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Consecrated Life

History in the Church


and in the
United States Today
Evangelical Counsels

• Simplicity of Life
• Purity of Life
• Following of the Gospel
The Vows

• Poverty
• Chastity
• Obedience
The Evangelical Counsels and
the Vows
To Follow Christ More Perfectly

• Simplicity of Life • Poverty


• Purity of Life • Chastity
• Following the • Obedience
Gospel
The Elements of Monastic Life
and Consecrated Life

• Prayer
• Common Life
• Vows
• Rule
Prayer
Liturgy of the Hours
• Matins
• Lauds
• Prime
• Terce
• Sext
• Nones
• Vespers
• Compline
Common Life

• Living,
• working,
• recreating
• together
• in a community.
Vows

• Commitment
• Lifetime
• Before God
Rule

• Augustine
• John Cassian
• Basil
• Benedict
“Second Orders” - Nuns
• A rule similar to
Benedict’s was developed
for women.
• St. Scholastica is
considered their
foundress.
• Their rule was similar to
that of the male “first
order.”
• Other orders followed a
similar pattern.
Finance, Support, Work,
Apostolate

• Farming
• Education
• Medicine
Farming

• Rotation of Crops
• Fish Farms
• Irrigation
• Breeding
Education
• Philosophy
• Theology
• Mathematics
• Rhetoric
• Manuscripts
• Calligraphy
• Agriculture
• Medicine
• Translation of Jewish,
Greek, Arab scholars
Medicine

• Digestive aids
• Herbal remedies
• Research
• Translation of Jewish
and Arab scholars
“Ideal and Perfect” Christian
Life
• The monastery, which • Laity, and subsequent
tried to perfect the religious communities,
evangelical counsels, strived to imitate the
came to be viewed as monastic way of life.
the ideal Christian way • Third Orders
of life and the gateway • Rosary
to heaven.
Medieval Period
• Canon law develops and Christians are divided into
“states” of life
– Clergy
– Religious – consecrated life
– Laity
• Religious life seen as closest to the perfect following of
Christ
• Laity, whose state in life is implicitly “imperfect,” seek to
“participate” in perfect following of Christ as exemplified
in religious orders
Rosary and the Monastic Office
“The People’s Psalter”
The People’s Participation in the Prayer Life of the
Religious
Rosary and Monastic Office
The People’s Psalter
• 150 Psalms • 15 decades of ten Ave
Marias
• Gloria • Gloria after each
decade
• Pater Noster • Pater Noster between
decades
• Salve Regina • Salve Regina
Third Orders – Tertiaries -
Oblates
• Medieval Period • Associations whose
• Founders and benefactors members share in the
of monasteries were spirit of some religious
received in life into institute while in secular
spiritual fellowship, and life, lead an apostolic life,
were clothed in death in and strive for Christian
some religious habit. perfection under the
• Participate in indulgences higher direction of the
granted to the first and same institute are called
second orders. third orders or some other
appropriate name. - Canon
303
Third Orders – Tertiaries
Development
• Promises, not vows
• Simplicity of life
• Commitment to prayer
• Commitment to good works
• Support of First and Second Orders
• NB – Always related to religious orders and
their spirit.
• “Lay spirituality” means imitation of
religious orders’ spirituality
Reform

• Wealth
• Laxity
– Observance of vows
– Observance of Rule
• Prayer
• Common Life
• Enclosure/Cloister
Reforms – New Orders
• 6th Century - Rule of
St. Benedict
• 1098 - Citeaux
(Cistercians)
• 1664 - La Trappe
(Trappists)
Cycles of Reform

• The cycles of reform of the followers of the


Rule of St. Benedict result in:
– Return to stricter observance of rule within
existing order.
– New Orders dedicated to strict observance of
letter and spirit of rule. (resourcement)
New Forms of Religious Life

• All forms of religious life will follow some


aspects of the monastic ideal.
• Prayer, Common Life, Vows, Rule
• The application of these ideals will vary.
• These new orders will be distinguished by
their “apostolates” and “charisms”.
Canons Regular
• Norbert of Xanten
• 1120 Order of
Premontre (O. Praem.)
• Three traditional vows
• Rule of St. Augustine
• Common life
• Liturgy of Hours
• Active Priestly
Ministry
Friars
• Dominic Guzman
(c.1170 – 1221)
– Order of Preachers
(O.P.)

