Iker Consecrated Life

RITE

(n.) a ceremony; the customary form of a ceremony; any formal custom or practice

VOW.

(n.) a solemn or sacred promise or pledge; (v.) to declare or promise in a solemn way

POVERTY, EVANGELICAL.

A Christian counsel by which a personvoluntarily renounces all or part of his right to the ownership ofmaterial things. (See also evangelical counsels.)

VOCATION.

A call from God to a distinct state of life, in which theperson can reach holiness. The Second Vatican Council made itplain that there is a "Universal call [vocatio] to holiness in theChurch" (Lumen Gentium, 39). (Etym. Latin vocatio, a calling,summoning; from vocare, to call.)

TEMPORARY VOW

A commitment made to God to practicepoverty, chastity or some other virtue for a specified length in time.When made in a religious institute, the vows are public, beingaccepted by the superior in the name of the Church. The first vowsof religion are generally temporary, to be renewed according to theconstitutions and preliminary to perpetual vows. But they do not,therefore, imply only a temporary commitment. They arecanonically temporary, so that after they expire the one who madethem is free to live the institute of Christian perfection. Butintentionally, even the person who takes only temporary vowsshould have the desire to persevere in the vowed commitment untildeath. (See also solemn vows and evangelical counsels.)

PROMISE.

A declaration telling God or another person that one willor will not do something. A promise made to God is equivalently avow, and it binds in conscience according to the gravity of thepromise and the intention to obligate oneself under pain of sin.Promises made to people must be kept, and they oblige in justice or charity

PRELATE

A dignitary having jurisdiction in external forum by rightof his office. There have been prelates "nullius" who presided overthe clergy and people of a certain territory not belonging to anestablished diocese. Thus abbots, although not bishops, have thejurisdiction of a prelate.

PRAYER BOOK.

A manual of prayers for private devotion by thefaithful or for communal use by members of a religious communityor confraternity.

POOR CLARES.

A monastic community founded by St. Clare(1194-1253) under the inspiration of St. Francis of Assisi. Inkeeping with the spirit of St. Francis, the austerity of the PoorClares was the most severe among women religious up to thattime. In succeeding years modifications and reforms divided thePoor Clares into various religious institutes, mainly Urbanists andColettines. Their principle emphasis has been on mortification andEucharistic adoration, with the chanting of the Divine Office.

MONK

A monk is the male member of a monastic or contemplative order. Some monks make solemn vows.

NOVICE

A novice is a person who is formally admitted to a religious institute to prepare for eventual religious profession. Canon law requires that all new members of religious institutes must have at least one full year of "canonical novitiate". This year usually consists of intense prayer, spirituality, scriptural and theological study, and the history of his or her receiving religious institute.

POSTULANT.

A person taking the first step in religious life beforeentering the novitiate and receiving the habit. The purpose of thepostulancy is to acquire some knowledge of the religious life and ofthe particular institute through personal experience. It enables oneto become better known to the superiors of the community, and todevelop such virtue as will qualify the candidates for acceptance into motive

SISTERS

A popular term for religious women, whether cloisterednuns or members of congregations under simple vows. The titlecorresponds to brothers in men's religious institutes and signifiesthat they are all members of the same spiritual family, sharepossessions in common, and live together in Christlike charity.

PROVINCIAL

A religious superior exercising general supervisionover a number of houses that form a division of the order orcongregation, called a province. The provincial superior in turn issubject to the superior general according to the constitutions of theinstitute.

SECULAR INSTITUTE

A society of consecrated life, whetherclerical or lay, whose members profess the evangelical counsels inthe world. Their purpose is to enable the members to attainChristian perfection and to exercise a full apostolate. They aredistinguished in ecclesiastical law from other common associationsof the faithful. They were first approved by Pope Pius XII onFebruary 2, 1947, in his constitution, Provida Mater, which stillcontains the guiding norms for their direction. Secular institutesdiffer from religious institutes or societies of apostolic life because,while their members take vows or promises, they are not technicallythe public vows of religion, and the members do not live a common life

OBLATES

A term that has a long and varied ecclesiastical history,originally designating those children who were sent to monasteriesto be brought up by religious. Some of these oblates becamereligious. After the early Middle Ages oblates were lay persons whowere united to a religious order by a simplified rule of life, but whodid not become full religious; this practice still continues. In moderntimes the name has been adopted by a number of fully establishedreligious institutes, of which the best known are the Oblates of MaryImmaculate (O.M.I.) and the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales. (SeeSalesians.) (Etym. Latin oblatus, offered).

