Scholarly Religious Orders

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As I continue my long discernment to one day God willing become a priest in a religious order I’m wondering?

Is there any other religious order that is known to be scholarly and intellectual aside from the Jesuits, Dominicans?
 
Athough based on the love of poverty, the Franciscans have had some great scholars in saints Anthony and Bonaventure.
 
Redemptorists, Paulists, and Benedictines among many others:
Redemptorist scholars and teachers:
  • Rev. Francis X. Murphy, C.Ss.R. (1914-2002), patristic scholar and peritus (expert) at Vatican II;
  • Rev. Francis Connell, C.Ss.R. (1888-1967), moral theologian and Vatican II peritus;
  • Rev. Louis Hartman, C.Ss.R. (1901-1970), scripture scholar and Editor-in-Chief for the 1970 edition of the New American Bible.
  • Bernard Häring, CSsR, presents a dialogic approach to Catholic moral theology in Free and Faithful in Christ and The Law of Christ. In this approach, morality follows the pattern of faith i.e. a dialogue. This approach to morality rests on the freedom of the person’s conscience that acknowledges God as basis of value.
  • The founder of Redemptorists, St. Alphonsus of Liguori, is a Doctor of the Church.
Paulists
Start with Paulist Press, and then look through this website: paulist.org/ecumenism/ecumenical-interfaith-leadership

Benedictines
saintmeinrad.edu/becoming-a-monk/opportunities-for-discernment/benedictine-scholars/

There are more.

Chau T. Phan, Ph.D.
Associate Diocesan Ecumenical Officers, Diocese of St. Augustine, Florida
 
LittleFlower378 said:
Athough based on the love of poverty, the Franciscans have had some great scholars in saints Anthony and Bonaventure.
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Ave Maria!

And also Bl. John Duns Scotus and St. Maximilian Mary Kolbe whose insights on Our Lady cross into uncharted territory that have still yet to be discovered.

The Franciscans of the Immaculate have friars that teach at the seminaries (and are planning to erect their own Marian seminary some day), give conferences to the third order, direct retreats, and write many books and articles for their magazines. We have conducted several international symposiums on Our Lady, have radio stations, television stations, internet blogs, videos, and even completed our first feature length film on Blessed John Duns Scotus. As you can see Our Lady has much need of scholars to fill many roles, including many translations from Latin, Italian, and even Polish. She also needs brothers who can build and fix things, cook, clean, or just pray more in union with Her in the contemplative houses. While priests often continue on to further studies, some non-ordained friars may be called to go on to further studies if there is a specific need.

Our American publishing house is the Academy of the Immmaculate at www.academyoftheimmaculate.com. There you will find a variety of scholarly works ranging from basic primers on Our Lady to works whose first page I can hardly decipher. The common theme is Our Lady, and She has much need for generous souls to consecrate themselves to Her so She can conquer all souls for the Kingdom Her Son.

More on the friars at marymediatrix.com/religious-life/friars.html

Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate Vocation video
youtube.com/watch?v=T7V3iYeZU0E

Mary Mother of Vocations, pray for us! St. Anthony, St. Bonaventure, Bl. John Duns Scotus, and St. Thomas, pray for us!

In the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary,

fra John Paul
 
You should google the “Order of the Most Holy Savior” commonly known as the Briggitines, because they were founded by St Brigitte (actually, Birgit) of Sweden. This Order has a most astonishing international history since it was suppressed in the Swedish reformation-- and you will learn of the modern saint who re-founded it in Vadstena Sweden, in the 1960’s. there are many articles on this order online, and you will enjoy finding them. 👍

The Brigittines have an unusual rule: nuns or monks take the three vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, but have a special privilege of owning an unlimited number of books. They are definitely scholarly.
I have always liked the 6 decade, or Brigittine rosary, which St Teresa of Avila also liked so much that she specified that the habit rosary of her Discalced Carmelites have 6 decades. (Curiously, most Carmelites don’t know this!) 😛
 
My own congregation, the Legionaries of Christ, tends to be rather scholarly. The majority have an additional masters degree beyond what most priests have.
 
Dominicans must be mentioned here.

Of course, the Angelic Doctor of the Church, St. Thomas Aquinas, should be considered scholarly. Meister Eckhart, etc.

One of the four pillars of Dominican spirituality is study. The very nice thing then is that this is tied to active preaching in the world. . . so it is not some sterile, solo, “learn for the sake of then learning more” practice. . . which is endemic to modern scholarship. The connection to the world bears fruit.
 
Aunt_Raven said:
You should google the “Order of the Most Holy Savior” commonly known as the Briggitines, because they were founded by St Brigitte (actually, Birgit) of Sweden. This Order has a most astonishing international history since it was suppressed in the Swedish reformation-- and you will learn of the modern saint who re-founded it in Vadstena Sweden, in the 1960’s. there are many articles on this order online, and you will enjoy finding them. 👍

The Brigittines have an unusual rule: nuns or monks take the three vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, but have a special privilege of owning an unlimited number of books. They are definitely scholarly.
I have always liked the 6 decade, or Brigittine rosary, which St Teresa of Avila also liked so much that she specified that the habit rosary of her Discalced Carmelites have 6 decades. (Curiously, most Carmelites don’t know this!) 😛
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Ave Maria!

There is some interest here in Sweden to start a Priestly group dedicated to her spirituality again…

Her Swedish name would be “Birgitta” by the way 🙂
 
Nils said:
Ave Maria!

