The inner part of the coin features a shepherd drawing a lamb from a lion’s maw. Two inscriptions are engraved around the design: the issuing country ‘CITTA’ DEL VATICANO’ on the top and the subject of commemoration ‘ANNO SACERDOTALE’ below it. The year ‘2010’ is desplayed to the left of the design, the mintmark ‘R’ at the bottom and the artist’s name ‘VEROI’ to the right.

The coin’s outer ring depicts the 12 stars of the European flag.