RELIGIOUS STATE.

According to ecclesiastical tradition, a fixed orstable manner of life that people of the same sex live in common,and in which they observe the evangelical counsels by means ofthe vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience.

SPIRITUAL READING

All reading that leads us to prayer and closer union with God

VICAR

An ecclesiastic who substitutes for another in the exerciseof a clerical office and acts in his name and with the authorityaccording to canon law. (Etym. Latin vicarius, a substitute; fromvicarius, substituting, acting for; from vicis, change, turn, office.)

ORDER, RELIGIOUS.

An institute of men or women, at least someof whose members take solemn vows of poverty, chastity, andobedience. (See also evangelical counsels.)

SPIRITUAL DIRECTION

Assisting persons to understandthemselves and, with divine grace, to grow in the practice ofChristian virtue. (See also direction, spiritual.)

THIRD ORDERS.

Associations of the faithful established by religious orders. Dating from the thirteenth century, they may be either secular or regular. If secular, they are lay persons, commonly called tertiaries. If regular, they are religious, bound by public vows and live in community. Originally, third orders were Franciscan or Dominican, but the Holy See has since approved many others, both secular and regular, e.g., the Augustinians, Carmelites, Servites, and Trinitarians.

Anchorites

Christian terminology men who have sought to triumph over the two unavoidable enemies of human salvation, the flesh and the devil, by depriving them of the assistance of their ally the world. Hermets

SECULAR CLERGY

Clergy who are engaged for the most part inpastoral work and who are not members of a religious institute. Butthey are not bound by a vow of poverty or community life. But theircelibacy, in the Latin Church, is under solemn oath and theypromise obedience to a bishop as their immediate superior underthe Pope.

VEIL, RELIGIOUS

Covering for the head and shoulders worn bywomen religious. Historically, different veils have signified differentroles. The veil of probation, usually white, was given to novices; theveil of profession was given at the pronunciation of vows; the veil ofconsecration was given to consecrated virgins (See virginity); theveil of continence was given to widows. In the Church's Order ofReligious Profession, published in 1970, it is assumed that the veil is part of the distinctive garb of religious women. The veiling ofvirgins consecrated to divine worship and the service of the Churchgoes back to patristic times.

PERFECTAE CARITATIS.

Decree of the Second Vatican Councilon the "Up-to-Date Renewal of Religious Life." This is intended tocomplement the chapter on religious life in the Council'sConstitution on the Church. It is therefore a normative document onhow those dedicated to Christian perfection are to renew themselves in spirit and adapt themselves to the changing times.(October 25, 1965).

SPIRITUAL EXERCISES

During a year of intense prayer, St. Ignatius was inspired to write this guide for spiritual perfection, which is divided into reflections and meditations meant to help the believer emulate Christ.

Charism

Each religious community has a charism which is a purpose, mission, and spirit inspired by the communities founder. For example, a religious communities charism may be striving for reconciliation in the world through education or the strengthening of the family through compassionate health care.

VOW OF OBEDIENCE

If you are told to go to another church, you go

ORDINARY.

In ecclesiastical law a cleric with ordinary jurisdictionin the external forum over a specified territory; the Pope withunlimited jurisdiction; diocesan bishops and their vicars; prelatesnullius; capitular vicars and administrators filling the vacancy in a diocese. Also superiors general, abbots primate, provincial abbotsof exempt monasteries. Their representatives too are calledordinaries (Etym. Latin ordinarius, regular, usual.)

SCAPULAR.

Italy.SCAPULAR. An outer garment consisting of two strips of clothjoined across the shoulders, worn by members of certain religiousorders. Originating as the working frock of Benedictines, it wasadopted by religious communities and is now considered adistinctive part of the monastic habit. It symbolizes the yoke ofChrist. (Etym. Latin scapulare, scapularium, "shoulder cloak" fromLatin scapula, shoulder.)

TERTIARIES.

