Pray For These New Candidates for Holy Orders!
This past Thursday we had a very important and awesome development in the journeys of some of the seminarians here towards the priesthood. A good number of guys were admitted to Candidacy! Though he is still not a cleric, these man take on a canonical status, as Candidacy is mentioned in the Code of Canon Law. This step towards the priesthood is signified by the right to wear clerics outside of the liturgy. Candidacy is when a man becomes officially a “candidate” to be ordained in the future (ordained deacon and then ordained priest, if he is not a permanent deacon), and it is a necessary step for any man seeking ordination.
Some of my earlier followers may remember back in 2020 when I received candidacy and posted about it on my website and social media extensions. I wrote about the significance of Candidacy in my words and perspective, but it very much still represents the same perspective of the guys that were admitted to Candidacy last week:
“For me, the reception of Candidacy will be this moment of switching from mainly discerning to preparation. By becoming a Candidate for Holy Orders, I have shown all or most of the signs of a priestly vocation to the Church. In short order, I seem to fit the bill, but there must be a little more time before ordination. I have expressed desires in many ways to be a priest, if God is calling me, and my actions have been consistent with those desires. Once I receive candidacy I can have a moral certainty that God is calling me to be a priest unless He says stop at a certain point in the future. It will be this point I will say I am willing to be ordained in due time, and I am ready to give me life away for the Church and the salvation of souls in this particular way, unless God pulls me out in a way that is sure as the fact that He has brought me to at least this point in the journey. At this point I promise God and the Church to keep faithful to my duties and priestly preparation up to the point I am ordained.
In terms of changes that occurs to a man who becomes a Candidate, he is now allowed to wear clerics. However, there is no change in his status; he is still a layman, and there is no title change. He is still just “Mr.” So-and-So just like any other Joe Schmoe.”
Here are some pictures from last Thursday during Candidacy Night.
If you would like to know more about Candidacy and where it fits with the journey of a man to the priesthood along with my own reflections upon how it felt when I took this step, check out the links below of the 3-part short article-series with a introductory piece that I did which covered my journey and reception of Candidacy. But, most importantly, pray for these men and all men discerning the call!
Big Announcement: I Am Becoming A Candidate for Holy Orders This Week! Things Are About to Get Real.