Vocation to the Priesthood

Priests are called to gather and nurture communities of Christians, often working in churches and in the wider communities. Their role is to preach, to teach, to provide pastoral care, and to administer the sacraments. Administer the sacraments means they lead services of Holy Communion, they baptise people, and they perform marriages. They also take funerals. They have the role of leading congregations, and encouraging them to reach out into the wider communities. They may work in schools or hospitals, they may be members of community organisations.

They are normally ordained as a Deacon first, and then as a priest after a year. Priests may be paid a stipend (technically ‘living expenses’) for their work, or they may be be self-supporting.