Lay persons living in the world who are striving afterChristian perfection as their station in life allows, according to thespirit of a religious order to which they are affiliated and abiding bythe rules approved for their association by the Apostolic See.Secular tertiaries generally do not live in community, nor do theywear habits, but they share in the good works of their parent order.

PASSIONISTS.

Members of the Congregation of Discalced Clericsof the Most Holy Cross and Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ,founded at Monte Argentaro in Tuscany in 1737 by St. Paul of theCross (1694-1775). The rule was definitely approved in 1769 byPope Clement XIV, who conferred many privileges of the old orderson the new congregation. Passionists emphasize contemplation(See contemplative life) as the basis of their apostolic work, andtake a fourth vow to promote devotion to the Passion of Christ.Their traditional apostolates are preaching missions and givingretreats. Passionist nuns, totally distinct from the clerical society,were founded as strict contemplatives. (See also discalced.)

VINCENTIANS

Members of the Congregation of the Missionfounded by St. Vincent de Paul in 1625. Also know as Lazaristsfrom the Place de St. Lazare, which was St. Vincent's headquartersin Paris. Vincentians form a society of common life. They aresecular priests living in community under religious vows. Theirpresent apostolate is mission work, conducting seminaries,directing the Daughters and Ladies of Charity, education and givingspiritual exercises to priests, religious and the laity.

PAULISTS.

Members of the Missionary Society of the Apostlefounded in the United States by Isaac Hecker (1819-88). It w sestablished to further the work and interests of the Roman CatholicChurch in the United States. Their rule is based on that of theRedemptorists, to which congregation the founder originallybelonged.

ORATORIANS

Members of the congregation of the Oratoryfounded by St. Philip Neri in 1564 and approved by Pope Paul V in1612. St. Philip's Oratory is a congregation of secular priests,technically a society of common life. Members are priests andbrothers living a common life, without public vows. The purpose isto promote spiritual and cultural development by pastoral work,preaching and teaching, especially among students and the young.

PRIORY.

Monastery of men or women governed by a prior orprioress. A conventual priory is autonomous, while one dependentupon an abbey or motherhouse is an obedientiary priory. InEngland, monasteries attached to cathedral churches are termedcathedral priories.

Apostolic Life

Not only the first followers of christ but all baptized Christians are encouraged to take up the work of an apostle which is carrying on the original mission entrusted to us by Jesus Christ in the gospels. Some religious institutes are educated to serving the Church in active ministry or in an apostolic life. These specific apostates may be in the form of health, social service, education, or direct service to the poor

nUN

Nuns are women religious under solemn vows living in a cloistered, contemplative life in a monastery. Although it is not accurate, common usage frequently refers to religious sisters as nuns.

PERPETUAL VOWS.

Ordinarily the final vows a person takes in aninstitute of Christian perfection, mainly poverty, chastity andobedience. (See also evangelical counsels.) Other vows may beadded, according to the constitutions of the institute. They are alsocalled last vows, although some communities take perpetual vowsimmediately after the novitiate, and others never take what aretechnically perpetual vows, but they simply renew their vowsregularly, according to their rule of life. (See also solemn vows, andnovice.)

SOLEMN VOWS

Perpetual Vows of poverty, chastity and obedience professed by a Nun. She renounces ownership of all of her temporal goods.

SPOUSE (BRIDE) OF CHRIST.

Primarily the Church founded byChrist, which St. Paul elaborately describes as espoused to Christ.Also a woman who vows her chastity to God in order to be morelike Christ and more intimately united with him. Among certainmystics, such as Sts. Teresa of Avila and Catherine of Siena, anextraordinary union with the Savior.

PREACHING.

Public discourse on a religious subject by one havingthe authority to do so. Preaching, therefore, can be properly applied only to bishops, priests, and deacons in exercise of their office ofproclaiming the word of God.

VIRGINS, CONSECRATION OF.

Solemn dedication of a woman tolifetime virginity. The women on whom the consecration of virginscan be bestowed are both religious women and women living in theworld who have never entered into marriage and have not publiclyor openly lived in a state contrary to chastity. The one whoadministers the rite is the local ordinary or his delegate. There is alifelong commitment in the consecration. The practice goes back toapostolic times, with a formal rite for the consecration dating fromabout the year 500. In 1970, Pope Paul VI revised the ritual bywhich women consecrate their virginity "to Christ and theirbrethren" without becoming members of a religious institute.

