What is the difference between a diocesan priest and a religious order priest?
A diocesan priest ordinarily serves the church within a well-defined area (a diocese). He serves the people as a parish priest, but may also be involved in campus ministry, hospitals, prisons, etc. A religious order priest, on the other hand, is a member of a religious order community which goes beyond the geographical limits of any diocese and focuses on a particular ministry such as running schools, missions or hospitals.
