follow depends on their particular order.
Diocesan Priest - Diocesan Priests are assigned to a Parish or community by their Diocese. They serve as a Pastors, visiting the ill, presiding over parish functions and caring for their communities.
Six Steps in Vocation Discernment
Know You Were Created with Purpose-Reflect inward and really think about your true feelings about God, his church and his people, then think about what you can provide to help in God's divine mercy.
Accept His Love-When you are looking for discernment secure yourself in God's love and his acceptance, live to serve God and his people.
Listen- Listen to the world around you to hear the sounds of God's words reaching out to you, guiding you to your proper path in life.
Cooperate- When cooperating you are listening and being acceptive of God's love, when you stop to take the path of cooperation you make God's world more Holy and peaceful.
Be Holy-Look to the Bible to verse Hebrews 12:14 where it reads: "Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification (holiness) without which no one will see the Lord" as this is how to become most Holy in the eyes of the Church and our Lord.
Distinguish Between Voices- This step could be one of the hardest of all to accomplish as the entities in our lives are all trying to vie for your help in good and bad ways, this is where the previous 5 steps come in handy as you look for the Lord's gifts he has bestowed upon you and how he wishes you to use them.
If you are wishing to speak to someone in the Cedar Rapids area about vocations please reach out to:
Fr. Loecke
Dcn. Rich Wallace
or
Fr. Jon Seda
Associate Director of Vocations (Cedar Rapids)
515-292-1192
DBQ032@dbqarch.org
or go to the link below, from the Archdiocese of Dubuque:
Questions about becoming a Deacon please reach out to Deacon John Stierman at DBQCPD@dbqarch.org.