Religious Orders

You can find hundreds of different religious orders, communities, and congregations around the world today. Each bases its spirituality on the founder of its congregation, such as St. Francis of Assisi, the founder of the Franciscans. St. Dominic founded the Dominicans, St. Clare the Poor Clares, St. Lucy Filippini the Religious Sisters Filippini, and Mother Teresa founded the Missionaries of Charity. Some communities specialize in teaching or social work. Some engage in apostolates (temporary service as priests), and a few devote themselves to a solitary life of contemplation and prayer.

The Sisters of St. Joseph (of which my aunt is a member) often work in schools, hospitals, and nursing homes. So do the Sisters of Mercy, Religious Sisters Filippini, Dominican Sisters, Daughters of Charity, and Sisters of Saints Cyril and Methodus. On the other hand, Poor Clares, Carmelites, Dominicans, and other nuns tend to spend most of their time in monasteries praying, fasting, and working for the sanctification of souls. These nuns spend most of their time cloistered (seperated) from the general public. A few nuns from the order are designated externs, living outside of the cloister, so they can buy food and other necessaries. The other nuns rarely leave the monastery, departing only for illnesses or deaths in the family. Cloistered nuns live in a monastery, in contrast with religious sisters, who work outside the convent (where they reside).

So the stereotypical image of nuns running the Catholic school is only partially correct. These are, in fact, religious sisters performing their duties.

You can tell the order of a monk, friar, nun, or sister by their habit, or religious clothing. Franciscans wear brown, Dominicans wear white, the Benedictines wear black, and the Missionaries of Charity wear white with blue stripes. Some female religious communities no longer wear veils on their heads, but instead wear a pin that identifies their order. The style of a veil is also a good indicator.

Religious brothers and sisters are not considered part of the Church clergy, but they aren't laypeople, either. They are referred to as consecrated religious, meaning that they've taken a sacred vow of poverty, chastity, and obedience.