Bishop Meikle

Step 1

Talk with Fr. Meikle. This page is meant as a resource for those who have been directed here by him.

Step 2

Download and complete the application. You can scan and email here. But you must also mail the original to Fr. D.E. Meikle 8531 Bolton Ave FL 34667.

Step 3

Assemble all supporting documentation:
1. Academic Transcripts;
2. Baptism/Confirmation certificate;
3. Ordination or marriage certificates (if applicable);
4. Recommendation Letters (if applicable- ask FrM);
5. A short Biography (2 to 5 pages);
6. A short essay on why you approaching the Diocese of Florida/See of Caer-Glow for Incardination and/or Holy Orders versus a mainstream RC jurisdiction (1-2 pages);
7. A short essay on your understanding of Sacrament and your understanding of the Catholic priesthood. (1 to 5 pages);
8. Write a practice sermon on John 6:1-14; (2-5 pages) (don\’t worry we know you\’re not trained); and
9. Any other material that supports your application.

Process this as in Step 2.

Step 4
If you are married your wife must write a letter of consent/support of your vocation. Please scan and submit as in Step 2.

Step 5

Complete the background check. Indicating that you want to SHARE report with FrM@immaculateconceptionhudson.org. There is a ~$20 fee charged by the company for this service.

Step 6

Visit this page to review the rites and complete a Letter of Petition. You must submit it handwritten, you may optionally provide a typed attachment (for example, if your handwriting is bad like mine.)

Step 7

Relax and wait for the Archbishop\’s decision. Fr. Meikle is your point of contact for updates.

This page is reproduced and adapted from Ordinations: A Translation and Explanation of the Rite of Ordination by A. Biskupek, S.V.D. Mission Press, 1954

The Tonsure

The Minor Orders

1. The Order of Porter
2. The Order of Reader
3. The Order of Exorcist
4. The Order of Acolyte

Ordinations have a profound significance for Catholics. The young clerical student sees in them the fulfillment of his youthful visions, the goal of his aspirations and labors during the many years of his college and seminary training. Happy parents, relatives, and friends of the ordinand await the days of ordination with anxious hopefulness, as days of honor and happiness, of abundant reward for all the sacrifices made in behalf of the candidate. But Catholics in general also feel the greatness of these days and rejoice with the happy ones who are led to the altar for ordination. Witness the large number of people who hasten to be present at the ordination of a priest or at his first Mass! After all, the priest is not ordained for his family or friends alone; he belongs to the people. The priest \”taken from among men, is ordained for men in the things that appertain to God, that he may offer up gifts and sacrifices for sins\” (Heb. 5,1). The honor bestowed upon the priest is honor bestowed upon the whole Catholic people out of whose midst he is taken. 

It is for the purpose of keeping alive and increasing this interest in the priesthood that this document has been prepared. It is intended, in the first place, for the clerical students preparing for the reception of holy orders. They must understand and possess the spirit of the priesthood; and nowhere else will they find it portrayed so clearly and impressively as in the rite or ordination. The guidance and mysterious unction of the Holy Spirit, the Maker of the priest, are clearly visible in the beauty, vigor, and unction of the instructions, prayers, and ceremonies which give to it its form and substance. Every candidate for the priesthood ought to have the rite of ordination place in his hands, ought to study it and meditate upon it, not only before ordination but also after: \”I admonish thee, that thou stir up the grace which is in thee by the imposition of my hands.\” (2 Tim. 1,6). 

In the second place, the document is intended for our Catholic people, particularly the parents, relatives, and friends of the cleric. They want to know to the full what it means for a beloved boy to rise from order to order until he ascends the altar, a priest of God. The priesthood is the heart of the Church; but the priest comes from the people. A deeper understanding therefore of the dignity and mission of the priest cannot but increase the general reverence and love for him and add to the happiness of those whom God calls to offer one of their own to His service. How many parents would not do much more to foster priestly vocations among their sons if they had a better knowledge of the exalted dignity and profound significance of the priesthood! It is just such an understanding attitude toward priestly vocations that must be developed among our Catholic people. Holy Church can fulfill her mission of bringing salvation to the world only through priests; but today, as in the days of Christ, \”the harvest is great, but the laborers are few\” (Luke 10,2) 

May this purpose be accomplished for the honor and glory of our divine High Priest, Jesus Christ.

