By Brea Cannon
Connecting Liturgy and Life
Editor’s note: For 2026, the weekly “Connecting Faith and Life” column has been renamed “Connecting Liturgy and Life.” The column consists of reflections on Part Two of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC), which focuses on the Liturgy and the Sacraments.
cf. CCC 1533-1545
“My sons, you are now to be advanced to the order of the presbyterate. You must apply your energies to the duty of teaching in the name of Christ, the chief Teacher. Share with all mankind the word of God you have received with joy. Meditate on the law of God, believe what you read, teach what you believe, and put into practice what you teach.” Bishops to candidates for priesthood at every ordination Mass.
In our journey through the Catechism of the Catholic Church, we have arrived at the sacraments of service — Holy Orders and Matrimony. The Catechism states, “Holy Orders and Matrimony are directed towards the salvation of others; if they contribute as well to personal salvation, it is through service to others that they do so. They confer a particular mission in the Church and serve to build up the People of God” (CCC 1534). Each vocation is necessary to make up the body of Christ here on earth — each has a unique and important role.
“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: thus it is the sacrament of apostolic ministry. It includes three degrees: episcopate, presbyterate, and diaconate” (CCC 1536). The episcopate (bishop), presbyterate (priests), and diaconate (deacons) all make up the three degrees of Holy Orders. Each of these degrees of holy orders is a gift and an extension of Christ to the Church. We here in Southern Indiana have a treasure trove right here in our backyards. With the gift of vocations — priesthood, diaconate, sacramental marriages and sacred single life — in our diocese, we see the fruits all around us.
In the Catholic Diocese of Evansville, we are blessed abundantly; the 12 county diocese has 45 parishes, 80 diocesan priests, 23 men in seminary, 64 deacons, four high schools, 22 elementary schools, and thousands of faithful lay men and women. The vocations to the priesthood and the diaconate are on the rise in our diocese. According to data from 2024, the Diocese of Evansville ranked in the top 10 percent of dioceses nationwide for seminarians per Catholics. The diocese currently has 23 men in seminary. Additionally, in August, 16 men were ordained to the permanent diaconate, and this fall, 17 men are anticipated to begin the four-year permanent diaconate program.
Right now, our world is a little disordered and chaotic. It does not take much to look out and see that God’s plan for this world is being hijacked by individuals and cultural norms. Though chaos is prevalent, peace and order are right before us in every tabernacle in the world. Every day, our priests serve the one true priest, Jesus Christ, to bring us the bread of life that nourishes and feeds our souls. In our diocese, we are blessed with amazing men serving their vocations of Holy Orders: bishop, priests and deacons. The service and love these men give provide our diocese with a foundation of faith and a desire to reach the heights of holiness. In the chaos of today, we know that every day our bishop and priests are offering Mass for the salvation of souls, and our deacons are serving in our parishes to help along the journey.
As the laity, we must understand the gift we have in our ordained brothers. They lead and guide us selflessly for the salvation of our souls. It is most important to keep these men in our daily prayers. Our prayers, support and understanding for our bishop, priests and deacons are essential in the continued growth and holiness of our local diocese and the Universal Church. Take some time this week to contemplate the roles our bishop, priests and deacons have in the life of the Church, specifically in our Evansville Diocese, and be sure to pray for and support the men called by God to the sacrament of holy orders.