A Third Order Discovery

How did I get Here?

I grew up in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) tradition, and I was always active in the various ministries, choir, bible studies, et al of the church that was typically at the center of our worship.  Over the years, I had also been slowly introduced to many catholic traditions (for various reasons), so I was fairly comfortable with the Novus Ordo Mass at my classmate's Catholic Church when I was in Navy Flight School ... and I eventually went through the RCIA/OCIA process to learn even more about it before being confirmed into the Church.  As might be expected, I remained very much involved in the various lay church organizations and councils as I moved about; although most of my time (decades) was spent as a religious education teacher/catechist (CCD & Confirmation students).  Along the way I was introduced to the concept of secular "third order" associations by my in-laws (Franciscan and Carmelite), so when I was ready for a deeper dive into my new faith, this seemed like something I should explore ... 

What is a Third Order?

In the Catholic Church, an association of the Christian faithful or simply association of the faithful (Latin: consociationes christifidelium), sometimes called a public association of the faithful, is a group of baptized persons, clerics or laity or both together, who, according to the 1983 Code of Canon Law, jointly foster a more perfect life or promote public worship or Christian teaching, or who devote themselves to other works of the apostolate.

A religious order within the Catholic Church is an organization of persons, either men or women, who profess the three evangelical vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience and live that obedience under a superior within a community structure in accordance with a specific rule of life.  Religious were frequently referred to as "regulars" from the Latin regula, 'rule', because they followed a specific rule.

By the time the mendicant orders (beggars) arrived in the middle ages, those [monks and friars] who lived The Rule, initially written by their religious founder, would eventually come to be known as the "First Order."  While The Rule could be modified, there was only one active Rule for a given community at a time.  In some cases, these rules inspired other communities to adapt and/or modified a rule to better govern their specific community, such as when the Poor Clares based their rule upon the Original Rule of Saint Francis.  Eventually the term "Second Order" was used to refer to those communities of contemplative cloistered nuns that are a part of these religious orders (In a bit of a twist here, St Dominic actually established his second order first).

The term 'Third Order' originally referred to the 'third' version of The Rule written by a religious founder. Many people associate it with the Franciscans and so in that context, members of what has been called the Franciscan Third Order were those Franciscans who made a profession on the 'third' version of St. Francis' rule. The term then got generalized to other orders; The three main congregations with Third Orders are the Carmelites, the Franciscans, and the Dominicans.

Members of third orders are either (a) regulars, living in common under a religious rule of life, or (b) seculars, living in the world. The regulars take the three canonical religious vows; the seculars make similar promises (which are not considered binding under pain of sin, as are the vows of religious institutes), or in some cases may take private vows of obedience and chastity or in some cases even poverty, chastity and obedience (all according to their lay state). Their link with a religious institute is what distinguishes them from members of other "associations of the Christian faithful" and entitles their associations to be "called third orders or some other appropriate name."

Why a Third Order?

The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines charisms as “graces of the Holy Spirit which directly or indirectly benefit the Church, ordered as they are to her building up, to the good of men, and to the needs of the world” (Article 799). In everyday language, a charism can be understood as “the gifts from God that allow a person or group to live out the Gospel in relation to the world around them.” 

Similarly, all Catholic religious orders work to live out the Gospel, but each one does so in its own way. Some emphasize prayer and contemplation while others concentrate on service in the community.  For seculars, profession means that they promise to live according to the charism of their Congregation or Order; however, they do not profess the evangelical counsels (or vows) of obedience, chastity, and poverty.  All of the Mendicant orders have Penitent branches that share many of the same elements (such as prayer, community, et al), but the history and charism of each particular one is distinct.

• Augustinian - Unitas (Unity), Veritas (Truth), Caritas (Charity) 
• Carmelite - Contemplation and Spirituality (Mystics and the Interior Life)
• Dominican - Study and Preaching the Gospel (They are the Order of Preachers after all)
• Franciscan - Stewardship and Service (Corporal Works of Mercy)
• Norbertines - Communion with God and Neighbor (Communio)

Although not technically a third order, the Benedictine Oblates are often listed with them; a secular oblate is affiliated in prayer with an individual monastery of their choice (instead of a mendicant order), and have made a formal private promise to follow the Rule of St. Benedict in their private life at home and at work as closely as their individual circumstances and prior commitments permit.