There is some interest here in Sweden to start a Priestly group dedicated to her spirituality again…

Her Swedish name would be “Birgitta” by the way 🙂
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I stand corrected ! I have visited the “new” Brigittine monastery in Vadstena, I think in 1997, and met an elderly journalist --Ingrid Sandgren-- whose mother was a spiritual friend of Blessed Elizabeth Hesselblad (sp?) before she converted to Catholicism, and later re-founded the Brigittine nuns in Sweden.

Years later, this same journalist reviewed the new Swedish translation of the writings of St Brigitta; and in reading them, received the grace to become Catholic, and a Catholic journalist, scholar, and author. Modern miracles!

I think there is a community of Brigittine monks in Wyoming (?) Where in Sweden are you, Nils? How many priests / men are interested in forming a group centered on St Birgitta’s spirituality ? Are you one of them ? I have long regretted that Brigittine priests were lacking in Sweden, and I am thrilled that you / the others are thinking of this. As a member of the Anglican Ordinariate in England and formerly for 20 years in the USA, I wish to encourage priests to form the spiritual group you describe. It seems to me that the New Evangelism in Sweden must reclaim its Catholic cultural heritage represented by St Birgitta, and it will be incomplete until there are priests (as well as nuns) of the Order of the Most Holy Saviour once again on Swedish soil.

My husband’s family has Swedish roots, and we went for holiday last August to the fishing village of Arild, where the Catholic Church has a remarkable small chapel built by our great-great Aunt Giesla, a hermit (and artist) in the early 20th century. The Catholic chapel – and the village’s very old Lutheran Church-- are dedicated to the local child-martyr, St Arild. (I have read that the name was originally spelled “Arvid”.) The hermit Giesla painted murals of the life of St Arild on the Chapel walls; and painted many saints on the walls of the guest house beside it: all with great skill in a deceptively simple mediaeval style.

Last midsummer’s evening 2013, I went to the rock on the shore where the little Arild’s body was found by his grieving mother. There, I prayed for the return of Sweden to the true faith.

— and here I find what you have written, that some priests --or those hoping to be priests --are drawn to St Birgitta’s way as a community ! I think by your post here that little St Arild is showing me he has heard my prayer, and makes me happy to see that there are others who share it.

The Catholic diocese owns Aunt Giesla’s guest-house, which can be rented for a modest fee to Catholics who want to pilgrimage and pray at St Arild’s Chapel; perhaps you could contact the diocese, and arrange an informal discernment retreat there for your friends, under the patronage of both St Birgitta & little St Arild.

It is delightful to hear from you ----may St Birgitta and St Arild pray for and guide you and the others you mentioned so that what they propose may come to pass.
 
Aunt_Raven said:
I stand corrected ! I have visited the “new” Brigittine monastery in Vadstena, I think in 1997, and met an elderly journalist --Ingrid Sandgren-- whose mother was a spiritual friend of Blessed Elizabeth Hesselblad (sp?) before she converted to Catholicism, and later re-founded the Brigittine nuns in Sweden.

Years later, this same journalist reviewed the new Swedish translation of the writings of St Brigitta; and in reading them, received the grace to become Catholic, and a Catholic journalist, scholar, and author. Modern miracles!

I think there is a community of Brigittine monks in Wyoming (?) Where in Sweden are you, Nils? How many priests / men are interested in forming a group centered on St Birgitta’s spirituality ? Are you one of them ? I have long regretted that Brigittine priests were lacking in Sweden, and I am thrilled that you / the others are thinking of this. As a member of the Anglican Ordinariate in England and formerly for 20 years in the USA, I wish to encourage priests to form the spiritual group you describe. It seems to me that the New Evangelism in Sweden must reclaim its Catholic cultural heritage represented by St Birgitta, and it will be incomplete until there are priests (as well as nuns) of the Order of the Most Holy Saviour once again on Swedish soil.

My husband’s family has Swedish roots, and we went for holiday last August to the fishing village of Arild, where the Catholic Church has a remarkable small chapel built by our great-great Aunt Giesla, a hermit (and artist) in the early 20th century. The Catholic chapel – and the village’s very old Lutheran Church-- are dedicated to the local child-martyr, St Arild. (I have read that the name was originally spelled “Arvid”.) The hermit Giesla painted murals of the life of St Arild on the Chapel walls; and painted many saints on the walls of the guest house beside it: all with great skill in a deceptively simple mediaeval style.

Last midsummer’s evening 2013, I went to the rock on the shore where the little Arild’s body was found by his grieving mother. There, I prayed for the return of Sweden to the true faith.

— and here I find what you have written, that some priests --or those hoping to be priests --are drawn to St Birgitta’s way as a community ! I think by your post here that little St Arild is showing me he has heard my prayer, and makes me happy to see that there are others who share it.

The Catholic diocese owns Aunt Giesla’s guest-house, which can be rented for a modest fee to Catholics who want to pilgrimage and pray at St Arild’s Chapel; perhaps you could contact the diocese, and arrange an informal discernment retreat there for your friends, under the patronage of both St Birgitta & little St Arild.

It is delightful to hear from you ----may St Birgitta and St Arild pray for and guide you and the others you mentioned so that what they propose may come to pass.
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I am not too far from Vadstena in fact 🙂

I know especially of one Priest who is interested, but I have also met other young men who have been thinking about the same thing. It is a pity that the holy tradition of St. Bridget is not kept alive but I am sure things will change in His time…

St. Birgitta, ora pro nobis! St. Katarina, ora pro nobis!
 
One excellent guide in CAF is Brother Jay (JReducation) our Franciscan Brother. If he doesn’t pick up on this Thread, you could send him a private message. I saw one of his posts on vocations and I think he can give you some very well thought out prayerful suggestions.
 
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