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. One common ministry for all three is the preaching of God’s Word — which is a most necessary and needed ministry to help God’s people become holy and to know God’s Truth.