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CheezyDonut
Guest
I was wondering how Catholic Religious Orders like the Franciscans or Dominicans formed and if you could form one in today’s world, and if so, what would the process be?
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MaryEstelle2
Guest
I think you need like minded individuals to come together as a Catholic Unit with at least a chrisma or intent/plan and become an ‘association’ and known to your local priest-Bishop. This would be the very basic steps. Most ‘new’ orders fail for lack of finances. I give you only the very basic outline. Peace.
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Diaconia
Guest
It is very difficult to form a new Order.
It takes considerable time to get through the various steps to full, independent, Society/Congregation (Orders are rarely created any longer).
It also takes considerable money, over time.
But the greatest obstacle is having attractiveness to new members over considerable lengths of time.
There are simply far too many Orders fighting for very few vocations. Every time a new Order comes along it exasperates this phenomenon.
Think of it this way, if Benedict or Francis or Dominic or Ignatius can’t attract enough new members to keep their Orders strong and self-sustaining; how much more difficult is it for someone starting an Order today, without the experience and history and tests of time that they have?
Vocations to consecrated life are better channeled to existing Orders than to creating new ones.
It takes considerable time to get through the various steps to full, independent, Society/Congregation (Orders are rarely created any longer).
It also takes considerable money, over time.
But the greatest obstacle is having attractiveness to new members over considerable lengths of time.
There are simply far too many Orders fighting for very few vocations. Every time a new Order comes along it exasperates this phenomenon.
Think of it this way, if Benedict or Francis or Dominic or Ignatius can’t attract enough new members to keep their Orders strong and self-sustaining; how much more difficult is it for someone starting an Order today, without the experience and history and tests of time that they have?
Vocations to consecrated life are better channeled to existing Orders than to creating new ones.
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InThePew
Guest
You will need a stable (so consistent / constant) group of like-minded individuals; a canon lawyer to draw up constitutions / rule of the society and (most importantly) a sponsoring diocesan bishop. The last part can be tricky because most bishops don’t want to run the risk of (a) being drawn into messy fights when things turn to custard; (b) running the risk of being lumped with a bunch of people (and especially priests) on the payroll who’s he’s responsible for if the order collapses.
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Pat_OC
Guest
A priest in my nearby city started an order in the 70s or 80s I believe. I know him, he’s a very humble, wise and holy guy. Initially it was just a fraternal group of priests and brothers, with sisters starting later on, but in the 1990s they were approved by the Holy See and are a proper order. They’re called the Missionaries of God’s Love. They now have a presence in several of the Major cities here in Australia, a seminary in Melbourne and a growing presence in Indonesia.
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CatholicSpirit
Guest
They are referred to (locally) as ministries.
Examples:
St. Vincent de Paul Church, Austin Texas
Examples:
St. Vincent de Paul Church, Austin Texas
- Project Gabriel (aid for single mothers)
- Military Ministry (alliance with KofC and Military Archdiocese, and Warriors to Lourdes program)
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mrsdizzyd
Guest
There are new religious communities being established all the time. There are clearly laid out steps in Canon law.
Perhaps @Cloisters can give you a short summary of the process. I believe she is trying to establish her own community within her diocese.
Perhaps @Cloisters can give you a short summary of the process. I believe she is trying to establish her own community within her diocese.
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PaulfromIowa
Guest
First, you need to pick a theme song!
Cloisters
Well-known member
As a founder, I take issue with some of the negative responses in this thread. One lives the life themselves, then, if the Lord wants one to have companions, He will send them when ready. Yes, canon law has the guidelines, but they are scattered all over the canon, so some folks have kindly pulled everything together. And no, you don’t have to have a canonist in tow. That comes later, and they go through making sure everything written and practiced is in conformity with canon law. They also go through and place the applicable canons after each paragraph in the constitutions.
I received from a canonist what I have come to term the “Seven Pillars of New Foundations”. They are:
Rule
Constitutions
Formation Program
Horarium
Remunerative work
Stable Source of Habit Parts
Three or four founding members
New communities help the local bishop meet the needs in his pastoral plan.
The late Fr. Gambari, in his book on founding communities, said “there is no blueprint” for making a new foundation. My organization has started a founder’s support group called the Fullerton Society, and I can attest to the different ways that the Lord helps new communities come to pass.
As a side note, an early church council forbade the foundation of “new Orders” – those are the groups with solemn vows like the Dominicans, Norbertines, etc. Colloquially speaking, I am a married woman “founding a new order.” Even Protestants understand that phrase.
The OP asked about historical orders.
St Dominic founded his Order of Preachers to combat the Albigensians. He was already a Canon Regular. There was a definite need for itinerant preachers.
St Francis felt called to imitate the Poor Christ, and, goodness, the vocations he received!
Other orders were founded as a result of visions.
If there are more questions, I will do my best to answer.
Blessings,
Mrs Cloisters OP
Lay Dominican
http://cloisters.tripod.com/
http://cloisters.tripod.com/charity/ (my “new order”)
http://cloisters.tripod.com/holyangels/id9.html (my online lay Dominican group)
I received from a canonist what I have come to term the “Seven Pillars of New Foundations”. They are:
Rule
Constitutions
Formation Program
Horarium
Remunerative work
Stable Source of Habit Parts
Three or four founding members
New communities help the local bishop meet the needs in his pastoral plan.
The late Fr. Gambari, in his book on founding communities, said “there is no blueprint” for making a new foundation. My organization has started a founder’s support group called the Fullerton Society, and I can attest to the different ways that the Lord helps new communities come to pass.
As a side note, an early church council forbade the foundation of “new Orders” – those are the groups with solemn vows like the Dominicans, Norbertines, etc. Colloquially speaking, I am a married woman “founding a new order.” Even Protestants understand that phrase.
The OP asked about historical orders.
St Dominic founded his Order of Preachers to combat the Albigensians. He was already a Canon Regular. There was a definite need for itinerant preachers.
St Francis felt called to imitate the Poor Christ, and, goodness, the vocations he received!
Other orders were founded as a result of visions.
If there are more questions, I will do my best to answer.
Blessings,
Mrs Cloisters OP
Lay Dominican
http://cloisters.tripod.com/
http://cloisters.tripod.com/charity/ (my “new order”)
http://cloisters.tripod.com/holyangels/id9.html (my online lay Dominican group)
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nunsuch
Guest
There is also a difference between an ORDER (Franciscan, Dominican, Benedictine, etc.) and a Congregation. It is much easier–though not easy–to found a new Congregation.
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MaryEstelle2
Guest
Phew! I’m glad I kept my response simple and basic! It isn’t easy working within the church even if it is for the church. I am tossing out all my info. forms, paperwork and anything pertaining to new foundations, do to brake in health-renal failure
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Ann_Stanton
Guest
Will pray a Divine Mercy chaplet for you and your health.
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MaryEstelle2
Guest
Thank you, Ann.
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MaryEstelle2
Guest
Most of it is gone now as I wanted to put it out of my head. Sorry.
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Gabika50
Guest
A large amount of paperwork showing what its charactersitics would be that no other of the hundreds of orders has, local bishop looks over signs, and passes to Rome. An old joke from Catholic schools is that "God does not know what a Dominican is saying (order of preachers), what a Jesuit is thinking (scholars) and how many orders of mens and womesn religious there are.
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