Michael Brooks
Joining a Catholic order is a special vocation within the Catholic Church that requires a great deal of sacrifice. It is a lifelong commitment to God and the community, and those who join give up their lives in the world to dedicate themselves entirely to God within the context of a religious community. While it is not necessary to join a Catholic order to grow in holiness, those who feel called to do so should approach the decision with prayerful discernment and under the direction of a spiritual director. The process typically involves consulting with a spiritual director, contacting a religious order for an extended visit, and undergoing psychological examinations and criminal background checks.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Joining a Catholic order is a special vocation within the Catholic Church | N/A |
| It is a call to seclusion | N/A |
| Members of a Catholic order dedicate their entire life to God | N/A |
| Members of a Catholic order live within the context of a religious community | N/A |
| A Catholic order is a community of consecrated life with members that profess solemn vows | N/A |
| Examples of Catholic orders include the Order of Preachers (Dominicans), Jesuits, and the Order of St. Benedict (Benedictines) | N/A |
| The Dominicans are Thomists and focus on theology | N/A |
| The Jesuits are known for their education | N/A |
| The Benedictines are monastic | N/A |
| The Franciscans have a special love for and identification with the poor | N/A |
| The process of joining a Catholic order involves careful discernment and consulting a spiritual director | N/A |
| Individuals should visit a religious order and live there for an extended period to get a sense of the community and God's calling | N/A |
| Catholic organizations have an in-depth process of psychological examinations and criminal background checks for new members | N/A |
| The first step in joining a Catholic order is to profess "temporary" vows, which allows the individual to exit the religious order if God is calling them elsewhere | N/A |
| The final step in joining a Catholic order is to profess "perpetual vows" or "solemn profession," a commitment to remain with the order until death | N/A |
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What You'll Learn
The path to joining a Catholic order
Joining a Catholic religious order is a special vocation within the Catholic Church that requires a great deal of sacrifice. It involves giving up a life in the world and dedicating one's entire life to God within the context of a religious community. The path to joining a Catholic religious order typically involves several stages, including psychological examinations and criminal background checks, followed by a period of postulancy and novitiate, and finally, the profession of perpetual vows.
The first step towards joining a Catholic religious order is discerning one's call to religious life. This involves a period of prayer, reflection, and spiritual direction to determine if one is being called to a particular order. During this time, individuals can also explore the different orders within the Church, such as the Franciscans, Dominicans, or Benedictines, each with its own unique purpose and charism.
Once an individual has discerned their call to a specific order, they will typically undergo a series of psychological examinations and criminal background checks. This stage is an important part of the discernment process, as it helps to identify any areas of concern that may impact an individual's ability to live in a religious community for the rest of their life.
After completing the initial stages and being accepted into the community, individuals typically enter a period of "postulancy" and "novitiate," where they more fully participate in the life of the community for one to three years. This stage allows for further discernment and helps the individual to determine if they are truly called to this particular way of life.
Finally, after completing the postulancy and novitiate stages, individuals will typically profess perpetual vows, committing themselves to a lifetime of service and dedication to God within the order. The average number of years required to profess perpetual vows is eight to twelve years, although this may vary depending on the specific order and individual circumstances.
Throughout the process of joining a Catholic religious order, individuals can expect to receive support and guidance from the community they are joining, as well as from spiritual directors and mentors. It is important to remember that living in a religious community requires sacrifice and dedication, but it can also be a beautiful and fulfilling way to answer God's call and serve others.
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The purpose of different Catholic orders
A Catholic religious order is a subgroup within the Church with a distinctive high-religiosity lifestyle and clear membership. There are four key categories of Catholic religious orders: canons regular, clerics regular, mendicants, and monastics. Each order has its own purpose and charism, or gift from the Holy Spirit.
Canons Regular
Canons and canonesses regular recite the Divine Office and serve a church and perhaps a parish.
Clerics Regular
Priests who take religious vows and have an active apostolic life.
Mendicants
Friars and religious sisters who live from alms, recite the Divine Office, and, in the case of the men, participate in apostolic activities. Mendicant orders include the Carmelites, the Order of Friars Minor, the Order of Preachers (or Dominicans), the Order of the Most Holy Trinity, and the Order of Saint Augustine. Mendicant orders are often regarded as "friars" for the male orders and "sisters" for the female orders. They are characterized by preaching and evangelization ministries, often living and operating in urban or populated areas.
Monastics
Monks and nuns living and working in a monastery or nunnery and reciting the Divine Office. Monastic orders include the Benedictines, Carthusians, and Cistercians.
Other Catholic religious orders include the Augustinians, Basilians, Bethlehemites, Bridgettines, Camaldolese, Conceptionists, Crosiers, Franciscans, Hieronymites, Jesuits, Minims, Olivetans, Piarists, Salesians, Theatines, Trappists, and Visitandines.
