CATHOLIC RELIGIOUS
COMMUNITIES
Yesterday and Today
History
From the Beginnings of the Monastic Movement
to the Twentieth Century
The Desert Fathers
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Men who went into the
desert to become closer to
God
St. Antony was the most
important
St. Pachomius established
the first monasteries and
wrote the first Religious
Rule to incorporate the
vows of poverty, chastity
and obedience
St. Antony of the Desert Monastery, Egypt, is
one of the oldest monasteries in the world
First Monastic Communities
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Throughout the Middle East
and northern Africa, others
followed Pachomius’
example
Basil of Caesarea
established communities for
both men and, working with
his sister Macrina, women
The Rule Basil wrote for his
communities would become
the basis for Orthodox
monasticism
St. Benedict
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Benedict of Nursia
established a religious
community at Monte
Cassino, Italy
The Rule he (The
Benedictine Rule) wrote for
the monks there would
become the basis for
monastic life in the Catholic
Church
The order he founded still
flourishes in the Church
today
Benedict’s Abbey at Monte Cassino
First built in the 7th century; it has been rebuilt several times. The most recent was
in the late 20th century after its almost complete destruction during World War II.
Medieval Monasticism
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Communities for both monks and nuns were
established throughout Europe
Communities were often open only to those who
were wealthy
Communities were required to be self sufficient
Many had farms worked either by peasants or by
“lay” brothers and sisters
Monks and nuns were the only educated people in
Europe during the 8th through 11th centuries
Battle Abbey, England
A reconstruction of the abbey’s cloister
A Medieval nun at prayer
Monk in Scriptorum
Medieval monks and
nuns spent much of
their time copying
books for use both in
the monastery and in
churches and chapels
throughout Europe
Liturgy of the Hours
Both monks and nuns
spent a part of their
day in Chapel
reciting the Liturgy
of the Hours.
The Liturgy of the
Hours is seven
periods of prayer
and Scripture
readings that are
scattered throughout
the day and night.
A New Type of Religious Life –
The Mendicants
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In the 12th century there began to be the need for a
more flexible type of religious community
This need was met by the formation of new orders
called “mendicants”
Mendicants could travel from place to place and
minister to the specific needs of the people, both as
parish priests and in other ministries
The Order of Friars Minor
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Founded by St. Francis
of Assisi
Commonly called
“Franciscans”
Practiced absolute
poverty
Worked with the poor,
preached, became
doctors, later were
missionaries
The Order of Preachers
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Founded by St. Dominic
de Guzman
Commonly called
Dominicans
Founded to preach to and
convert heretics
Became teachers
(especially in universities),
pastors, confessors and
later missionaries
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Mendicant Orders were open only to men
Although both Francis and Dominic did found orders
for women, these orders were cloistered
Today, there are active orders of Franciscans and
Dominicans for women
New Orders for the
th
16
Century
After the Protestant Reformation, religious life in the
Catholic Church changed again:
 There
was a need for teachers to teach the Catholic
faith in an age when Protestants were converting
Catholics throughout Europe
 There was a need for missionaries to preach the faith to
the peoples of Asia and the Americas as Christianity
spread beyond Europe and northern Africa for the first
time
The Society of Jesus
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The Jesuits, founded by St. Ignatius
Loyola
Founded to become missionaries.
They were active in both Asia and
the French and Spanish colonies of
the Americas
Became teachers, especially to the
upper classes of Europe. Jesuit
schools even today are known for
the academic excellence
Jesuit led retreats, based on “The
Spiritual Exercises” of St. Ignatius
Loyola, are also popular.
The Christian Brothers
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Founded by John Baptist
de La Salle in France
Mission: to teach the
children of the poor
La Salle founded the first
school to teach teachers
and established the first
Catholic elementary
schools
He is the patron saint of
teachers
Active Orders for Women
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For the first time, communities of women began to
leave their monasteries and converts and work “in
the world”
Most of these new communities were teaching or
nursing orders and most worked primarily with
women and children
The Daughters of Charity
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Founded in Paris by St.
Vincent de Paul and
St. Louise de Marillac
to serve poor women
and children
The first religious
order for women to
not be cloistered
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Active religious orders for women expanded
considerably throughout the 18th and 19th centuries
Elizabeth Seton
Founder American
Daughters of Charity
Katherine Drexel
Founder of the Sisters of the
Blessed Sacrament
Frances Cabrini
Founder of Missionary
Sisters of Sacred Heart of
Jesus
Religious Life Today
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Today there are two types of religious communities:
 Contemplative
– live and work in their monasteries and
convents
 Active – live in community, but work “in the world”
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All members of religious communities take the three
vows of poverty, chastity and obedience
All communities have a specific “habit” – something
in their clothing that identifies them as belonging to
that particular community
The Evangelical Counsels
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Poverty – to own little; to live simply
Chastity – to remain unmarried; no sexual relations;
no exclusive relationships
Obedience – to God; to the Rule of your
community; to your religious Superior
Different communities may interpret these a little
differently
Contemplative Communities
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Live and work within their community
Spend much of their day in prayer – including the
Liturgy of the Hours
Communities must be self sufficient
Some are more modern than others
Most allow the monks and nuns to leave the
community briefly to spend time with family or to
attend school or workshops
A Typical Daily Schedule . . .
From Gethsemane
Abbey in Kentucky
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3:15 Vigils
5:45 Lauds
6:15 Eucharist
7:00 Breakfast
8:00 Work
12:15 Sext
12:30 Dinner
1:30
Work; leisure;
private prayer
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5:30 Vespers
6:00 Supper
7:00 Rosary
7:30 Compline
8:00 private time until
bed
Contemplative Orders include . . .
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Benedictines (men and women)
Trappists (men)
Carthusians (men)
Domincans (women)
Poor Clares (women)
Carthusian monk in a French community
Monks in Wyoming at Recreation
Cistercian Brothers chanting
Abbey of Gethsemane, Kentucky
Traditional Benedictine nun
Dominicans nuns at prayer
Benedictine sisters in Wisconsin
Active Communities
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Work “in the world”
Often may work at any job that does not contradict
Church teaching and beliefs, but most work for the
Church in some capacity
Live in community
Attend Mass daily; pray a modified form of the
Liturgy of the Hours
Sister of Charity tutoring children
Christian brothers
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Most active orders in the Church today are for
women
Active orders for both men and women have
experienced a decline in membership in the past 50
years