Religious Order suggestions, please

[Alterum]

I’m really hoping some of you can help. I’ve been going back and forth between the Dominicans (Province of St Joseph) and the Jesuits. I have concerns about both! Here are some of the things I’m looking for in a religious community:

(1) Orthodoxy (vast majority of the order firmly committed to magisterial teaching)
(2) Emphasis on prayer and robust, beautiful liturgical life
(3) Dedication to the Blessed Virgin Mary
(4) Simplicity / poverty among the entire order
(5) Very strong academics (I’m a PhD candidate in philosophy!)
(6) A reasonable degree of independence & self-direction. For instance, I would probably want a secular teaching job to evangelize those who are not Catholic.

I think the Dominicans are good with (1)-(3), but not so much with (5)-(6), which the Jesuits seems to do better (but not incredibly well). I think that if you want to study Aquinas exclusively, then the Dominicans might score higher on (6). I’m not sure either order really has (4)…

Anyway, I’m hoping for suggestions of other communities? Sometimes I just wish that I could gather a few very faithful friends of mine, live together, become ordained, and serve in the way that we think best. But it seems like I can’t do this Any advice?

 

[Celtic_Maiden]

Goodness that is a tall Order !! but it is, I am sending you a link with some Male Religious Orders, its just a matter of studying say 20 Orders and looking at what they promote , some it just might be prayer, others will be teaching, after you have gone through all the Orders see if any attract you that would be a sign from the Lord this is the Order that attracts you, write to them, visit them, and then pray in front of the Blessed Sacrament to hear what the Lord wants - Speak Lord for your servant is listening.

If all above fails, write to your local Bishop for advice, if you know the Contemplative Orders do not attract you well that you know is out.

Cistercians
Benedictines
Carthusian
Carmelites, non teaching ones.
etc.

What about the Fathers of Mercy, did you ever see Fr. Wade on EWTN ?

God Bless, and may your Heart always belong to the Lord

pathsoflove.com/religious-communities.html#women

 

[JackS79943]

Start your own order!

 

[Celtic_Maiden]

Definitely not. There are a whole pile of Male Orders out there, you do not need to start your own Church or your own Order.

You just have to take the time and look.

 

[Miguelmdza]

God bless you friend! I highly, highly suggest the Dominicans. I visited the Dominicans of the Central Province in the U.S. in Denver. I absolutely love their way of life! And you need four years of college before entering the Dominicans and you still study in their order. I wanted to join their order but with the help of my vocation director, I realized that I might be called to the diocesan priesthood. But again, I highly encourage you to consider the Dominicans. May God bless.

 

[sscott]

If you have a secular teaching job it is not your place to evangelize. Are you going to fail the students who don’t agree with your Catholic philosophy? You would rightly be fired for it.

 

[Alterum]

God bless you friend! I highly, highly suggest the Dominicans. I visited the Dominicans of the Central Province in the U.S. in Denver. I absolutely love their way of life! And you need four years of college before entering the Dominicans and you still study in their order. I wanted to join their order but with the help of my vocation director, I realized that I might be called to the diocesan priesthood. But again, I highly encourage you to consider the Dominicans. May God bless.

Hi! Why did you decide to pursue the diocesan priesthood instead of the Dominicans?

 

[yaatee]

I’m really hoping some of you can help. I’ve been going back and forth between the Dominicans (Province of St Joseph) and the Jesuits. I have concerns about both! Here are some of the things I’m looking for in a religious community:

(1) Orthodoxy (vast majority of the order firmly committed to magisterial teaching)
(2) Emphasis on prayer and robust, beautiful liturgical life
(3) Dedication to the Blessed Virgin Mary
(4) Simplicity / poverty among the entire order
(5) Very strong academics (I’m a PhD candidate in philosophy!)
(6) A reasonable degree of independence & self-direction. For instance, I would probably want a secular teaching job to evangelize those who are not Catholic.

I think the Dominicans are good with (1)-(3), but not so much with (5)-(6), which the Jesuits seems to do better (but not incredibly well). I think that if you want to study Aquinas exclusively, then the Dominicans might score higher on (6). I’m not sure either order really has (4)…

Anyway, I’m hoping for suggestions of other communities? Sometimes I just wish that I could gather a few very faithful friends of mine, live together, become ordained, and serve in the way that we think best. But it seems like I can’t do this Any advice?

I agree with the previous poster about your secular teaching job. I don’t think that the Dominicans and Jesuits, which are to my mind, your strongest candidates—teach in secular schools. Both are very strong in teaching. I do think that for no. 6, the Jesuits are stronger. They don’t pray the divine office, as part of their strong missionary bent–they are active. I think that the Dominicans pray the office AND the Dominicans usually wear a habit. Jesuits have no habit. They just dress as clerics, again as part of their missionary approach.

Don’t forget the Benedictines. They are very strong in academics and liturgy. They teach in universities, colleges and prep schools. They wear a habit and they pray the divine office, so they are more contemplative. The fact that they are stationary means that they tend to build large monasteries at their schools, with good libraries. You can “be a monk” for a month at St. John’s in Minnesota, where their large monastery and university of St. John’s resides. They are one of my favorites, along with the Jesuits. I am biased, somewhat.

You are just going to have to study these two orders in depth AND visit them, maybe even live with them if they permit it. We will be very interested in hearing about your adventures on this forum.