The Minor Orders

The worthy conduct of divine worship renders necessary many distinct functions which stand in a more or less intimate relation to the central act of divine worship, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Such functions are, for instance, to take care of the place of worship and of the many things needed for the Holy Sacrifice, to instruct the people and admit them to the divine services, to keep out unworthy persons, to supervise the congregation so that due order and reverence may be observed by all, to serve at Mass, etc. In ancient times, when the faithful formed small minorities in the midst of a pagan population not well disposed toward Christianity, it was of the utmost importance that such offices should be entrusted to thoroughly reliable men. For this reason special orders were introduced by the Church, and men were ordained by a sacred rite for the worthy discharge of these offices. At what time this was done cannot be established with certainty. But we know that Pope Cornelius, in a letter written to Fabian, Bishop of Antioch, about the year 250, mentions that four minor orders as we have them today. He writes that in the Church of Rome were at the time 46 priests, 7 deacons, 7 subdeacons, 42 acolytes, 52 exorcists, lectors, and porters. 

Accordingly, the four minor orders are: 

1. The Order of Porter (The Ostiarate)
2. The Order of Reader (The Lectorate)
3. The Order of Exorcist (The Exorcistate)
4. The Order of Acolyte (The Acolytate)

The historical development of these orders was not the same throughout the Church and, moreover, their functions underwent considerable modifications according to the exigencies of the times. Gradually they lost their original importance. But, although for centuries already many of the functions of the minor orders are performed by laymen, the orders have remained. They now form a fitting preparation for the major orders, and recall the fact that, after all, the priest is the responsible guardian of the house of God and of all the functions performed therein; and that, if laymen are employed in rendering such services, the priest must see to it that worthy persons are chosed and that they perform their offices in the proper way. 

These four orders are called minor orders because of their lesser importance and dignity when compared to major orders; they are not sacraments. According to the present discipline of the Church, only candidates who have the intention of becoming priests are permitted to receive minor orders. However, if in the course of time a minorite changes his mind and decides not to become a priest, he is at liberty to choose another state of life without being under any further obligations in consequence of the orders received. 

Minor orders are conferred on Sundays and double feasts; also outside Mass, but always in the morning. Not more than two minor orders may be received on the same day; nor is it allowed that tonsure and a minor order be received by the same candidate on the same day. 

The rite of conferring these orders comprises the following features: 

1. The Call. The candidates are called by name to come forward; they in turn answer, \”Adsum,\” i.e. \”Present.\” This is to show, on the one hand, that the promotion to an ecclesiastical office must come from the ecclesiastical superiors, and on the other hand, that no one is forced to accept such an office, but offers himself of his own free will.
2. The Instruction. It contains a statement of the various duties of the order and then points out the particular obligations arising from its reception.
3. The Bestowal of the Order. This is the essential part of the rite and consists in the so-called tradition of instruments, i.e., the handing over to the candidates of the symbols of their office and in the accompanying words of the bishop.
4. The Prayer. It is a prayer for the ordained, that they may faithfully discharge the duties of their office.

The candidates present themselves for ordination dressed as clerics, in cassock and surplice. In their right hand they carry a burning candle.

This page is reproduced and adapted from Ordinations: A Translation and Explanation of the Rite of Ordination by A. Biskupek, S.V.D. Mission Press, 1954

The Acolytate — the 4th and highest of the Minor Orders

The acolytate is the highest of the minor orders. The term is derived from a Greek word which signifies to follow, to accompany. The acolyte\’s duty and privilege was and is to assist members of the major orders at the celebration of the Eucharistic sacrifice and other liturgical functions; he takes care of the light and serves the wine and water at holy Mass.

Light was always extensively used at divine services, even in the Old Testament, because of its deep significance. To the symbolic reasons was added the practical necessity, when services were held at nighttime or, as it frequently happened during the times of persecution, in the catacombs.

For a long time, acolytes performed other very important functions, at least in the Church of Rome. At the Communion of the Mass they received the sacred species in linen bags, hung around their neck, and presented them to the priest or bishop for distribution to the people. As we know from the story of St. Tarsicius, acolytes were employed to bring the Blessed Eucharist to the absent, especially the confessors of the faith detained in prison; they, likewise, carried consecrated particles from the pope\’s Mass to the priests, who celebrated the sacred mysteries in the parish churches of Rome; finally, they were the bearers of the blessed bread, eulogia, which bishops exchanged among themselves as a symbol of their communion in the charity of Christ.

In the course of time, however, some of these functions were discontinued, others were taken over by members of the major orders. And, because of the practical difficulty of having ordained acolytes stationed at every church, laymen, especially boys, were admitted to act as Mass servers and torchbearers, and the order of acolyte merely served as a transition to the major orders.

