Can a Monk become a Parish Priest?

[Pope_Noah_I]

Or must he live in a monastery?

 

[burnside]

Where i come from,we have Carmelites living in their monastery,but we have had in the past three Carmelites running one of our parishes.They are not the only Religious Orders to have done this.Or,are you meaning the Contemplatives?.

 

[Pope_Noah_I]

Personally I am thinking Franciscans.

 

[puzzleannie]

It depends upon the order. the priests of many religious orders do staff parishes, schools and other institutions, if that is their charism, although they usually try to reside in community, which is one of the purposes of joining a religious order. those called to a contemplative vocation remain in the monastery and their work is within its walls or grounds, usually the work necessary to sustain the members and support their apostolate.

 

[SuscipeMeDomine]

Personally I am thinking Franciscans.

Franciscans are friars rather than monks and live in a friary rather than a monastery. I belong to a Franciscan parish so I can definitely say that yes, they can run parishes.

 

[LilyM]

Franciscans are friars rather than monks and live in a friary rather than a monastery. I belong to a Franciscan parish so I can definitely say that yes, they can run parishes.

Of course any monk or friar in a religious order must also receive the Sacrament of Holy Orders (which not all of 'em do) to be a parish priest, although they can serve in the parish in many other ways.

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

I see that the Franciscans were already spoken for.

Carmelites are also friars and we live in Priorys.

Friars are monastics but we are active rather than being cloistered.

Typically in the Western Church monks follow the Rule of St Benedict.

 

[lak611]

I see that the Franciscans were already spoken for.

Carmelites are also friars and we live in Priorys.

Friars are monastics but we are active rather than being cloistered.

Typically in the Western Church monks follow the Rule of St Benedict.

What are the differences between friars and monks? Does the title just depend on the order that the man belongs to?

 

[tee_eff_em]

Friars are monastics but we are active rather than being cloistered.

I believe this is not quite correct, I think.

What are the differences between friars and monks? Does the title just depend on the order that the man belongs to?

It does depend on the order, in so far as every member of the order is the same sort of religious: monk, friar, or some others (I think?).

As I was taught it: Friars are mendicants (ie beggars), who rely on gifts and donations for their support*. Monks and their associated monasteries generally have a work as their source of support: A farm, a grist mill, a vinyard, manuscript copy services, Christmas fruitcakes, et cetera. (Which is not to say they do not accept donations as well)

(* There are, however, some creative ways of “begging” these days.)

Similarly, nuns and sisters are not strictly the same thing (but I believe the primary difference has to do with the type of vows they make).

tee
Raised in the wild by Friars

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

I believe this is not quite correct, I think.

No, it is correct but only as a general statement. There are always exceptions.

The Carmelites started out as hermit and we do have some hermits currently in the order, but overall we are active.

In the “beginning” monks lived in monasteries that were situated in rural areas and owned property and farmed and such things to keep going, friars lived within the cities and preached and begged for the items needed to keep going.

But again, that is a general look at things.

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

I believe this is not quite correct, I think.

No, this is correct but only in a generalization.

It does depend on the order, in so far as every member of the order is the same sort of religious: monk, friar, or some others (I think?).

As I was taught it: Friars are mendicants (ie beggars), who rely on gifts and donations for their support*. Monks and their associated monasteries generally have a work as their source of support: A farm, a grist mill, a vinyard, manuscript copy services, Christmas fruitcakes, et cetera. (Which is not to say they do not accept donations as well)

(* There are, however, some creative ways of “begging” these days.)

Similarly, nuns and sisters are not strictly the same thing (but I believe the primary difference has to do with the type of vows they make).

tee
Raised in the wild by Friars

As you show here.

Nowadays friars own property and run such things as schools, so we have gotten away from the begging ways, unless this is what you mean by creative ways.

But then teaching seems to be something that all mendicant groups got into pretty early.

 

[johnnydigit]

wikipedia’s not the most reliable source but,

There are two classes of orders known as friars, or mendicant orders: the four “great orders” (Dominicans, Franciscans, Augustinians, Carmelites) and the so-called “lesser orders”.

edit Lesser orders

The lesser orders are:

• the Minims, established in 1474
• the Third Order Regular of St. Francis,[1] established in 1521
• the Capuchin,[2] established in 1525
• the Discalced Carmelites,[3] established in 1568
• the Discalced Trinitarians, established in 1599
• the Order of Penance,[4] established in 1781

but ya, there are orders where their charism includes the possibility of working at parishes.

i know a Benedictine who left the monastery to become a diocesan priest at a local parish. he is now studying at the diocese seminary. this probably isn’t encouraged or something you want to plan for, which is why you should carefully discern with your spiritual and vocation director(s).

 

[WanderAimlessly]

Personally I am thinking Franciscans.

The Franciscan Friars run a couple parishes in the Detroit area including my former parish and they live at the parish which also doubles as a Friary

In the Diocese of Greensburg, a number of parishes are ran by the monks at St Vincent Archabbey. I know most, if not all are within driving distance of the Archabbey and they live at there.

 

[odubhghail]

Monks attached to several Benedictine monasteries, Conception and St. Peter’s Abbeys for example, have been parish priests in the U.S. midwest, and the Canadian prairies. I believe some abbeys still have parishes, particularly in rural areas and native peoples’ reservations.

 

[Maria_Raphael]

Our Archbishop here in Dubuque is a Benedictine Monk. One of our former Bishops was a Trappist.

–Maria

 

[Allen537]

The Parish I grew up in was and is still run by the Benedictine Monks from St. Vincent Archabbey in PA, even though the Parish was in Southern Virginia. The simply had a group of about six or so living with each other on the Parish property.

In Carmel,

Br. Allen

 

[DL82]

Our Archbishop here in Dubuque is a Benedictine Monk. One of our former Bishops was a Trappist.

–Maria

If a monk becomes a bishop, does he still follow the rule of his order?

I can imagine it being quite difficult to be a Trappist and a bishop, to administer a diocese when you can only talk for a few minutes a day.

I don’t know why, but I immediately think of headlines beginning “Trappist bishop speaks out…” and how funny they sound.

 

[Allen537]

If a monk becomes a bishop, does he still follow the rule of his order?

I can imagine it being quite difficult to be a Trappist and a bishop, to administer a diocese when you can only talk for a few minutes a day.

I don’t know why, but I immediately think of headlines beginning “Trappist bishop speaks out…” and how funny they sound.

Once you become a bishop, you are released from your vows. While many still hold on to the charism of their order, they become, canonically speaking, secular clergy. The two most important changes are the necessity to own property (the bishop officially owns all of the churches property in his diocese), and his obedience is to the Pope directly. We have a bishop from our province, and while he remains a member of the order (still uses O.Carm. after his name) he is no longer under vows. Which for us means that he cannot vote or even speak without permission in our Chapters. When we do convene for our Provincial Chapter, he is officially a guest, even though he is still a brother to us.

I hope this helps,

In Carmel,

Br. Allen

 

[John_Augustine]

Or must he live in a monastery?

In England it’s traditional that Benedictines look after parishes local to the abbey or priory. Ampleforth has quite a few in Yorkshire…

 

[SamDash]

Often a religious order priest is in charge of a parish. I was under the impression, however, that this was only done when there was no diocesan priest available.