TRAPPISTS

Spends 4 hours in prayer, but vow silence except in praise of God of fulfillment of responsibilities

Consecrated Life

State of life lives as a means of attaining Christian perfection. It is characterized by the profession of the evangelical counsels of chastity, poverty, and obedience

VISITANDINES

The Order of the Visitation of the Blessed VirginMary, founded in 1610 by St. Francis de Sales (See Salesians) andSt. Jane Frances de Chantal. It was established for women whowished a contemplative life but under less austere conditions thanthose of the older orders, stressing humility, gentleness, andsisterly charity. Originally under vows, they became a religiousorder with strict enclosure in 1618, and thus were approved byPope Paul V.

SECULARIZATION.

The act of permanent separation of men orwomen from their obligations to the religious life. They are releasedfrom their vows and may return to the world. Except in purelydiocesan orders, secularization requires a papal indult.

QUEST.

The begging of alms, for support according to rule, bymendicant Frairs Minor (See Franciscans), Capuchins, and thePoor Clares; and by religious communities like the Little Sisters ofthe Poor, who collect food and clothing for those under their care.

POVERTY OF DISPOSSESSION.

The complete renunciation ofownership and further acquisition of material possessions. Thebiblical foundation for such poverty is the declaration of Christ tothe rich young man: "If you wish to be perfect, go and sell what youown and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure inheaven; then come, follow me" (Matthew 19:21).

MONASTERY

The is the place where religious dwell in seclusion. The term applies mainly to religious men or women who live a cloistered, contemplative life and recite the entire Divine Office in common.

SOLEMN PROFESSION.

The permanent and definitive embracingof the religious state in an institute recognized by the Church as areligious order. In most such orders, all those who take final vowsmake a solemn profession.

SUPERIOR, RELIGIOUS.

The person who governs a religiouscommunity. His or her powers are defined in the constitutions of theinstitute and in the common law of the Church. All religioussuperiors have dominative power over their subjects, i.e., they havethe right of authority over the acts of the persons in their community. In a clerical exempt institute, superiors also haveecclesiastical jurisdiction.

RELIGIOUS RULE.

The plan of life and discipline, approved by theHoly See, under which religious live in order to grow in Christianperfection and perform the works of the apostolate proper to theirinstitute. (See also rule.)

WILL OF GOD.

The plan which God has for every human being.

RENEWAL.

The recovery of the conditioned response when the organism is placed in a novel context

ORDERS, SACRAMENT OF

The sacrament that, by theimposition of a bishop's hands, confers on a man the grace andspiritual power to sanctify others. There are three forms of thissacrament, also called sacramental order, namely diaconate,priesthood and the episcopate (See bishop.)

POVERTY OF SHARING.

The voluntary sacrifice of one'spossessions for the common good of a community. All means ofsupport and activity are provided by the group. Practiced in theChurch since apostolic times, it is described by St. Luke as one ofthe effects of receiving the Holy Spirit: "The faithful all lived togetherand owned everything in common; they sold their goods andpossessions and shared out proceeds among themselvesaccording to what each one needed" (Acts 2:44-45).

EVANGELICAL COUNSELS

These are the vows and practice of poverty, chastity, and obedience. They are evangelical because they were taught and practiced by Jesus Christ in the gospels.

FORMATION

This is the period of preparation whereby a man or woman learns the customs, traditions, spirituality, and history of the vocation he or she is embracing. This usually takes place within a house reserved for this particular purpose. For men preparing for priesthood, this house may be called a seminary.

MAJOR SUPERIOR

This is the person who is entrusted with the ultimate authority of a given order or congregation or one of its designated sub-divisions. This person may have the title of abbot or abbess, prior or prioress of a monastic congregation or monastery, the superior general of an entire religious institute, or the provincial superior.

NOVITIATE

This is the place or house where novices normally live.

FRIAR

This term refers to a male member of a mendicant order, such as the Dominicans or Franciscans, although it may be extended to others in the monastic tradition.

PROFESSED.