• Francis of Assisi
(c.1181 – 1226)
– Order of Friars Minor
(O.F.M.)
Order of Preachers
• Traditional three vows
• Live in community but not
enclosure
• Preach and convert
• Educators
• Scholars
• Liturgy of Hours
• Second Order of Nuns
• Third Order
Order of Friars Minor
• Traditional three vows
• Ideal is to be a wandering
beggar
• Strict Poverty
• No Possessions
• Controversy immediately
after Francis’ death
• Three Orders
– Friars Minor
– Poor Clares
– Third Order
Cycles of Reform
• Each order goes through
cycles of reform.
• Re-foundation – return to
origins
• New branches
• Both phenomena are signs
of health
• “Capuchin Friars
Reformed” – “Franciscan
Friars of the Renewal”
Forms of Religious Life
Monastery Friars Post-Trent

Prayer All together Together and Together and/or


Private Private
Common Life Enclosure Cloister/ Semi-Cloister/
Outside Outside
Vows 3/4 3 3

Rule Clear Clear Clear

Apostolate Contemplation Poverty/ Education,


Preaching Hospitals, etc.
Post Trent Communities
Apostolates

• Education – Men/Women
• Education and Care of Youth
• Health Care
• “Overseas” Missions
• European Missions
• Specific Devotion, e.g., Passion of Christ
• Social Services, Care of Poor, etc.
• Preaching, “Missions”
Life Cycles

• 200 to 300 year cycle


• Foundation
• Growth
• Peak
• Decline
• Reform or Extinction
Reform or Extinction
• Extinction – Community simply disappears or
merges with another, similar community
• Reform – Community “re-forms” or “re-founds”
itself based on original rule and/or “charism” of
founder.
• Reform/Split – New community founded by
splitting from original community.
– New community often characterized by stricter
approach to rule or “charism” of founder.
Vatican II

• “It redounds to the good of the Church that


institutes have their own particular
characteristics and work. Therefore let their
founders' spirit and special aims they set
before them as well as their sound traditions
– all of which make up the patrimony of
each institute – be faithfully held in honor.”
Perfectae Caritatis 2 b)

• Creates a hurricane of reform!!!!!


Post Vatican II

• Reform – Return to rule or “charism” of


founder
– Arguments over definition of “founder’s spirit”
and “sound traditions”
– Internal discord
• Reform/Split – Splinter group usually
“stricter”
• Extinction – Shrinkage to insignificance or
merger
Post Vatican II
United States of America

• Note well! – Proportional decline in


numbers began in 1944 – Societal changes
began to impact vocations before Vatican II
• Decline in membership of religious
communities
• Extinction of some communities
• Transformation of some communities
United States of America
Priests and Sisters
Kenedy Directory 1944 1965 2014

Catholics 23,419,701 45,640,619 66,600,000


fba – 15,300,000
fmra–31,000,000

Total Priests 37,749 58,632 45,713


94% active 68% active

Dioc. Priests 24,031 (1943) 35,925 26,265


Rel. Priests 12,939 (1943) 22,707 12,010
Cath. per priest 620 778 1,457
Sisters 133,985 179,954 49,883
Catholics per sister 174 253 1,335
Post Vatican II
Transformation of Religious Communities
Prayer Common Prayer less frequent
Common Life Different schedules, changes in garb
Vows Weakening of vows
Rule Changing rules, weakening of
authority
Apostolate Unitary apostolate disappears.
Diversity of apostolates affects
prayer, common life, rule.
Post Vatican II
Transformation of Religious Communities

