Religious Orders and the laity

  • Thread starter Thread starter Coeurpieux
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
C

Coeurpieux

Guest
Hello!
What are the duties of laity who are part of religious orders such as the Franciscans or Carmelites? Do they take vows?? Can they wear the habit of the order? What must one do to join a religious order without being a monk?? I am interested in the Servites myself, and any information regarding that order would me much appreciated!
 
I can only speak of the Secular Franciscan Order OFS. It’s not a religious vow of poverty, chastity, and obedience in the strict sense, but a promise to live the rule for the rest of one’s life. The habit of the order is currently is to wear a Tau cross. Professed members have monthly gatherings, pray the liturgy of the hours or some form of liturgical prayer, live the rule, follow the Gospel in the manner of St. Francis. One can be married, single, or a diocesan clergy to join the order. One cannot belong to another religious order.
 
Last edited:
My wife and myself are professed Discalced Carmelites, Secular, OCDS.

Although we are no long part of a community, we still follow the rule of life, or Constitution as it’s now called.

I can’t speak for Franciscans or others, so I’ll just answer about the Discalced Carmelites.

We are the only 3rd order who make vows, but this is optional one year after making definitive promises.

We are called “Secular,” to distinguish between lay 3rd order members and religious 3rd order members. Pope John Paul II was a 3rd order member of the Discalced Carmelites. The same is true of diocesan priests who become 3rd order Discalced Carmelites.

This means that we live the spiritual life of the Discalced Carmelites, while remaining in our state of life.

My wife and myself are married, so it’s the state of life we’re in as a married couple, according to Church teaching.

We do not wear the habit of the Discalced Carmelites, but at OCDS meetings and conferences, we wear a large brown scapular. Otherwise we wear the traditional scapular, of Our Lady of Mt Carmel.

It’s is optional for a deceased member of the OCDS, to be buried in the habit of the Discalced Carmelites, but I don’t know anyone who has in my experience.

My wife and myself both know we will not be buried in the habit, but with our large brown scapular.

Jim
 
You can find a great deal of good information by researching “Oblates”. There are some good You Tube videos on the vocation of Oblates as well.
This one is my favorite, where Father Meinrad talks about Oblation being a vocation;
 
Do you live in the vicinity of the Servite Seculars? They pray the Rosary of the Seven Sorrows. They likely have a small black scapular that can be worn under one’s clothes, and perhaps a ceremonial one used at meetings.

I would imagine that Morning and Evening Prayer from the LOTH would be part of your commitment. They likely don’t take vows, but make a promise to live according to their secular rule. You’ll need to Google the secular Servites, as the links I found are all PDFs.

Blessings,
Mrs Cloisters OP
Lay Dominican
http://cloisters.tripod.com/
http://cloisters.tripod.com/charity/
 
All women in any order or congregation are lay people. I assume you mean those who are not vowed religious but, rather Seculars?
 
do people in third (secular) orders get to put letters after their name?
 
The Community of the Sons and Daughters of God, founded in the 1940s, by Divo Barsotti, now being investigated for his cause for sainthood, is a different type of order, with religious and secular. It considers all members of its Community to be Monks.
I believe it is in USA now.
 
Last edited:
I’ve looked at a handful of these groups and there is quite a variation from one to another in what is required and permitted. It’s best to fully investigate the one who’s spirituality you feel most called to share.
 
No i do not, but i know where i can find them. There is a Servite Church five hours from where i live. Can you tell me anything i need to know about joining? Is there an initiation period, and if so, how long does it last?
 
There will more than likely be an initial phase of come-and-see, yes. Each order is different, and you’d need to ask your questions to them.

You’ll have to sit down and think out your budget, though, if you plan to drive five hours. That’s like my family driving to visit grandma in the next state, who is 4.5 hours from us. Usually, it takes a week just to recover from the trip!

When I became a Lay Dominican, I was in college two hours from home. Mom would come and pick me up for Chapter meeting. We lived an hour south of the meeting town. When I got home from chapter, we would pack up and she would return me to school. I did that for a number of years, and my parents really couldn’t afford to do so. My school was known as the “Poor Man’s Harvard.”

Would you be able to move closer to the Servite church without damaging your job performance?
 
Distance is not a problem. Neither is budget,as public transportation here is very cheap. You can tour the whole of Lebanon for a few dollars 🙂
I rather enjoy taking long trips. im sure once i get to the Servite Church i would be able to get someone 's contact information and stay in touch with them.
 
Are you planning to become Catholic soon? How does this happen in Lebanon
 
Have you worked out how to convert.

in Lebanon. In one of your threads you were discussing the possibility of a secret conversion. Not because of risk of physical harm . Because of the reaction of family and society.

Would you be able to take a 10 hr round trip to a Servite Church, and the several hours you would be at that church, or is there something closer.

Or do you feel called to join an order and become a religious, wear a habit, if they have one.

Or could you more easily join the Maronite Church and be public about it. I know your head of Government is required to belong to the Maronite Church.
This church is in full communion with Rome.
 
Last edited:
I do not know if there are any Servite Churches nearer to me. I’ve searched online but i couldnt even find the one i know about.
I do feel called to become a religious( and i’ve felt this for several years, when i was a Muslim i wanted to become a Sufi, a sort of Muslim mystic/monk) , but i feel that such a step is too "extreme ", so i’ve settled for joining the secular Servites and hoping for the best.
I do not plan to get baptized at the Servite Church though. I should have clarified that beforehand. (My apologies). I personally prefer the Latin rite, and the church i am hoping to be able to reach soon for baptism is the Saint Louis Roman Catholic Church in Beirut, one of the few Latin churches in Lebanon( most Lebanese Catholics belong to Eastern Rites) i have no doubt though that i will be attending Mass at a Maronite or Greek Catholic church since i cant possibly be able to make a trip to Beirut every Sunday 😅.
Thanks for your response!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top