If the acolytate is conferred during Mass, this is done:
Saturday before Passion Sunday: after the Kyrie.
Holy Saturday: after the Gloria.
Saturdays of Ember weeks: after the fourth lesson.
On other days, if the Mass has Gloria: after the Gloria; if the Mass has no Gloria: after the Kyrie.

The Rite

The Call. The bishop, with miter on sits on the faldstool before the middle of the altar. The archdeacon bids the candidates come forward; the notary reads their names:
Let those come forward who are to be ordained to the office of acolyte: N. N., etc.
Each one answers adsum, goes before the altar and kneels, holding the burning candle in his right hand.
The Instruction. When all are assembled, the bishop addresses them as follows:

Dearly beloved sons, about to receive the office of acolyte, consider what it is that you receive. The duty of the acolyte is to carry the candlestick; to light the lights of the church, to minister wine and water at the Eucharistic Sacrifice.
Hence, endeavor to discharge worthily the office received. For you cannot be pleasing to God if in your hands you carry the light for God and in your works are slaves of darkness and thus give to your fellowmen the example of faithlessness.

Rather, as the Truth says: \”Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.\” And as the apostle Paul says: \”In the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, shine as lights in the world, holding forth the word of life. Therefore, let your loins be girt and burning lamps in your hands, that you may be children of the light. Cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. For you were heretofore darkness, but now light in the Lord. Walk then as children of the light.\”

What is to be understood by that light on which the Apostle insists so much, he himself explains when he adds: \”For the fruit of the light is in all goodness and justice and truth.\”

Be fervent, therefore, in all justice and goodness and truth, that you may enlighten yourselves and others and the Church of God. For then you will worthily minister wine and water at the divine Sacrifice when you have offered yourselves as a sacrifice to God by a chaste life and good works. May the Lord in His mercy grant it to you.

Here the candles are laid aside.
The Bestowal of the Office. The bishop now presents to each candidate a candlestick with an unlighted candle. Each one touches both, the candlestick with the thumb, and the candle with the index finger of the right hand, while the bishop says:

Receive the candlestick with the candle, and know that it is your duty to light the lights of the church in the name of the Lord.
The acolyte answers: Amen.

Then an empty cruet is presented to them. They touch it, while the bishop says:
Receive the cruet, to minister wine and water for the Eucharist of the blood of Christ, in the name of the Lord.
The acolyte answers: Amen.

Prayer. The candidates kneel. The bishop rises, with miter on, and, turned toward them, prays:
Dearly beloved brethren, let us humbly beseech God, the Father Almighty, to + bless these His servants in the order of acolyte, that as they carry the material light in their hands, they may also send forth a spiritual light by their conduct, through the help of our Lord Jesus Christ, who with Him and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns God, forever and ever. R. Amen.
The bishop, with his miter off, turns to the altar and says:
Let Us Pray
Let us bend our knees. R. Amen.
Turning again to the candidates kneeling before him, the bishop prays:
Holy Lord, Father Almighty, eternal God, Thou hast sent the light of Thy glory into this world through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, and His apostles, and hast willed that, in order to blot out the ancient debt of our death He should be fastened to the most glorious standard of the Cross and that blood and water should flow from His side, for the salvation of the human race. Vouchsafe to + bless these Thy servants for the office of acolyte, that they may faithfully serve at Thy holy altars, attend to the lighting of Thy Church, and minister wine and water for the consecration of the blood of Christ, Thy Son, at the Eucharistic Sacrifice. Enkindle, O Lord, their minds and hearts with they love of Thy grace, so that, alight with they splendor of Thy countenance, they may faithfully serve Thee in holy Church. Through the same Christ our Lord. R. Amen.
Let Us Pray

Holy Lord, Father Almighty, eternal God, who didst speak to Moses and Aaron that lamps should be lighted in the Tabernacle of the Testimony, bless + these Thy servants, that thy may be acolytes in Thy Church. Through Christ our Lord. R. Amen.

Let Us Pray

Almighty, everlasting God, Fountain of light and Source of goodness, who has enlightened the world through Jesus Christ Thy Son, the true light, and hast redeemed it through the mystery of His Passion, vouchsafe to + bless these Thy servants whom we ordain to the office of acolyte. We beseech Thee in Thy mercy to illumine their minds with the light of knowledge, and to refresh them with the dew of Thy tender love, that with Thy help they may so fulfill the office assumed as to attain an everlasting reward. Through the same Christ our Lord. R. Amen.

