Catholic order

Catholic religious orders are organizations of laity and clergy in the Roman Catholic Church who live under a common rule. They are to be distinguished from Holy Orders, the sacrament which bishops, priests, and deacons receive.

List of Roman Catholic orders

The following list refers to some of the major Roman Catholic orders; it should be understood that communities using the same name may exist in Anglican or Eastern Orthodox traditions as well. Each is accompanied by its official name in English as well as the acronym (or "post-nominal initials") commonly used to identify its members.

Related Topics:
Roman Catholic - Anglican - Eastern Orthodox - English - Post-nominal initials

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• Adorers (Adorers of the Blood of Christ) - A.S.C.
• Adornos (Clerics Regular Minor) - C.R.M.
• Assumptionists (Augustinians of the Assumption) - A.A.
• Atonement, Society of the (Atonement Friars/Graymoor Friars/Sisters) - S.A.
• Augustinians (Order of Saint Augustine) - O.S.A.
• Baladites (Order of Lebanese Maronite) - O.L.M.
• Barnabites (Clerics Regular of Saint Paul) - B., C.R.S.P.
• Basilians (Congregation of St. Basil) - C.S.B.
• Benedictines (Order of Saint Benedict) - O.S.B.
• Bernardines (also see Cistercians)
• Bridgettines (Order of Our Savior) - C.S.B.
• Brothers of Christian Instruction of St Gabriel -S.G.
• Brothers of the Christian Schools (Lasallian Brothers or Christian Brothers) - F.S.C.
• Brothers of Mercy of Our Lady of Perpetual Help - f.m.m.
• Camaldolese (Camaldolese Benedictines) - O.S.B. Cam./Er.Cam.
• Camillians (Order of Saint Camillus) - O.S.Cam.
• Canossians (Canossian Daughters and Sons of Charity) - F.D.D.C.
• Canons Regular of the New Jerusalem - C.R.N.J.
• Capuchins (Order of Friars Minor Capuchin) - O.F.M. Cap.
• Carmelites (Order of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel) - O.Carm., O.C.D., O.C.D.S.
• Carmelites of Mary Immaculate - C.M.I.
• Carthusians - O.Cart.
• Celestines (defunct)
• Cistercians - O.Cist./S.O.Cist
• Claretians (Claretian Missionaries) - C.M.F.
• Columbans (Missionary Society of St. Columban) - S.S.C.
• Congregatio Immaculatae Cordis Mariae (Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary), also Scheutfathers, Scheutists, or Missionhurst - C.I.C.M.
• Congregation of the Disciples of the Lord - C.D.D
• Congregation of Holy Cross - C.S.C.
• Congregation of Notre Dame - C.N.D.
• Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary - SS.CC.
• Conventual Franciscans (Conventuals or Order of Friars Minor Conventual) - O.F.M. Conv.
• Crosiers (Canons Regular of the Holy Cross) - O.S.C.
• Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul - D.C.
• Dehonians (Priests of the Sacred Heart of Jesus) - S.C.J.
• Divine Word Missionaries - S.D.V.
• Discalced Carmelites - O.C.D.
• Dominicans (Order of Friars Preachers) - O.P.
• Dottrinari (Congregazione dei Preti della Dottrina Cristiana) - D.C.
• Eudists (Congregation of Jesus and Mary) - C.I.M.
• Franciscan Brothers of Brooklyn - O.S.F.
• Franciscan Friars (Order of Friars Minor) - O.F.M.
• Franciscan Missionaries of Divine Motherhood - F.M.D.M
• Franciscan Missionaries of Mary - F.M.M
• Franciscan Friars of the Third Order Regular - T.O.R.
• Fransalians (Missionaries of St. Francis de Sales) - M.S.F.S.
• Grey Nuns of the Sacred Heart - G.N.S.H
• Good Shepherd Sisters - R.G.S
• Handmaids of the Blessed Sacrament and of Charity - A.A.S.C.
• Handmaids of the Sacred Heart of Jesus - A.A.S.C.
• Holy Cross Fathers (Congregation of Holy Cross) - C.S.C.
• Order of Hospitalers (Hospitaler Brothers of St. John of God) - O.H.
• Infant Jesus Sisters (Nicolas Barre) - I.J
• Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest - I.C.R.S.S.
