The sacrament of holy orders in the Catholic Church includes three orders: bishop, priest, and deacon.

Through the sacrament of holy orders, or ordination , a man vows to lead other Catholics by bringing them the sacraments, especially the Eucharist . He promises to do this by proclaiming the Gospel and by providing to Catholics other means to achieve holiness.

Catholic men who “take Holy Orders” receive a special sacrament called Holy Orders, which creates the hierarchy of deacon, priest, and bishop. A baptized man must first be ordained a deacon before being ordained a priest and ordained a priest before being ordained a bishop.

: the body of revealed truth in the Scriptures and tradition proposed by the Roman Catholic Church for the belief of the faithful.

Validly ordained bishops can confer the three degrees of the sacrament of Holy Orders. The effects of the sacrament of Holy Orders are a special outpouring of the Holy Spirit which configures the recipient to Christ in his triple office as Priest, Prophet, and King, according to the respective degrees of the sacrament.

priestess

In some Christian churches, such as the western and some eastern sections of the Catholic Church, priests and bishops must as a rule be unmarried men. In most Orthodox traditions and in some Eastern Catholic Churches men who are already married may be ordained priests, but priests may not marry after ordination.

When you’re addressing him directly, refer to him as “Father” and then say his last name. You could also simply call him, “Father.” You don’t have to do anything. Address a retired priest the same as you would a serving priest, he is still ordained.