Vocation & cultural As the candidate Orthodox 5 min read

Orthodox ordination as the candidate

What is asked of a candidate for Orthodox ordination, across the three degrees and the distinctive marriage rules of the Orthodox tradition.

01 The three orders

Orthodox tradition recognizes three degrees of ordained ministry: bishop, priest, and deacon. Each is a separate ordination conferred by a bishop. The candidate is normally ordained to the diaconate first; ordination to the priesthood follows after a period of diaconal ministry.

Bishops, by canonical rule since the sixth century, are single men or widowers. In practice this means bishops are drawn from monastic clergy (monks who have been ordained) or, less commonly, from widowed priests. Priests and deacons may be married, but with the distinctive Orthodox marriage rules described below.

02 The marriage rules

The Orthodox priesthood has a distinctive relationship with marriage. Married men may be ordained to the priesthood (and to the diaconate), but the marriage must be the candidate's first and the wife's first; no previous marriage on either side. Once ordained, a priest may not marry; if a married priest is widowed while in active ministry, he may not remarry while remaining in active priestly ministry.

The practical consequence: a candidate intending to be a married priest must marry before ordination to the diaconate. A candidate who has not married by then either commits to celibate ministry, joins a monastic community, or postpones ordination until the question of marriage is resolved.

The Catholic tradition's normative celibacy of priests is a meaningful difference from Orthodox practice; the Orthodox priest is normally a married parish father, with his family present at the parish life.

03 Seminary formation

Most US Orthodox jurisdictions require seminary education before ordination. The principal US Orthodox seminaries: Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology (Brookline, MA), St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary (Yonkers, NY), and St. Tikhon's Orthodox Theological Seminary (South Canaan, PA). Antiochian and other jurisdictions have their own arrangements.

Length of formation is typically three to four years of graduate seminary education, often preceded by undergraduate studies in theology, philosophy, or related fields. The candidate is normally sent to the seminary appropriate to the jurisdiction; cross-jurisdictional formation is possible but unusual.

04 The rite of ordination

Each degree of ordination is a separate rite, conferred by a bishop at the bishop's cathedral or a specially-designated parish church. The ordination service includes the candidate's presentation, the prayers of ordination, the laying on of hands by the bishop (and, for priestly ordination, by concelebrating priests), and the vesting of the newly ordained in the vestments of the new order.

The rite is celebrated within the Divine Liturgy. The newly ordained immediately serves in the new order (the new deacon serves at the Eucharist as a deacon; the new priest concelebrates and shortly thereafter celebrates his first Divine Liturgy).

05 Common questions

Can Orthodox priests be married?
Yes. Married men may be ordained to the priesthood in Orthodox tradition, but the marriage must be the candidate's first and the wife's first. Once ordained, a priest may not marry; if a married priest is widowed while in active ministry, he may not remarry while remaining in active priestly ministry. Bishops, by canonical rule since the sixth century, are single men or widowers, drawn primarily from monastic clergy.
Who can be ordained?
Male only (consistent across Orthodox jurisdictions). The candidate must be a baptized and chrismated Orthodox Christian. Women may serve as readers, chanters, deaconesses in some jurisdictions historically, and as monastics, but not as priests or bishops.
What is the age minimum?
Specific age minimums vary by jurisdiction but generally: deaconate at 25 or later, priesthood at 30 or later. The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, OCA, Antiochian, and ROCOR each have their own specifics; the diocesan bishop is the source.
Which seminary?
The principal US Orthodox seminaries: Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology (Brookline, MA, GOA), St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary (Yonkers, NY, OCA), and St. Tikhon's Orthodox Theological Seminary (South Canaan, PA, OCA). Antiochian and other jurisdictions have their own arrangements. The diocesan bishop is the source for the jurisdiction-appropriate seminary.
What does the rite involve?
Each degree of ordination is a separate rite, performed by a bishop. The ordination service includes the candidate's presentation, the prayers of ordination, the laying on of hands by the bishop (and concelebrating priests for priestly ordination), and the vesting of the newly ordained. The service is typically celebrated at the bishop's cathedral or a specially-designated parish church.

06 Pastoral note

Last reviewed against primary sources: May 17, 2026