Orders of priests

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I don’t know what forum to ask this in, but here goes. Is there an acronym list of the different orders of priests? I know SJ is Society of Jesus/the Jesuits, but there are so many others I see on EWTN, and I don’t know what they stand for. Thank you.

🤷
 
The letters after someone’s name does not mean they are a priest but signify which religious order they belong to.

*SJ = Society of Jesus (Jesuits)
**OP *= Order of Preachers (Dominicans)
OSB = Order of St. Benedict (Benedictine)
OCSO = Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance (Cistercian/Trappist)
O.Carm = Carmelite
OCD = Discalced Carmelite
OCDS = Secular Discalced Carmelite
TOR = Third Order Regular (Franciscan)
OFM = Order of Friars Minor (Franciscan)
OFS = Ordo Franciscanus Saecularis (Secular Franciscan Order)

and so forth. There are many others.

Just because someone is a member of a religious order with letters after their name doesn’t mean they are priests. All Jesuits happen to be priests and all Dominican men happen to be priests but this is because they are a priestly order. Not all Carmelites, Benedictines, Franciscans or Trappists are priests however.

The letters signify that they are members of a religious order but not their status as priests.

-Tim-
 
Chatter163 said:
There are literally hundreds of orders of priests, brothers and nuns, each with its own initials.

catholicdoors.com/misc/abbrev.htm
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Do you know what the Initials for the Franciscans founded by Mother Angelica, (EWTN) stand for. I know they are Franciscans but they don’t have the usual OFM initials. Thanks, God Bless, Memaw
OSM = Order of Servants of Mary, (Servite Fathers) my uncle, (RIP) was one.
 
TimothyH said:
The letters after someone’s name does not mean they are a priest but signify which religious order they belong to.

SJ = Society of Jesus (Jesuits)
**OP **= Order of Preachers (Dominicans)
OSB = Order of St. Benedict (Benedictine)
OCSO = Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance (Cistercian/Trappist)
O.Carm = Carmelite
OCD = Discalced Carmelite
OCDS = Secular Discalced Carmelite
TOR = Third Order Regular (Franciscan)
OFM = Order of Friars Minor (Franciscan)
OFS = Ordo Franciscanus Saecularis (Secular Franciscan Order)

and so forth. There are many others.

Just because someone is a member of a religious order with letters after their name doesn’t mean they are priests. All Jesuits happen to be priests and all Dominican men happen to be priests but this is because they are a priestly order. Not all Carmelites, Benedictines, Franciscans or Trappists are priests however.

The letters signify that they are members of a religious order but not their status as priests.

-Tim-
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CSsR = Redemptorist

Also, not all Dominican men are priests. It’s unusual, but they do have brothers on occasion not entering priesthood.
 
Memaw said:
Do you know what the Initials for the Franciscans founded by Mother Angelica, (EWTN) stand for. I know they are Franciscans but they don’t have the usual OFM initials. Thanks, God Bless, Memaw
OSM = Order of Servants of Mary, (Servite Fathers) my uncle, (RIP) was one.
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M.F.V.A. “Franciscan Missionaries of the Eternal Word” (these are the Friars)
franciscanmissionaries.com/

Mother also founded:

K.H.E “Knights of the Holy Eucharist” which is community of consecrated lay brothers
knightsoftheholyeucharist.com/

God Bless
 
halleone said:
Now THAT is a list! If I can’t find it there, it probably doesn’t exist.

Thank you everyone for your replies.

🙂
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NOTE: even that list is not 100% complete. New orders are created all the time.
 
Also note that some are not religious orders per se but are Societies of Apostolic Life. Basically, those in an order are consecrated religious but those in a society are secular, not consecrated.

From our Beloved Brother JR…
JReducation said:
Generally, societies of apostolic life are secular. They are real communities, such as the Secular Franciscan Order. They do have some kind of profession and rule. But they are not consecrated religious. Consecrated religious belong to Institutes of Consecrated Life. As to habits and the title Brother or Sister, that really depends on the statutes of the society. The Secular Franciscans used to wear a habit and use the title brother or sister. In fact, the Secular Franciscans of the Immaculate still do so.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF 🙂
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I wish he were here to reply to these types of threads.

-Tim-
 
TimothyH said:
Also note that some are not religious orders per se but are Societies of Apostolic Life. Basically, those in an order are consecrated religious but those in a society are secular, not consecrated.

From our Beloved Brother JR…

I wish he were here to reply to these types of threads.

-Tim-
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The Secular Franciscan Order is a society of apostolic life? I thought it was a religious order. Or can an “order” be either an institute of consecrated life or a society of apostolic life?
Of course, the vast majority of institutes of consecrated life are not religious orders and usually go by the “lesser” title ‘congregation’, right?
The FSSP, Oratory Fathers of St. Philip Neri, and priests of Opus Dei would be additional examples of societies of apostolic life - in this case of a priestly nature.
 
Memaw said:
I know that, but what does the MFVA stand for?? God Bless, Memaw
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Normally, the abbreviations are actually for the Latin form of the name. Many times, the initials will happen to coincide with the English. The Dominican’s formal title is Ordo Praedicatorum which we know in English as the Order of Preachers, for example.

In the case of the Franciscan Missionaries of the Eternal Word, the words and the word order in Latin is quite different. In Latin, their name would be Missionarii Franciscani Verbi Aeterni…MFVA.
 