• Life Cycle – Ready for Change


– Most religious communities in the United States,
founded or “re-founded” through migration, are
beyond the mid-point of the 200 to 300 year life
cycle.
• Societal Changes
• Ecclesiastical Developments
• Destabilization of religious life
Post Vatican II
Transformation of Religious Communities
Societal Changes

• Women’s Movement
– Options for women increase
• Civil Rights Movement
• “Sexual Revolution”
• Challenges to civil authority
– Anti – Vietnam War Movement
– Watergate
Post Vatican II
Transformation of Religious Communities
Ecclesiastical Developments

• Challenge to ecclesiastical authority


– Humanae vitae controversy
• Universal Call to Holiness
• New Ministries
• Re-examination of religious life
– Seek original “charism” and intent of
founder/foundress
Post Vatican II
New “Traditional” Communities

• Characteristics of earlier communities


– Habits
– Strict application of rule, vows
– Unitary apostolate
Post Vatican Two –
New Forms of Community
• Opus Dei – Lay-based with expectations of
personal devotion and asceticism.
– Goal: Sanctification of Society through lay example
and influence
– Structure: “Personal Prelature” - Diocese-like -
Different levels of membership
• Neo-Catechumenate – Lay-based in parish
communities.
– Goal: Evangelization of society through application of
Gospel-based ongoing catechesis
– Structure: Central leadership and local leadership
Universal Call to Holiness
• “. . . all in the Church, whether they belong to the
hierarchy or are cared for by it, are called to holiness,
according to the Apostle’s saying: ‘For this is the will of
God, your sanctification.’ . . . It is therefore quite clear that
all Christians in whatever state or walk of life are called to
the fullness of Christian life and to the perfection of
charity, and this holiness is conducive to a more human
way of living even in society here on earth.”
(Lumen Gentium, The Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, V, 39)
Universal Call to Holiness

• Restored early Christian understanding of


the Christian Vocation
• Idea of forms of “Lay Spirituality”
• Concept of Vocation, call by God, not
limited to clergy and religious, as it had
developed in medieval period
• Misunderstood by many to lessen value of
religious or consecrated life
Bl. Sister Miriam Theresa, S.C.
Bl. Sister Miriam Theresa, S.C.

• Heard call to contemplative, cloistered


Carmelite life
• Illness and family problems prevented this
• Heard call to active apostolate in teaching
religious community, the Sisters of Charity
of Saint Elizabeth
• Directed by confessor to write conferences
for sisters
Bl. Sister Miriam Theresa, S.C.

• Miriam Theresa – everyone is called to


holiness
• Greater Perfection – Collection of writings
of Sister Miriam Theresa
Bl. Sister Miriam Theresa, S.C.
Community Call to Holiness
“The immediate object is to help sanctify this community (The
Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth). . .
. . . and all His spouses engaged in the active life (women and
men religious) . . .
. . . by bringing home to them by force of example and word
that God desires with desire to become one spirit with them, .
..
. . . and this life of union, far from being incompatible with
their state, is the one thing necessary, for upon it depends the
fruitfulness of action."
Bl. Sister Miriam Theresa, S.C.
All Called to Holiness

• "And even in the world I felt very intensely


that if people only sought God in all
earnestness they would find Him. And if all
would only make use of the ordinary duties
and trials of their state in the way God
intended, they would all become
saints.." (all men and women)
(Sister Miriam Teresa’s letter to Father Benedict,
O.S.B. August 19, 1926)
Bl. Sister Miriam Theresa, S.C.
• Goal of religious life
– Seek to attain personal holiness
– Call others to holiness
– Call the community to holiness
– Then the community can call all men and women to
holiness
• Therefore, religious life
– not separated or better than lay vocation
– not devalued by universal call to holiness,
– but becomes the major and moving force in the Church
calling all men and women to holiness
The Future of Religious Life

In
Manibus
Dei

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