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Ordination is the sacramental ceremony in which a man becomes a deacon, priest, or bishop and is enabled to minister in Christ's name and that of the Church.

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As always the Liturgy begins with a Procession. All liturgical processions are organized according to the "order" of the ministers. Minor ministers process first, the Deacons present for the celebration, the Deacon carrying the Book of the Gospels, the Ordination Candidate, the concelebrating Priests and finally the Bishop with his assisting deacons.

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The Liturgy of the Word, too, takes place in its usual form. The readings for the Ordination are taken from the special Lectionary Readings for Holy Orders. All of the readings speak of God's election of us as a chosen people and the importance of the ministry to carry on the work of Jesus within the Church, caring for the needs of all.

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A member of the Diocesan Vocation Office calls the Deacon by name, he responds "Present" and then stands before the Bishop. It is important to note that the ordinand (the one to be ordained) is called from the midst of the people. The Church firmly believes that those who are called to ministry answer a call from the Lord and are called from the midst of the community of the faithful. That is the reason why the ordinand sits with his family in the midst of the congregation.

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The Bishop inquires of those charged with the formation of priesthood candidates, if the ordinand has taken all the preparatory steps and has been found worthy and competent to fulfill the office of priest. The Bishop then ELECTS the individual to be ordained and asks for the people to affirm this election by applause. The Bishop in his election of the Candidate is not acting as judge of the individual but is affirming the action of Holy Spirit in the life of the individual. The Bishop will then proceed with a HOMILY which is not only a homily but includes instruction to the ordinand in what the Church will expect of him in accepting the call to Priesthood.

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The Bishop inquires directly of his willingness to be ordained a priest. Answering the last of the Bishop's questions with a firm, "I am with the help of God" the ordained steps forward to promise obedience to the Bishop and his successors. As a presbyter (priest) he will be under the care, guidance and direction of the Diocesan Bishop. This promise of obedience assures that both priest and bishop will work hand in hand to build the kingdom of God. As a symbol of this obedience, the ordinand places his folded hands inside the folded hands of the Bishop.

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The actual rite of Ordination takes place in the two parts that follow. First is the ancient symbol of the Laying on of Hands. The ordinand will go before the Bishop and the Bishop prays in silence as he places his hands on the head of the candidate. Using this same gesture the priests now come forward to impose hands. This is a sign that they, too, share the same gift of ordination through the gift of the Holy Spirit. When the priests have finished, they will raise their hand (as at the consecration of the Mass) in blessing as the Bishop prays the Prayer of Consecration. This prayer is the second part of the actual Ordination. The assembly responds "Amen" to the Bishop's prayer as a sign of our assent, too, of the sacred action that has taken place.

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The newly ordained priest then removes his deacon's stole and is vested with the priest's stole (a sign of his office of the priesthood) and the chasuble (the vestment worn for the celebration of the Mass). He then goes before the Bishop again. First, the palms of his hands are anointed with the Sacred Chrism. The Bishop prays, "The Father anointed our Lord Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. May Jesus preserve you to sanctify the Christian people and to offer sacrifice to God." His hands are anointed so that, like Jesus, he may be a servant to the people of God leading them to the love of the Father through his celebration of the sacraments and his example.

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Representatives of the church bring the gifts of bread and wine forward to the Bishop who then presents them to the new priest. He says, "Accept from the holy people of God the gifts to be offered to him. Know what you are doing, imitate the mystery you celebrate, model your life on the mystery of the Lord's cross." In this presentation the Bishop exhorts the new priest to live the mystery of the Eucharist in his own life, giving his life as Jesus did for the eternal life of the faithful. The Rite of Ordination concludes with the Sign of Peace. Having been given the gifts to exercise his office, the new priest is welcomed into the Order of Priest, first by the Bishop and then his brother priests.

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The Liturgy of the Eucharist is then celebrated by the Bishop with the newly ordained taking a prominent role in this, his first celebration of the Eucharist as a priest.