Don_Ruggero said:
Normally, the abbreviations are actually for the Latin form of the name. Many times, the initials will happen to coincide with the English. The Dominican’s formal title is Ordo Praedicatorum which we know in English as the Order of Preachers, for example.

In the case of the Franciscan Missionaries of the Eternal Word, the words and the word order in Latin is quite different. In Latin, their name would be Missionarii Franciscani Verbi Aeterni…MFVA.
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Thank You, God Bless, Memaw
 
phil19034 said:
NOTE: even that list is not 100% complete. New orders are created all the time.
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While this might seem pedantic, technically orders are not created all the time. People think there are thousands of Franciscan orders, but they are generally third order Franciscan communities that go by various names. They all are part of the (single) third order of St Francis. Others are not orders at all, but societies of apostolic life. For instance the Priestly Fraternity of St Peter (FSSP) is not a religious order, but rather a clerical society of apostolic life of pontifical right. The Vincentian’s, Sisters of Charity and hundreds others also are not technically religious orders, but congregations.

Like I said, it’s pedantic, but there are differences between a religious priest like a Jesuit and a Vincentian priest (i.e. one takes public vows and the other doesn’t). How that all plays out under the 1983 canon law is not as clear as it was before the 20th century.
 
Usige said:
While this might seem pedantic, technically orders are not created all the time. People think there are thousands of Franciscan orders, but they are generally third order Franciscan communities that go by various names. They all are part of the (single) third order of St Francis. Others are not orders at all, but societies of apostolic life. For instance the Priestly Fraternity of St Peter (FSSP) is not a religious order, but rather a clerical society of apostolic life of pontifical right. The Vincentian’s, Sisters of Charity and hundreds others also are not technically religious orders, but congregations.

Like I said, it’s pedantic, but there are differences between a religious priest like a Jesuit and a Vincentian priest (i.e. one takes public vows and the other doesn’t). How that all plays out under the 1983 canon law is not as clear as it was before the 20th century.
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Yes. My comment was in reference to lay people trying to keep a current list of all active groups & abbreviations. It’s difficult for a laymen to do.
 
TimothyH said:
Just because someone is a member of a religious order with letters after their name doesn’t mean they are priests. All Jesuits happen to be priests and all Dominican men happen to be priests but this is because they are a priestly order. Not all Carmelites, Benedictines, Franciscans or Trappists are priests however.

The letters signify that they are members of a religious order but not their status as priests.
-Tim-
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Not all Jesuits are priests. Besides seminarians, there are brothers who never plan to become priests. There could also be Jesuit permanent deacons, if the Order chooses to have that apostoloate; not sure if there are any. Other communities might also opt to have permanent deacons.

In a way, you could say all religious orders have a kind of “temporary brothers”, referring to men who are on their way to becoming priests, and who have already entered into temporary vows, or some commitment to the community. Priests usually keep 2 anniversary dates, the date they became Jesuits, or Franciscans, or whatever, and the date they were ordained.

Some religious communities for men only have brothers, no priests. There probably are a very, very few communities of men that have no “permanent” brothers. I am thinking maybe of a community whose sole ministry is something only a priest can do, rather than a community that has different apostolates.
 
twf said:
The Secular Franciscan Order is a society of apostolic life? I thought it was a religious order. Or can an “order” be either an institute of consecrated life or a society of apostolic life?
Of course, the vast majority of institutes of consecrated life are not religious orders and usually go by the “lesser” title ‘congregation’, right?
The FSSP, Oratory Fathers of St. Philip Neri, and priests of Opus Dei would be additional examples of societies of apostolic life - in this case of a priestly nature.
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I don’t think the Secular Franciscans are a Society. There are always exceptions.

Opus Dei is neither an order nor a society. It is a personal prelature. A personal prelature is defined in canon law. It is made up of clergy, laity and a prelate to undertake specific pastoral activities. Opus Dei is the only personal prelature at this time.

Reference en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_prelature

Thank you to those who pointed out that not all Jesuits or Dominicans are priests. The Society of Jesus and Order of Preachers are clerical orders but there are always exceptions.

-Tim-
 
TimothyH said:
I don’t think the Secular Franciscans are a Society. There are always exceptions.

Opus Dei is neither an order nor a society. It is a personal prelature. A personal prelature is defined in canon law. It is made up of clergy, laity and a prelate to undertake specific pastoral activities. Opus Dei is the only personal prelature at this time.

Reference en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_prelature

Thank you to those who pointed out that not all Jesuits or Dominicans are priests. The Society of Jesus and Order of Preachers are clerical orders but there are always exceptions.

-Tim-
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Opus Dei itself, yes, but I was referring to their priests. The priests belong to their own society of apostolic life (I believe that of the holy cross).
 
My parish (as were most parishes in Deep South Texas) was founded by the Oblates of Mary Immaculate…the OMIs…or as they are known in these here parts, the Cavalry of Christ…as they took to horseback to missionize the farms and ranches of South Texas.

Since 1970 (when the OMIs left) ,my parish has been under the care of the diocesan priests of the Diocese of Brownsville, but at different times, in the last 20 years, we’ve had OMI and OFM assistant pastors and an FSSP priest-in-residence.
 
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