Holy Orders
"...and like living stones be yourselves built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 2:5)
"Holy Orders is the sacrament through which the mission entrusted by Christ to his apostles continues to be exercised in the Church until the end of time…It includes three degrees of order: episcopate, presbyterate, and diaconate" (CCC 1536). Deacons, priest and bishops are essential to the Catholic Church because we believe that they continue the work begun by the apostles.
2025 Article on Newly Ordained Archdiocese of Boston priests
For more information on the 6 newly ordained priests in the Archdiocese of Boston, follow this link: May 16, 2025 - Archbishop Henning to Ordain Six Priests - Archdiocese of Boston - Boston, MA
Who Receives Holy Orders?
Frequently Asked Questions about Holy Orders

Information on Vocations
If you have been considering a vocation in the priesthood and would like to learn more, click here to read more about becoming a priest in the Archdiocese of Boston.
Single or married men who feel called to serve the Church in a deeper way might feel called to ordination to the diaconate. For more information on becoming a deacon in the Archdiocese of Boston, click here.
There are countless religious orders for men and women who feel called to serve God as priests, brothers, nuns and sisters. For a partial list, please click here.
Sisters of Charity of Nazareth
St. Anne's School graduates who became priests:
- Albert Cardoni, SJ
- Edward Nedder
- Joseph Meany, MM
- Msgr. Peter Conley
- Robert Drinan, SJ