This page is reproduced and adapted from Ordinations: A Translation and Explanation of the Rite of Ordination by A. Biskupek, S.V.D. Mission Press, 1954

The Exorcistate — the 3rd of the Minor Orders

To exorcise means to deliver a person from the presence or influence of evil spirits. That the devil, within the limits allowed by God, has retained a certain power over men even after the coming of Christ is clearly testified by Holy Scripture and the history of the Church. Jesus drove out devils from the possessed and He bestowed this power upon His apostles and disciples. In the early times of the Christian era many lay persons possessed this power as a charism.

It is in harmony with reason and faith to assume that the devil has greater power over the unbaptized in consequence of original sin. For this reason, at a very early date, exorcisms were performed repeatedly over the catechumens in preparation for baptism. To perform these exorcisms and, in general, to exorcise persons possessed by or under the influence of evil spirits exorcists were ordained.

The rite speaks of exorcists as spiritual physicians endowed with the power of healing. This may also refer to bodily afflictions caused by the devil; once the influence of the devil is broken by the exorcism, the affliction ceases.

The other duties of the exorcist stood in close relation to this principal function of the order. According to the usual interpretation of the instruction read to the ordinands, he was to direct persons under exorcism, and for that reason barred from Holy Communion, when to withdraw. Furthermore, it was his duty at sacred functions to administer the water for the washing of hands to the officiating priest. The latter ceremony symbolizes purification from sin, hence a banishing of the influence of the evil spirits; it was fitting, therefore, to assign this duty to the exorcist.

In our days all baptismal exorcisms are embodied in the solemn rite of baptism, and are performed by the priest or deacon who baptizes. To exorcise a person possessed by the devil an explicit permission of the diocesan bishop is required, and it can be given only to a priest.

If the exorcistate is conferred during Mass, this is done:
Saturday before Passion Sunday: after the Kyrie.
Holy Saturday: after the Gloria.
Saturdays of Ember weeks: after the third lesson.
On other days, if the Mass has Gloria: after the Gloria; if the Mass has no Gloria, after the Kyrie.

The Rite

The Call. The bishop, with his miter on, sits on the faldstool before the middle of the altar. The archdeacon bids the candidates come forward; the notary reads their names:

Let those come forward who are to be ordained to the office of exorcist: N. N., etc.
Each one answers adsum, goes before the altar and kneels, holding the burning candle in his right hand.
The Instruction. When all are assembled, the bishop addresses them as follows:

Dearly beloved sons, as you are about to be ordained to the office of exorcist, you must understand the office which you receive. The duty of the exorcist is to cast out devils, to direct the people that he who is barred from Communion should withdraw, and to administer water at the sacred functions. You receive, therefore, the power to lay your hands upon the possessed; and by the imposition of your hands, the grace of the Holy Spirit, and the words of the exorcism, the unclean spirits shall be cast out from the bodies of the possessed.
Accordingly, as you cast out devils from others, seek to remove from your own minds and bodies all uncleanness and iniquity, lest you be overcome by those evil spirits whom, in virtue of your office, you cast out of others. Through the exercise of your office learn to rule over evil habits, lest the enemy discover in your lives anything which he might claim as his own. For then you will consistently command the evil spirits in others when you first overcome their manifold wickedness in yourselves. May the Lord through His Holy Spirit grant that you may accomplish this.

Here the candles are laid aside.
The Bestowal of the Office. The candidates now come up to the bishop, and each touches the book which he presents to them, saying:

Receive, and commit to memory, and have the power to lay your hands upon the possessed, be they baptized or catechumens.
Prayer. The bishop rises and prays for the candidates kneeling before him:
Let us, dearly beloved brethren, humbly beseech God, the Father Almighty, that He may graciously + bless these His servants for the office of exorcist. May they be spiritual commanders, to cast out of the bodies of the possessed the evil spirits with all their manifold wickedness. Through His only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with Him in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever. R. Amen.
The bishop, with his miter off, turns to the altar and says:
Let Us Pray
Let us bend our knees. R. Arise.
Turning again to the candidates kneeling before him, the bishop prays:
Holy Lord, Father Almighty, eternal God, vouchsafe to bless these Thy servants for the office of exorcist. May they have power and authority, by the imposition of their hands and the word of prayer, to restrain the unclean spirits and be the approved physicians of Thy Church, endowed with the power of healing and with heavenly strength. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who lives and reigns with Thee in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever. R. Amen.

