A diocesan priest is a Catholic priest who serves within a particular diocese, which is a local area of the Church led by a bishop. His main mission is to serve the people of his diocese—usually through parish work—by celebrating Mass, preaching, administering the sacraments, and offering pastoral care. He promises obedience to his bishop and a life of celibacy, dedicating himself fully to the service of God and the community.

Unlike priests who belong to religious orders such as the Franciscans or Jesuits, a diocesan priest does not take a vow of poverty or follow a specific religious rule. Instead, he lives among the people he serves, often in a parish rectory, and manages his own personal needs. His life is rooted in the local church, helping to build and strengthen the faith of the community under his bishop’s guidance

A religious priest is a Catholic priest who belongs to a specific religious order or congregation, such as the Jesuits, Franciscans, Dominicans, or Salesians. These communities are founded around a particular spiritual focus or charism—for example, teaching, missionary work, or service to the poor. 

Religious priests take vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, following the rules and spiritual traditions of their order. They live and pray together in community rather than serving a single parish. Depending on their order’s mission, they might work as teachers, missionaries, hospital chaplains, retreat directors, or in many other ministries around the world.

A religious brother is a man who takes vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience and lives in a religious community, but he is not ordained as a priest. His life is devoted to prayer, service, and living out the mission or charism of his religious order—such as education, healthcare, social work, or missionary outreach.

Religious brothers share community life with other members of their order and often work alongside priests, but their focus is not on sacramental ministry (like celebrating Mass or hearing confessions). Instead, they serve God and others through daily work, prayer, and witness.

A religious nun is a woman who takes vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience and lives a life fully dedicated to God within a religious community. Nuns usually live in a monastery or convent, where they follow a daily rhythm of prayer, work, and community life. Their main focus is on contemplation and prayer, though many also serve through education, healthcare, or charitable works.

Nuns belong to specific religious orders—like the Benedictines, Dominicans, Carmelites, or Poor Clares—each with its own spirituality and mission. Some orders are cloistered, meaning the nuns live apart from the outside world to devote themselves to prayer, while others are active, engaging more directly in service to the community.