Ordination versus Becoming a Priest: What's the Difference?
By Deacon Keith Kitzhaber

"What is the difference between ordination and becoming a priest?" Excellent question. Holy Orders has three levels: Bishop, Priest, and Deacon. It is most common to call a bishop’s ordination "consecration." The Deacon is truly ordained, in a manner very similar to a Priest. A Transitional Deacon makes promises to the Bishop, some of the same promises as the priest. These promises include a commitment to pray the Divine Office (Liturgy of the Hours) daily, a commitment to chaste celibacy, a vow of obedience to the Bishop, and a vow of simplicity of life. A Deacon is charged with the task of assisting the Bishop (or the local pastor) with the needs of the parish, including witnessing Baptisms, Weddings, and Funerals. It's easy to remember it this way: The Deacon is an ordinary minister when you need to: "Hatch, Match, or Dispatch." A man can be ordained a Deacon and retain his wife, but he cannot become married after being ordained. In the ancient church, it was expected that a man would no longer have marital relations with his wife if he assumed a clerical role (whether that be Deacon, Priest or Bishop). This is why it is necessary (even today) for a wife to give permission for a man to be ordained as a Deacon. Today, the Church does not ask a permanent Deacon to forgo his right to marital relations with his wife. Some theologians explain that this is permitted because he does not offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, which is exclusive to the priesthood.

A Deacon is being ordained for service, not to offer sacrifice. A Deacon can bless objects, but not people. Yet, there is an exception. In the absence of a Priest, a Deacon can offer an ecclesial blessing to people within the context of a liturgy. But, since a Deacon cannot offer Mass, he can only offer a blessing at a Communion Service, or the celebration of the Liturgy of the Hours, commonly known as Morning Prayer (Lauds) or Evening Prayer (Vespers).