Ordained ministry in the Church is one with the ministry of Jesus Christ, who is both servant and shepherd. Our Lord says of himself, “the Son of Man… has come, not to be served by others, but to serve, to give his own life as a ransom for the many” (Matthew 20:28). He also says, “"I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. I am the Good Shepherd" (John 10:10-11).
In an important sense, those who are called to Holy Orders are called first to the diaconate. In the universal practice of the Church, only deacons are ordained to the holy order of presbyter. This signifies that only those with a spirit of service are called to any holy order. As one given to the service of others, the deacon deeply experiences God's love and life.
By the power of the Holy Spirit, the shepherding of Jesus Christ continues today in the presbyterate. While all baptized persons participate in the one priesthood of our Lord Jesus Christ, some are called from among the community of believers and are ordained by the laying on of hands for service to all the Christian faithful. Sent forth by the heavenly Father, presbyters sustain for creation the hope of the second coming of our Lord and the fullness of the heavenly kingdom.
The action of the Holy Spirit makes the ordained priest one who leads the faithful on their journey to God's kingdom, serving as a vessel of grace despite his own human frailty and imperfections. Likewise, when a man is ordained a priest, he does not give up the use of his skills and talents, but rather crystallizes them and raises them up to a heavenly purpose. A man who seeks to find if God is calling him to Holy Orders must realize that ministerial service is a vibrant and life-giving call if it truly comes from God. It is not something negative calling him out of the world and into hiding. Likewise, it is not a calling to exaltation on a pedestal. Thus, a primary discernment question is whether or not one desires to serve Christ and the Church by selflessly ministering to other people with a generous and humble heart.
Catholic pastoral ministry in America varies among communities. Holy Orders in the Byzantine Catholic Church may seem even more elusive for various reasons. The relatively small size of most Eastern Catholic parishes in the U.S. makes their identity harder to comprehend when compared to their larger Roman Catholic neighbors with whom they share communion and their Eastern Orthodox counterparts with whom they share spiritual patrimony. Liturgical services steeped in mystical ritual and chant are joys to Byzantine clergy. Spiritual fathers of small parish families delight in knowing every parishioner by name and in having a greater awareness of their spiritual needs and gifts. The large territorial size of Byzantine eparchies often results in great distances between parishes of the same particular Church, presenting a Church which remains missionary.
Deacons belong to a holy order in the Church. They are ordained by God and are necessary for the life of the Church. This major order is not simply a “stepping stone” to the priesthood. The Church needs and values the men who serve in this holy order for the rest of their lives. Deacons form a visible sign of the working of the Holy Spirit through their life of service in the Church. The diaconate is largely a parish-based ministry, but there is always the challenge to broaden its service. Deacons allow for the liturgical services to be conducted in their fullest form. They provide additional ministry such as visiting the sick, elderly, and bereaved, maintaining the parish’s finances and property, and assisting in faith formation and sacramental preparation. The diaconate is an ecclesial ministry of service that can deepen a man’s own spiritual life and give him a more powerful sense of purpose and place in life.
Configured to Christ, the head of the Church, and united as coworkers of their bishops, presbyters are commissioned in a unique way to continue Christ's mission as prophet, priest, and king. Filled with the gift of the Holy Spirit, priests are ordained to teach and preach the Word, to offer spiritual sacrifices for the renewal and evangelization of God's people, and to build up the Church in the name and person of Christ. They exercise the office of sanctifier in the celebration of the holy Eucharist and all the Holy Mysteries of the Church. Priests are present to the faithful at significant life events such as birth, marriage, repentance, and sickness, as well as death. After the example of the Divine Master, their care must be performed with selfless love and a missionary zeal toward all those who search for the truth.
When chosen freely and accepted as a gift from God for the sanctification of self and others, celibacy lends to stability in a turbulent world and gives witness to the heavenly kingdom. When lived in imitation of Jesus Christ, a well-ordered and committed celibate life provides a strong foundation for ordained ministry.
It is clear in Church Tradition that, continuously from the time of the apostles until today, married men also receive the laying on of hands for service to the Christian people, though it later came to be in Christian practice that only those priests who were not married would be considered for ordination to the episcopacy.
Whether a man is celibate or married, if he exhibits stability and sanctity in his personal life and fulfills all other requirements, he may be ordained to major orders in accord with the policies of the Metropolitan Council of Hierarchs and the blessing of his own bishop.
While married men may receive holy ordination, men may not get married after ordination into a major order (i.e. diaconate, presbyterate, episcopacy). The importance of stability, which is necessary for one who serves the Church, and the tradition and law of the Church preclude the marriage of a man who has been ordained to major orders. Each member of the ordained clergy, whether he is celibate or married, is to heed the instruction of St. Paul to “remain in the state in which he was called” (1 Cor 7).
As our Lord called his chosen twelve from among his disciples and as the twelve later called seven to the laying on of hands in order that they provide needed services to the Church, so also now are men called from among those who follow in Christ’s path. These men must strive for constant growth in the spiritual life through self-discipline and cooperation with grace. Key to such discipleship is love. After Jesus washed his apostles' feet he said, "by this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:35). Discipleship is always the basic condition for a call to service. A man attempting ordained ministry without a commitment to basic Christian discipleship is misguided.
