The Lay Dominicans: Anatomy of a Religious Order

Beginning in the Middle Ages, clerics with similar apostolates began to form communities where they could live, pray, and work together. These communities were the first religious orders. Men who founded these religious orders followed a common rule that governed their way of life. While not the first written rule, the rule of St. Benedict is the one that shaped Western monasticism the most.

The Rise of the Mendicant Orders

Religious orders are governed by local abbots instead of their local bishops. This was one of the advantages of the monastic life during the Middle Ages when disaffected clerics were growing impatient with the scandalous life led by many cardinals and bishops. Many religious orders founded convents and began to incorporate women into their orders. Others also included the laity who desired to live the same charism but according to their state in the world. Thus, religious orders contained both clerics, known also as regular members, as well as secular or lay members.

Of the orders developed in the Middle Ages, several were a new style known as mendicant orders. Mendicant orders differed from the monastic orders whose members took a vow of stability, meaning they stayed in one place. The mendicants, including the Dominicans, Franciscans, Augustinians, and the Carmelites, are characterized by their vows of poverty, their lifestyle of traveling from town to town preaching the Gospel, and their propensity to live in more urban centers, often by universities. These mendicant orders have a first order consisting of the friars (priests), a second order of cloistered nuns, and a third order of laity and/or apostolic sisters.

The third order laity does not take the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience but rather make a solemn promise to live the charism of the order. This promise is not under the pain of sin. The laity can claim to wear the habit of the order, usually some small part of the habit such as a scapular, and are participants in the charism and good works of the order. Some orders allow the laity to be buried in the habit of the order.

Formation of the Dominicans

The third orders remain a vital part of the mendicant orders today. The term “third order” has become anachronistic and is being replaced by the term “laity” or “lay fraternity.”  I am a perpetually promised member of the Lay Fraternities of Saint Dominic (the Dominicans). The rest of this article is an introduction to the Dominicans and their lay fraternities.

The Order of Friars Preachers (the official name of the Dominican order) was established over 800 years ago by St. Dominic (1170-1221) to assemble a band of preachers to combat the heresies of the time, specifically Albigensianism. Pope Honorius III approved the order’s formation in 1216 and called St. Dominic and his spiritual sons “Friars Preachers.”

Unlike the monastic orders, the mendicants such as the Dominicans preached the Gospel in the cities and were drawn especially to universities, where they could engage with new ideas and recruit new friars. Although they lived in the world, they retained some monastic elements of silence and prayer. St. Dominic adopted the Rule of St. Augustine for his friars, partly because the fourth Lateran council prohibited the writing of new rules and partly because it fit the life and charism that St. Dominic envisioned for the order. The rule of St. Augustine allowed flexibility, which is exactly what a group of itinerant preachers needed.

In the early 13th century, a group of Albigensian women was converted by the preaching of St. Dominic, for whom he established a convent at Prouilhe in France. These cloistered nuns formed the second-order Dominicans. While St. Dominic did not directly establish the third order, his preaching to the laity inspired in many of them the desire to live the charism of the order.  In 1285, the Master of the Order, Munio de Zamora, established the rule of the tertiaries.

The Four Pillars

Dominicans throughout the centuries have served as pastors, bishops, cardinals, and one Pope (Pope St. Pius V). They have performed in the roles of inquisitor, canon lawyer, theologian, and teacher of theology and philosophy at the most prestigious universities in the world since the founding of the order. Of particular pride to the members of the order, the curial office of Theologian of the Pontifical Household (i.e., the Pope’s theologian) has been entrusted to a Dominican ever since St. Dominic first held the office over 800 years ago.

The charism of the Order of Preachers is preaching! We are to preach the Gospel at all times according to our state in life. There are four pillars to Dominican life that support our charism: prayer, study, community, apostolate.

Prayer

As Dominicans, prayer gives us the strength to fulfill our mission in the life of the Order. Daily reception of the Eucharist is encouraged along with the liturgy of the hours and daily recitation of the Holy Rosary. Dominicans embrace contemplative prayer such as the Lectio Divina. We pray so that we are open to the Gospel. A good preacher needs to live what he preaches.

Study

Studying also prepares us to preach. We are engaged in the assiduous study of sacred (big T) Truth.  In fact, our motto is Veritas (Truth). We cannot preach what we cannot understand. Scripture, Church documents, and works of Catholic theology and philosophy form the cornerstone of our study.

Community

We are brothers and sisters in Christ and St. Dominic who encourage each other in our mission of preaching the Truth. We share in each other’s celebrations and struggles. We meet locally in chapters and groups and our communities are governed democratically. Our community gives us the strength that we need to carry out our mission to preach the Gospel.

Apostolate

We are participants in spreading the Gospel according to the state of the laity. We participate in parish and diocese ministries and bring the Gospel by both word and action to the fringes of society. Dominicans preach by words as well as by their actions. An active apostolate for those who are able is key to the mission of preaching.

Joining the Dominicans

Joining a religious order is very different from joining a club such as the Knights of Columbus. When you are called to religious life you are called to full participation in the life of the order. While perfection is not expected, a lay Dominican is expected to try to live the four pillars of Dominican life. The Dominican laity are full members of the order no less than the friars. In fact, the Dominican laity make up the majority of the Order of Preachers! Once promised, the laity can use the letters “O.P.” after their name and have the privilege of being buried in the full habit like the friars.

Like the friars or the nuns, the laity enters a period of discernment called an inquiry. Lasting 12 months, inquiry introduces the inquirer to the Order, and they begin to practice the four pillars. After the completion of this period, the inquirer can decide that they are ready to be admitted to the Order through the Rite of Admission. At this point, no promise is yet made; the layperson becomes a candidate and spends another year studying with the Order.

At the end of this year, the candidate may make an application for a temporary promise to live according to the rule of the Dominican Laity for three years. The letters “O.P.” may now be added after the person’s name. The Lay Dominican will fully participate in the life of the chapter or group and continue to study with the entire group—Dominicans never end their studies. After three years, the Lay Dominican is eligible to make a perpetual promise, renew the temporary promise, or decide to leave the Order.

Conclusion

Being a Dominican shapes my identity and it is how I choose to work out my salvation.  While not for everyone, those who feel a deeper calling may find that a third order is the answer to that calling. The process of discernment is slow, prayerful, and most of all fruitful. If, in the end, you realize that it is not your calling, you will walk away having undertaken a very meaningful process. You will learn more about what God wants from you and will have a much deeper prayer life.