Who are the Lay Dominicans?

In the eleventh century there were secular associations, called Penitential Orders, connected with some Benedictine congregations, and later with the Premonstratensians, as well. As the Dominican friars established monasteries and priories, there were lay people who assisted them. Many were attracted to the Dominican's way of life, but for various reasons could not themselves join the order. They formed fraternities or religious guilds affiliated with the local priory. This was a way those who sought a more dedicated way of life embraced a lifestyle similar to that of the Dominicans while retaining their status as a lay person.  But St. Dominic did not write down a special rule for them. They simply lived the same life as he and the nuns, but remained in their own homes and context. The rule would eventually come in 1285 from the seventh Master General of the Friars Preachers (the mendicant order founded by St Dominic), based in part on the "third rule" given by St Francis to the Brothers and Sisters of Penance around 1221.  Members who chose to follow this rule would be under the direction of a local Dominican priest. They were called the "Brothers and Sisters of Penance of the Blessed Dominic".

Because they belonged to the Third Order (or third rule), members were often called Tertiaries. Now, the most common term is "Lay Dominicans".  The initial purpose behind the Lay Fraternities of St. Dominic was the preaching of penance; but under Dominican influences it leaned into the intellectual aspect of the faith and based its message on the exposition of the creed. This focus on penance still remains a central part of the Dominican charism though. "In complementarity with brothers, sisters and nuns they share the charism of St. Dominic through study, prayer, preaching and fraternal life." These are known as "The Four Pillars of the Order", and give shape to Lay Dominican spirituality. 

Where did I find them?

I started with a Google search of course ... "Third Order Dominicans near me" ... and found the Eastern Province of St Joseph (There are four Dominican provinces within the United States: Eastern, Southern, Central, Western).   At the bottom of the website, there was a map of each province and a button to "find a fraternity near me" to locate the handful in the Boston area and sent an email to the contact for Region 1 asking for an introduction ... my timing was a bit off though, and I initially didn't hear back.  About that time, I began exploring becoming a permanent deacon instead ... but my timing there was even worse.  After my second denial of my application to enter formation to become a deacon, my interest in the Lay Dominicans returned, and my second inquiry resulted in an invitation to be a guest for the next monthly meeting of the St. Martin de Porres Fraternity (101) ... where my journey to become a Lay Dominican began.

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Code of Canon Law (1983)

BOOK II. THE PEOPLE OF GOD

PART I. THE CHRISTIAN FAITHFUL
TITLE V. ASSOCIATIONS OF THE CHRISTIAN FAITHFUL

Can. 298 §1. In the Church there are associations distinct from institutes of consecrated life and societies of apostolic life; in these associations the Christian faithful, whether clerics, lay persons, or clerics and lay persons together, strive in a common endeavor to foster a more perfect life, to promote public worship or Christian doctrine, or to exercise other works of the apostolate such as initiatives of evangelization, works of piety or charity, and those which animate the temporal order with a Christian spirit.
Can. 298 §2. The Christian faithful are to join especially those associations which competent ecclesiastical authority has erected, praised, or commended.

Can. 303 Associations whose members share in the spirit of some religious institute while in secular life, lead an apostolic life, and strive for Christian perfection under the higher direction of the same institute are called third orders or some other appropriate name.

Can. 311 Members of institutes of consecrated life who preside over or assist associations in some way united to their institute are to take care that these associations give assistance to the works of the apostolate which already exist in a diocese, especially cooperating, under the direction of the local ordinary, with associations which are ordered to the exercise of the apostolate in the diocese.

Can. 316 §1. A person who has publicly rejected the Catholic faith, has defected from ecclesiastical communion, or has been punished by an imposed or declared excommunication cannot be received validly into public associations.

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Lay Fraternities of Saint Dominic (Province of St Joseph)

BOOK 1: THE RULE AND GENERAL DECLARATIONS

4 - They are therefore marked in a particular way both in their own spiritual life and in service of God and
neighbors ni the Church. As members of the Order, they participate in its apostolic mission through study, prayer and preaching, in accordance with their condition as lay people.

14 - In order to be incorporated into the Order, members must make a profession or promise by which they formally commit themselves to live according to the spirit of St. Dominic, in accordance with the way of life prescribed by the Rule. This profession or promise may be temporary or perpetual.