While the encouragement and support of a man's family (especially his wife, if he is married) is of particular importance in his response to God's call, involvement in the parochial family is of great importance as well. Regular parish involvement is a key factor for it is in this environment that a man can better know if this is where God is calling him to serve. It is good for him to be involved in the routine aspects of church life such as teaching, liturgical praying, reading, chanting, and serving. This will allow his pastor and his fellow parishioners to know him and observe his ability in these areas, which frequently serve as basic indicators of a man's suitability for Byzantine ministerial life.
Canonical membership in a particular Church sui iuris is an indicator of a man's commitment to that autonomous Church. Canonical membership in a particular Church is necessary before ordination can be received in that Church. Consequently, membership in the Ruthenian Byzantine Catholic Metropolitan Church of Pittsburgh is necessary for a man before he applies to the Bishop of Parma for acceptance into any program of formation for Holy Orders. If a man is seriously planning to apply for a formation program in a particular Church in which he is not canonically enrolled, it is important that he immediately begin working with his pastor and the Eparchy to evaluate whether it is the proper time to petition for such a transfer and only then to complete the necessary documentation. Notably, no one should ever petition for canonical transfer of ascription to a particular Church solely for the purpose of pursuing ordination, but only if they have made an unconditional decision to live as a member of that particular Church and according to its tradition.
A vocation to ordained service in the Church is a gift from God. Following are several of the God-inspired signs of a ministerial vocation:
Evidence of above-average Christian discipleship must be found in a candidate for Holy Orders. The following are prerequisites for a man who wishes to apply for formation:
Preparation for the diaconate typically consists of a four-year formation program. The academic program includes two weeks of intensive classes at the Byzantine Catholic Seminary in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the month of June for each of the four years. These classes are followed, each year, by a program of distance learning through guided reading and the writing of papers. Mentors are assigned to assist students during this formation program. They give guidance through the academic aspects of the program as well as in liturgical, canonical, and other practical matters.
In addition, students must continue in regular spiritual direction with an experienced guide. This will allow them to more carefully discern their call to ordained ministry as well as to grow in their personal relationship with Christ. Growth in self-knowledge is greatly assisted by the help of a wise spiritual guide.
Formation programs and, in particular, seminary life are essential in the process of discerning a priestly vocation. While commitment is an important part of any decision to apply for seminary, in no way should a man feel "locked-in" or as if entering the seminary means he is passing a "point of no return."
Even if a man has a bachelor’s degree (or even a higher degree) and has fulfilled the other prerequisites for seminary entrance, an initial period of Aspirancy (involving human, spiritual, intellectual, and pastoral formation) is to be expected.
The Configuration stage of priestly formation continues human, spiritual, intellectual, and pastoral formation. As clergy are called to both receive and administer God's Word and sanctification, the Eucharist and Confession together with prayerful reflection on the Gospel are at the center of a good candidate's spiritual life. These are developed in the environment of regular participation in the Church's liturgy and in spiritual direction.
Academic studies are crucial in preparation for ministry. As seminarians study God's truth, they must grow into more committed disciples by virtue of what they learn thus enabling them to proclaim, "plant," expound, and guard the faith persuasively for others’ welfare.
A primary goal of seminary formation is to prepare future priests with a comprehensive pastoral outlook, thereby readying them to assume the leadership duties required by their commitment. A variety of pastoral experiences in seminary and during parochial internships lends to the fulfillment of this goal.
Directed experiences assist individuals in gaining a better understanding of themselves, and in developing a mature awareness of their affective and sexual selves. A person’s particular compulsions need to be addressed in formation, be they anger, arrogance, gluttony, a sense of superiority or entitlement, laziness, selfishness, or other manifestations of human brokenness.
Discernment takes place at every step of either formation program. Initial discernment occurs through the screening of applicants. This always includes the necessity of having the recommendation and full support of one’s pastor and the completion of a psychological exam. If one is married, he must also have the full support of his wife and family. Admission to a program of formation does not imply eventual ordination. Ongoing discernment takes place with the rector of the seminary or the director of the formation program and his staff. Each year, the rector or the director of the program will observe and make written evaluations. The bishop’s decision to ordain is also based on the recommendation of the pastor. It is understood, always, that a man should not present himself for ordination without the blessing of his spiritual director.
Responsibility with money and material possessions is an important quality of an ordained minister and is likewise expected of one who is pursuing sacred ordination. However, as Jesus told his apostles to "take nothing for your journey" (Luke 9:3), it is certain that possessing material riches is not a prerequisite for acceptance as a student for Holy Orders. Mindful of the small, missionary nature of our Byzantine Catholic Church, each eparchy of our Metropolitan Church has established norms regarding the payment of tuition and room and board. In each eparchy, the seminarian is responsible, to some degree, for paying for his education. In the Eparchy of Parma, seminarians are to bear the cost of their undergraduate education and all expenses during their Aspirancy. The Eparchy then pays one-half of the cost of formation of seminarians in the years of their Configuration. A greater portion may be paid by the Eparchy should the need be demonstrated. The educational expenses during the final year of theology are funded entirely by the eparchy. Some parishes are able to provide assistance to a candidate who belongs to that parish but such help is not to be assumed or expected.
Typically, in America, the service of deacons in our Church is given as stewardship of time and talent and there is no salary.
If you perceive a call to ordained ministry in the Byzantine Catholic Church or if you simply have further questions regarding the ordained life, prerequisites, formation, or finances, feel free to contact the Eparchial Vocations Director: Rev. John R.P. Russell at [email protected].