This page is reproduced and adapted from Ordinations: A Translation and Explanation of the Rite of Ordination by A. Biskupek, S.V.D. Mission Press, 1954

The Lectorate — the 2nd of the Minor Orders

The lector is a reader. Readings from the sacred books formed part of the divine services even in the Old Testament. In the Christian Church such readings were incorporated from the very beginning into the celebration of the Eucharistic mystery. The first part of holy Mass constituted the so-called Mass of the catechumens, or instruction service, for those who prepared for baptism and were not allowed as yet to assist at the whole Mass. The instructions were based on Holy Scripture, and the reader would read the text.

It must be remembered that the ancient manuscripts were not as easy to read as a modern book. No distinction was made between small letters and capitals, words were not clearly separated, punctuation marks not used. Reading, therefore, required careful preparation in order to be done correctly, fluently, and distinctly.

It seems that in the beginning capable laymen took care of this reading, but at a very early date readers were ordained; even boys possessing the necessary knowledge were admitted to this order. As the Mass of the catechumens lost its original significance, and reading at the divine services was taken over more and more by members of the major orders, readers began to form the schola cantorum and took care of the singing, probably before the seventh century.

The rite mentions as another duty of lectors the blessing of bread and first fruits. The faithful as well as the catechumens would bring along these things to be blessed, and since the catechumens were dismissed before the beginning of the Mass of the faithful, it was convenient that the lector should perform the blessing before they left. Canon 1147 reaffirms this privilege of the lector. It is the only case where a cleric in minor orders is authorized to perform a blessing.

At the present time it is customary in seminary chapels that a reader sings the Epistle during a simple High Mass; but the singing of the Epistle at the solemn High Mass is reserved to the subdeacon. Readers, however, sing the prophecies on Holy Saturday and the Saturday before Pentecost.

If the lectorate is conferred during Mass, this is done:
Saturday before Passion Sunday: after the Kyrie.
Holy Saturday: after the Gloria.
Saturdays of Ember weeks: after the second lesson.
On other days, if the Mass has Gloria: after the Gloria; if the Mass has no Gloria: after the Kyrie.

The Rite

The Call. The bishop, with his miter on, sits on the faldstool before the middle of the altar. The archdeacon bids the candidates come forward; the notary reads their names:

Let those come forward who are to be ordained to the office of reader: N.N., etc.
Each one answers, adsum, goes before the altar and kneels, holding the burning candle in his right hand.

The Instruction. When all are assembled, the bishop address them as follows:

Dearly beloved sons, chose to be readers in the house of our God, know your office and fulfill it; for God is powerful to give you in increasing measure the grace of everlasting perfection.

The reader\’s duty is to read what he preaches (or: to read the Scripture text for the preacher), to sing the lessons, to bless bread and all new fruits. Endeavor, therefore, to read the word of God, that is, the sacred lessons, distinctly and intelligibly, without any mistake or falsification, so that the faithful may understand and be edified, and that the truth of the divine lessons be not through your carelessness lost for the instruction of the hearers.

But what you read with your lips, you must believe in your hearts and practice in your works; so that you may be able to teach your hearers by word and example.

Therefore, when you read, stand in a high place of the church, so that you may be heard and seen by all. This your bodily position is to signify that your life ought to move on a high plane of virtue, so that you may give the example of a heavenly life to all those by whom you are heard and seen. May God by His grace accomplish this in you.

Here the candles are laid aside.
The Bestowal of the Office. The bishop now presents to the candidates the book containing the lessons, that is, a missal, breviary, or bible. The ordinands touch it with the right hand, while he says:

Receive, and be readers of the word of God. If you fulfill your office faithfully and profitably, yours will be the reward of those who have duly administered the word of God from the beginning.
Prayer. The bishop rises and prays:
Let us beseech, beloved brethren, God, the Father Almighty, graciously to bless these servants whom He deigns to assume into the order of reader. May they intelligibly read what is to be read in the Church of God, and carry it out in works. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, His Son, who lives and reigns with Him in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever. R. Amen.
The bishop, with miter off, turns to the altar and says:
Let Us Pray
Let us bend our knees. R. Amen.
Turning again to the candidates kneeling before him, the bishop prays:
Holy Lord, Father Almighty, eternal God, vouchsafe to + bless these Thy servants for the office of reader. May they by constant application to reading acquire knowledge and proficiency, read aloud what must be done and practice what thy have read, so that by the example of their virtue in both respects they may give support to holy Church. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who lives and reigns with Thee in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever. R. Amen.