Secular Orders?

[Swoosh]

Hello brothers and sisters,

I am just curious as to if there are any religious orders for secular men and women. Brothers and Sisters who hold secular jobs, but are consecrated.

Moreover, if these orders exist, do they offer vows for married persons?

Yours in Christ,
Swoosh

 

[Credo]

The Franciscans have a secular order which is made up of both married and non-married secular folks. There may be other orders that have this as well, but the Franciscans are the only ones I know of for sure.

Most orders have what are called "Oblates" which are secular people, married and non-married, that take special vows to live their secular lives in the spirit of the Order's Rules.

 

[Carrye]

The Franciscans have a secular order which is made up of both married and non-married secular folks. Most order have what are called "Oblates" which are secular people, married and non-married, that take special vows to live their secular lives in the spirit of the Order's Rules.

Isn't Opus Dei one of these?

For women, consecrated virgins take vows but still hold secular jobs.

 

[Credo]

Is Opus Dei a movement or a religious group that have orders? I really don't know that much about them.

 

[Carrye]

They're a "personal prelature" of the Catholic Church. They have their own priests, but I don't think the lay members take vows.

In other orders, lay people can be third order members. Most orders have a form of that.

 

[lionroar0]

The Carmelites have such an order for lay people who are either married or single. They are third order carmelites. I have the email of a third order carmelite if your are interested. She could give you alot better information about it then I can.

 

[Radagast]

There are also third orders (lay orders) for:

* Dominicans (http://laity.op.org/eng/): Married couples can join together (I have friends who are Dominican laity). Indeed: "Considering the fact that, according to actual experience, the Fraternities where there are couples, function better than others, it is strongly suggested that we be attentive to admitting couples into the Fraternity."

* Franciscans (http://san-francesco.org/costituzioni_eng.html): "Married couples find in the Rule of the SFO an effective aid in their own journey of Christian life, aware that, in the sacrament of matrimony, their love shares in the love that Christ has for his Church. The way spouses love each other and affirm the value of fidelity is a profound witness for their own family, the Church, and the world."

* Carmelites (http://carmelites.info/laycarmelites/): "Carmel favours the membership of couples, of families and of young people who wish to know and to live Carmelite spirituality including also new ways of doing so. It offers the Third Order as an established and recognized form of membership which is open to receiving new life blood through these initiatives."

* Others??

Google finds lots more links that you can follow to find local chapters (search for "XYZ laity").

-- Radagast

 

[RhetorTheo]

A married lay person with a secular job can be a deacon. The Knights of Columbus are along that vein, but I don't believe they are consecrated.

 

[Swoosh]

Thank you for the replies all!

When I have a bit more time (meaning I'm not wrapped around my homework hehe) I will research these a bit more.

I have found the local representative for the carmalites, but other than that, I don't know much, yet.

Thank you again,
Swoosh

 

[Michelina]

http://www.focolare.org/en/

 

[Swoosh]

Hello all,

After getting in touch with my contact for the Secular Carmelites, she informed me that the Secular Order is not allowed to wear habits. This is a shame because I think that habits are a wonderful outward sign of one's consecrated religious life. Out of curiosity, does anyone know of any secular order that permits the wearing of a habit?

God bless,
Swoosh

 

[Carrye]

None that I know of, Swoosh. Most third order members have pins, scapulars, etc that they can choose to wear. We should remember that even a lot of religious orders (particularly the women of the order) don't wear habits these days.

 

[Swoosh]

That is such a shame. In todays world, more than ever, I believe that the habit is especially powerful. It is, in my opinion, more powerful today than it was when the idea was concieved, because the dress was normal for the time period. Today, we need the connection to our past and to make visible and tangible connections of our faith to our everyday lives.

Forget the pin... give me a tunic, a cord belt, and some sandals!

 

[Michelina]

Out of curiosity, does anyone know of any secular order that permits the wearing of a habit?

The Dominicans and Franciscans allow 3rd Order members to wear the same habit they do, when they die. Eamon de Valera was buried in his Franciscan habit.

 

[Carrye]

The Dominicans and Franciscans allow 3rd Order members to wear the same habit they do, when they die.

Wow, I didn't know that.

 

[Michelina]

Wow, I didn't know that.

No surprise there, Carrie. Two years ago, I spent almost a week finding a habit for a Dominican 3rd Order member who was a friend of mine. I had quite a hard time. Finally, I got one from a 2nd Order convent in NJ. I was told by many that "This isn't done anymore.".

 

[Carrye]

I was told by many that "This isn't done anymore.".

Sounds like the best reason to do it!*

*A public service announcement by the Catholic Church: going against the grain for more than 2000 years.

 

[Michelina]

Sounds like the best reason to do it!*

*A public service announcement by the Catholic Church: going against the grain for more than 2000 years.

That's it, in a nutshell!

 

[Polycarp1]

I'm in the process of retyping a rather long document prepared to explain the Third Order in the Anglican Society of St. Francis to the genral public, to post over in STR. I'll put a link here to it when it's done and posted.

JFTR, by official declaration of the SSF, the proper habit of members of the Third Order is the profession cross, worn with secular clothing, in keeping of their mission to be the "light of the world" or the "salt of the earth" ministering in the world as a part of it. I rather like the symbolism there; your comments?

 

[Carrye]

I like the idea of third order members having something to designate themselves, but I don't think it should be the same as first or second order vowed religious. We, as humans and as a society, need to identify ourselves as truly who and what we are, rather than what we'd like to be, or what we long to appear to be.