Holy orders
The Premonstratensian canons of Halesowen were not monks and were able to take on a wide range of responsibilities both inside and outside their own religious house. Entering the community, sometimes as children, they would progress through a novitiate, under the tutelage of the novice master, until able to make their religious profession as full members, specifically as part of the convent of Halesowen. Alongside this, but distinct from it, was progression through the Holy orders in the Catholic Church: at that time generally acolyte, subdeacon, deacon and priest. The registers of Worcester diocese record some of these ordinations. For example, in the first week of Lent in 1373 William Horwood of Northfield, a canon of Halesowen, was ordained a subdeacon. On the vigil of Trinity Sunday 1419 Thomas Holder of Halesowen convent was ordained a subdeacon during a vacancy in the see by Nicholas Duffield, the abbot of Pershore, who had been recognised as bishop of Dunkeld by the Roman antipopes during the Western Schism. Bishop Redmand's visitation records show individual novices becoming canons and progressing through holy orders. In 1475 the abbey had six novices: Richard Wenlock, John Hales, Edward Clareley, John Seed, Richard Walsall and Richard Worfield. Three years later all their names are prefixed by the title "Frater", "Brother," indicating that they have made their profession and become full members of the convent. Hales had been appointed cantor or singer of the abbey, although neither he nor Wenlock is otherwise described: possibly both were now priests. Clareley and Seed had now been ordained deacons, with Clareley also made a sub-cantor; Walsall was a subdeacon; Worfield was an acolyte.