• Jesuits (Society of Jesus) - S.J.
• Josephines of Asti (Oblates of St. Joseph) - O.S.I.
• Josephite Fathers and Brothers (St. Joseph's Society of the Sacred Heart) - S.S.J.
• Lazarists or Vincentians (Congregation of the Mission) - C.M.
• Legionaries of Christ - L.C.
• Little Sisters of the Poor - L.S.P.
• Loreto Sisters (Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary) - I.B.V.M.
• Marian Fathers - M.I.C.
• Marianists (Society of Mary) - S.M.
• Marianist Sisters (Daughters of Mary Immaculate) - F.M.I.
• Marists (Society of Mary) - S. M.
• Marist Brothers - F.M.S.
• Maryknoll (Catholic Foreign Mission Society of America) - M.M.
• Mercedarians (Order of Our Lady of Mercy) - O. de M.
• Missionaries of Charity - M.C.
• Missionaries of the Sacred Heart - M.S.C.
• Norbertines or Premonstratensians (Canons Regular of Prémontré) - C.R.P., O.Praem.
• Olivetans (Order of Our Lady of Mount Olivet)
• Oblates Of Mary Immaculate - O.M.I.
• Oblate Sisters of Providence -O.S.P.
• Oratorians (Oratory of St. Philip Neri) - C.O., Cong. Orat.
• Order of St. Elisabeth O.S.E.
• Pallottines (Society of the Catholic Apostolate) - S.A.C.
• Paris Foreign Missions Society (Missions Etrangères de Paris) - M.E.P.
• Passionists http://www.passionist.org (Congregation of the Passion) - C.P.
• Paulists (Congregation of St. Paul) - C.S.P.
• Piarists (Clerics Regulars Poors of the Mother of God of the Pious Schools) - Sch.P.
• Poor Clares (Nuns of the Order of St. Clare/(Order of Poor Ladies) - O.S.C.
• Presentation Brothers - F.P.M.
• Presentation Sisters - P.M.
• Presentation Sisters or Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary - P.B.V.M.
• Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter - F.S.S.P.
• Redemptorists (Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer) - C.Ss.R.
• Religious of the Cenacle - R.C.
• Resurrectionists - C.R.
• Rogationists of the Heart of Jesus - R.C.J.
• Rosminians (Institute of Charity) - I.C.
• Sacramentines (Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament) - S.S.S.
• Salesians of St. John Bosco - S.D.B.
• Salesian Sisters (Daughters of Mary Help of Christian) - F.M.A.
• Salvatorians (Society of the Divine Savior) - S.D.S.
• Scalabrians (Congregation of the Missionaries of St. Charles Borromeo) - C.S.
• School Sisters of Notre Dame - S.S.N.D.
• Servites (Order of Friars, Servants of Mary) - O.S.M.
• Sisters of Charity - S.C.
• Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary - B.V.M.
• Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary - S.N.J.M.
• Sisters of Mercy or Religious Sisters of Mercy - R.S.M.
• Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur - S.N.D., S.N.D. de N.
• Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy
• Sisters of St Joseph - C.S.J. or S.S.J.
• Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart - S.S.J.
• Society of the Precious Blood (Precious Blood Fathers) - C.PP.S.
• Spiritans or Holy Ghost Fathers (Congregation of the Holy Ghost) - C.S.Sp
• Stigmatines (Congregation of the Sacred Stigmata) - C.S.S.
• Sulpician Fathers (Society of Saint Sulpice) - S.S., P.S.S.
• Theatines (Congregation of Clerics Regular) - C.R.
• Trappists (Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance) - O.C.R., O.C.S.O.
• Trinitarians (Order of the Most Holy Trinity) - O.SS.T.
• Ursulines (Ursuline Nuns of the Roman Union) - O.S.U.
• Ursulines (Ursuline Sisters of Tildonck) - S.U.
• Verbum Dei Missionary Fraternity - M.V.D
• Viatorians (Clerics of Saint Viator) - C.S.V.
• Vincentians or Lazarists (Congregation of the Mission) - C.M.
• Vocationists (Clerics of the Divine Vocation) - S.D.V.
• Xaverians or Xaverian Brothers (Missionary Society of St. Francis Xavier) - S.X.