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The Dominicans
The Dominican Order, also known as the Order of Preachers, is a Catholic mendicant order founded in France by Castilian priest Dominic de Guzmán in 1215 or 1216. Members of the order, known as Dominicans, are identified by the letters OP after their names, which stand for Ordinis Praedicatorum, meaning 'of the Order of Preachers'. The order includes friars, nuns, active sisters, and lay or secular Dominicans.
The Dominican Order was established to preach the gospel, teach, and oppose heresy. It is unique in that it does not fit into the traditional contemplative vs. active distinction between religious orders. Instead, it is a "mixed order" as the object of contemplation (God) is also the object of the Dominican apostolate (preaching and teaching about God). Dominicans are dedicated to the pursuit of truth, which they believe is found in Sacred Scripture, the writings of the Fathers and saints, and even ancient "pagan" philosophers like Aristotle. They emphasise the importance of study and knowledge before preaching, with St. Dominic sending some of the first friars to the university in Paris.
The Dominican Order has a presence in the United States, with the first move towards establishing a province there made by Edward Dominic Fenwick in 1788. The Dominican Province of St. Joseph was founded in 1806 in Kentucky, and the order has since expanded across the country.
Becoming a member of the Order of Preachers, Independent is a process that requires time, determination, study, and prayer. Candidates must first discern if they feel called to the religious life, which usually involves help from others, such as a confessor or spiritual director. After contacting the order, individuals can participate in "Come and See" Discernment Retreats and learn about the daily life of a friar. There are also criteria for admission, including a well-informed faith, evidence of mature Christian discipleship, a desire for an intense religious community life, good physical and psychological health, and no overwhelming personal debt.
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The Jesuits
As members of a religious order, Jesuits take three vows: of poverty, chastity, and obedience. They also take a fourth vow of obedience specifically regarding worldwide missions, reflecting their dedication to the universal Church and the greater good of all people, regardless of faith or culture. Jesuits are expected to be obedient to their superiors and accept orders to go anywhere in the world, enduring potentially extreme conditions.
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Secular vs. regular orders
Secular orders are those in which the members, known as tertiaries, are lay men and women who are formally associated with a religious order but do not live in a religious community such as a monastery or nunnery. They may be single, married, widowed, deacons, or diocesan priests, and they bring the fruit of their prayers to the world. Secular orders include the Secular Franciscan Order (OFS), the Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites (OCDS), and the Third Order of Servites. Seculars make promises, which are not considered binding under pain of sin, and in some cases may take private vows of obedience and chastity, or even poverty, chastity, and obedience.
Regular orders, on the other hand, are those in which the members, or tertiaries, live in community and wear the habit externally. They take the three canonical religious vows and are considered to be living a religious life under a rule, in Latin, "regula". They may belong to a religious institute (a "congregation") that is called a "third order regular". Regular orders include the First and Second Orders, as well as the Regular Third Order, which is part of the Franciscan family of religious orders.
The distinction between secular and regular orders is primarily based on the level of religious commitment and the structure of the order. Secular orders are more flexible and allow members to live their lives in the world, while regular orders are more monastic and regulated, with members living in community and following a specific rule.
It is important to note that the terms "secular" and "regular" have different meanings in the context of Catholic religious orders compared to their general usage. In this context, "secular" refers to lay members who are living a secular life but are still striving for Christian perfection under the direction of a religious order. "Regular" refers to those who are living a more regulated and monastic life under the rules of a religious order.
Additionally, the term "secular" has a different meaning when applied to clergy, referring to deacons and priests who are not monastics or members of religious life. They are ordained into the service of the residents of a diocese or equivalent church administrative region.
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Frequently asked questions
A Catholic religious order is a community of consecrated life with members that profess solemn vows. They are classed as a type of religious institute.
Anyone can join a Catholic religious order, but it is a vocation that requires a great deal of sacrifice. Members give up their lives in the world and dedicate their entire lives to God within the context of a religious community.
Joining a Catholic religious order should be approached with prayerful discernment. It is recommended that you seek guidance from a spiritual director to help you identify which community you might be best suited for.
After careful discernment and consulting a spiritual director, the next step is to contact a religious order for an extended visit. This allows you to get a sense of what religious life will be like and whether it is a good fit for you. Most people visit multiple monasteries or communities before finding the right one. Once you've found a community, you can commit to living with them for a few years to test out your vocation. At the conclusion of this novitiate period, you can profess "temporary" vows, which allow you to exit the religious order if it turns out you are called elsewhere.
The average number of years required to profess perpetual vows is 8-12 years.
