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Catholic Religious Communities. Yesterday and Today. History. From the Beginnings of the Monastic Movement to the Twentieth Century. The Desert Fathers. Men who went into the desert to become closer to God St. Antony was the most important
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Catholic Religious Communities Yesterday and Today
History From the Beginnings of the Monastic Movement to the Twentieth Century
The Desert Fathers • Men who went into the desert to become closer to God • St. Antony was the most important • St. Pachomius established the first monasteries and wrote the first Religious Rule to incorporate the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience St. Antony of the Desert Monastery, Egypt, is one of the oldest monasteries in the world
First Monastic Communities • Throughout the Middle East and northern Africa, others followed Pachomius’ example • Basil of Caesarea established communities for both men and, working with his sister Macrina, women • The Rule Basil wrote for his communities would become the basis for Orthodox monasticism
St. Benedict • Benedict of Nursia established a religious community at Monte Cassino, Italy • The Rule he (The Benedictine Rule) wrote for the monks there would become the basis for monastic life in the Catholic Church • The order he founded still flourishes in the Church today
Benedict’s Abbey at Monte Cassino First built in the 7th century; it has been rebuilt several times. The most recent was in the late 20th century after its almost complete destruction during World War II.
Medieval Monasticism • Communities for both monks and nuns were established throughout Europe • Communities were often open only to those who were wealthy • Communities were required to be self sufficient • Many had farms worked either by peasants or by “lay” brothers and sisters • Monks and nuns were the only educated people in Europe during the 8th through 11th centuries
Battle Abbey, England A reconstruction of the abbey’s cloister
Monk in Scriptorum Medieval monks and nuns spent much of their time copying books for use both in the monastery and in churches and chapels throughout Europe
Liturgy of the Hours Both monks and nuns spent a part of their day in Chapel reciting the Liturgy of the Hours. The Liturgy of the Hours is seven periods of prayer and Scripture readings that are scattered throughout the day and night.
A New Type of Religious Life – The Mendicants • In the 12th century there began to be the need for a more flexible type of religious community • This need was met by the formation of new orders called “mendicants” • Mendicants could travel from place to place and minister to the specific needs of the people, both as parish priests and in other ministries
The Order of Friars Minor • Founded by St. Francis of Assisi • Commonly called “Franciscans” • Practiced absolute poverty • Worked with the poor, preached, became doctors, later were missionaries
The Order of Preachers • Founded by St. Dominic de Guzman • Commonly called Dominicans • Founded to preach to and convert heretics • Became teachers (especially in universities), pastors, confessors and later missionaries
Mendicant Orders were open only to men • Although both Francis and Dominic did found orders for women, these orders were cloistered • Today, there are active orders of Franciscans and Dominicans for women
New Orders for the 16th Century After the Protestant Reformation, religious life in the Catholic Church changed again: • There was a need for teachers to teach the Catholic faith in an age when Protestants were converting Catholics throughout Europe • There was a need for missionaries to preach the faith to the peoples of Asia and the Americas as Christianity spread beyond Europe and northern Africa for the first time
The Society of Jesus • The Jesuits, founded by St. Ignatius Loyola • Founded to become missionaries. They were active in both Asia and the French and Spanish colonies of the Americas • Became teachers, especially to the upper classes of Europe. Jesuit schools even today are known for the academic excellence • Jesuit led retreats, based on “The Spiritual Exercises” of St. Ignatius Loyola, are also popular.
The Christian Brothers • Founded by John Baptist de La Salle in France • Mission: to teach the children of the poor • La Salle founded the first school to teach teachers and established the first Catholic elementary schools • He is the patron saint of teachers
Active Orders for Women • For the first time, communities of women began to leave their monasteries and converts and work “in the world” • Most of these new communities were teaching or nursing orders and most worked primarily with women and children
The Daughters of Charity • Founded in Paris by St. Vincent de Paul and St. Louise de Marillac to serve poor women and children • The first religious order for women to not be cloistered
Active religious orders for women expanded considerably throughout the 18th and 19th centuries Elizabeth Seton Founder American Daughters of Charity Frances Cabrini Founder of Missionary Sisters of Sacred Heart of Jesus Katherine Drexel Founder of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament
Today there are two types of religious communities: • Contemplative – live and work in their monasteries and convents • Active – live in community, but work “in the world” • All members of religious communities take the three vows of poverty, chastity and obedience • All communities have a specific “habit” – something in their clothing that identifies them as belonging to that particular community
The Evangelical Counsels • Poverty – to own little; to live simply • Chastity – to remain unmarried; no sexual relations; no exclusive relationships • Obedience – to God; to the Rule of your community; to your religious Superior Different communities may interpret these a little differently
Live and work within their community • Spend much of their day in prayer – including the Liturgy of the Hours • Communities must be self sufficient • Some are more modern than others • Most allow the monks and nuns to leave the community briefly to spend time with family or to attend school or workshops
A Typical Daily Schedule . . . From Gethsemane Abbey in Kentucky • 3:15 Vigils • 5:45 Lauds • 6:15 Eucharist • 7:00 Breakfast • 8:00 Work • 12:15 Sext • 12:30 Dinner • 1:30 Work; leisure; private prayer • 5:30 Vespers • 6:00 Supper • 7:00 Rosary • 7:30 Compline • 8:00 private time until bed
Contemplative Orders include . . . • Benedictines (men and women) • Trappists (men) • Carthusians (men) • Domincans (women) • Poor Clares (women)
Work “in the world” • Often may work at any job that does not contradict Church teaching and beliefs, but most work for the Church in some capacity • Live in community • Attend Mass daily; pray a modified form of the Liturgy of the Hours
Most active orders in the Church today are for women • Active orders for both men and women have experienced a decline in membership in the past 50 years
