Ultimately, there is only one kind of priesthood, that is the priesthood of Jesus Christ. But it can be expressed in two different ways: Diocesan and religious.

Those who are ordained for a diocese (a particular place and people) are known as Diocesan priests. They commit their lives to the bishop of the diocese and his successors and to the people of that diocese. This means we live and work in the diocese for most of our lives. Diocesan priests make promises of obedience, celibacy, and prayer. This means that we promise to work with the Bishop and do what he asks us to do. Celibacy is the promise we take that means that we will not get married, so we can spend most of our time serving the people of our parish. As for prayer, we promise to pray for our people, most especially the Liturgy of the Hours.

Religious priests are ordained as members of religious orders. Some examples of religious orders are the Jesuits, Franciscans, and Dominicans. (For more information on these, contact us or check them in a search engine.) This means that they are members of a worldwide order or group of men who make vows to live their lives in the same manner. The vows that religious priests make are celibacy, obedience, and poverty. The vow of poverty means that the priest will not own anything of his own. All his property will be shared by the brothers in his order. Some may take an additional vow of stability, meaning that they will stay in the monastery where they have entered.

Being part of a diocese or an order is like being part of a family. The men are like brothers to each other and usually turn out to be some of your best friends.

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