Those persons in a religious community who havebeen admitted to the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. (Seealso evangelical counsels.) In some orders, however, the term isreserved for those religious who have lived in their communities fora definite period of time after the taking of vows. The term may alsoapply exclusively to those who have taken final vows. But generallythey are said to be "finally professed," as distinct from those whoare "temporarily professed" or "first professed" or "junior professed."

STATES OF PERFECTION

Those stable forms of living whichsome of the faithful bind themselves by vows, to practice theevangelical counsels of chastity, poverty, and obedience. They arecalled states of perfection because those who live in these statesagree to follow a particular rule of life, approved by the Church,whose faithful observance will certainly lead to Christian perfection.

SIMPLE VOW.

VOW. Every vow, whether private or public, that is notexpressly acknowledged by the Church as solemn. The term cameinto use with the Church's recognition that religious congregationsare authentic institutes of Christian perfection, as distinct fromreligious orders. Simple vows render actions committed against thevows illicit, unlike solemn vows that make such actions invalid.

SERVITES.

Virgin Mary. It was founded at Florence in 1233 by sevencouncilors of the city, who have since been canonized as the SevenHoly Founders, among whom the first leaders were St. Buonfigliodei Monaldi and St. Alessio de' Falconieri, who remained a laybrother. The order was approved by the Holy See in 1249 andagain in 1304. Its apostolate is among the faithful andnon-Christians and includes promoting devotion to the BlessedVirgin, especially under the title of the Sorrowful Mother. There areseveral institutes of women religious, pontifical and diocesan,specially devoted to Our Lady of Sorrows. The best-known are thecontemplative Servite nuns (Second Order) founded by two penitents of St. Philip Benizi (1233-85) about the same time of hisdeath; the nuns of the Third Order, founded by St. JulianaFalconieri in 1306, who care for the sick and the poor and theeducation of children.

Community

a group of persons who share the same beliefs live together with a common rule and cooperate in pursuing the common interests for the benefit of others besides their own members

Divine Office

a group of psalms, hymns, prayers and biblical and spiritual readings formulated by the Church for chant and recitation at stated times during the day.

covent

a religious community of either sex when spoken of in its corporate capacity the buildings in which resides a community of either sex

RULE.

a statement of relation between concepts

WIDOW

a woman whose husband has died

RESIGNATION.

acceptance of fate

SEMINARY.

an institution in which priests are trained

contemplative life

as opposed to the apostolic life, this form of consecrated life stresses prayer and self denial as a way of growing in the knowledge of god. Contemplatives within a religious institute give themselves over to god in a life of prayer, solitude, silence and penance

SALESIANS

dedicated their lives to working with youth, especially the young men and women of industrial Europe's working classes

OFFICE, DIVINE.

he canonical hours in the Roman Catholicliturgy. The revised Breviary since Second Vatican Councilprescribes: Office of Readings, Morning Prayer, Daytime Prayer(Midmorning, Midday, Midafternoon) Evening Prayer and NightPrayer, including appropriate antiphons, orations, psalms, canticles,hymns and responsories.

URSULINES

he oldest teaching order of religious women in theCatholic Church, founded at Brescia, Italy, by St. Angela Merici in1525. In 1900 a congress of Ursulines met in Rome and effected aunion of many congregations. There are twenty-five pontificalinstitutes of Ursulines, besides those belonging to the RomanUnion.

ZUCCHETTO.

little hat worn by the Bishop (pope = white) (priest garments)

Abbey

monetary canonically erected and autonomous with a community of not fewer that five religious monks under the government of an about and nuns under that of an abbess

VOW OF CHASTITY

no sex

discernment

process of discovering ones particular vocation in life- whether God is calling someone to religious life, marriage, priesthood, single life, or particular ministry

RENUNCIATION.

rejection; refusal to acknowledge

Brother

takes religious vows usually poverty, chastity, and obedience A brothers life revolves around prayer communal living in a religious community or monastery and a ministry within the Church and Society A brother is not ordained to the priesthood

SOLITUDE

the state of being alone

RETREAT.

to move away from the enemy

VOW OF POVERTY.

vow taken by religious to live simply, unattached to material things

Cloister

within monasteries, free entry of outsiders is usually limited to a confined area. A cloister is the part of the monastery reserved only for the monks or nuns who reside in that monastery. Such monks and nuns may be referred to as cloistered in that they strive for religious perfection within the confines of a monestery