Religious life is a way to give your life to God and serve others, with the support of community life.
Anyone joining a religious order will be following in the footsteps of men and women who have dedicated their life to following Christ in a life shaped by their vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, whilst guided by the charisms of their particular religious order.
The are many religious orders and they are all unique!
The main distinction is between monks and nuns, who live in an enclosed convent or monastery, and religious who work outside the cloister, for example in education, health-care, or evangelisation.
Discover the religious of our Diocese.
Following the Holy Rule of Saint Benedict
The Sisters of the English congregation of S. Catherine of Siena
The Order of Preachers at Holy Cross Priory
Founded in 1887 by Venerable Mary Potter in Nottingham.
The reformed Order of S. Clare
Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Sisters of Providence
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The Institute of Our Lady of Mercy
Living a life of hope in complete trust, simplicity and joy, announcing Jesus Christ to the poor.
We commit ourselves to promote peace in family life, in the church, and in society.
We are an apostolic Religious Institute finding God in all things with a strong missionary zeal and Marian character.
The Cistercian Monks of Mount Saint Bernard Abbey
We take to ourselves the call to be 'little ones'.
The Congregation of the Holy Ghost
The Institute of Charity
Those considering a vocation to a religious order will not only turn to God in prayer to ask for guidance on whether to pursue this vocation, but also for guidance to the order they are being called to join.
It would normally be advisable that someone considering joining an order should approach a community so that a member can provide assistance during the process of discernment.
Should a decision be arrived at to begin formal study and discernment that could lead to vows, then formation is undertaken by the guidance of that religious order.
When considering reading material about the religious life, often a good source is material recommended by the order that you may be considering joining, particularly items about the founder, as that will give an indication of the spirit that motivates the members of the order.
Other books related to religious life:
‘Religious Vocation: An Unnecessary Mystery’, by Fr Richard Butler OP
‘In Good Company: The Fast Track from the Corporate World to Poverty, Chastity and Obedience’, by Fr James Martin SJ
