Holy Orders is the Sacrament by which a Priest or Deacon makes a lifetime commitment to serve God by serving his people, the Church. Since the people of God become his “spouse”, the priest takes a vow of celibacy. Deacons anticipating ordination as priests also take the vow of celibacy while the Permanent Deacon may be a married man at the time of ordination. Most priests and deacons live out their ministry in a parish. The Bishop generally confers this Sacrament on candidates once a year at the Cathedral in Manchester. Anyone who would like to explore a vocation to ordained ministry in the Catholic Church should contact his pastor or associate pastor who, in turn, will put him in touch with the Diocesan Vocation Director.