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See also: Consecrated life (Catholic Church)
Catholic religious orders are organizations of laity and/or clergy in the Catholic Church who live under a common rule. They are to be distinguished from Holy Orders, the sacrament which bishops, priests and deacons receive.
What distiguishes members of religious orders from the rest of the laity and the secular clergy is that they try to imitate Jesus of Nazareth by taking vows, usually of poverty, chastity and obedience. They may additionally profess to obey certain guidelines for living.
There are two basic types of Catholic religious orders: congregations, which take simple vows (e.g. the Congregation of Holy Cross), and orders proper, which take solemn vows (for example, the Society of Jesus) but the term congregation sometimes also applies to branches of an order which historically united several ones and/or was extended with one or more branches of a different kind, such as for women in additio to the pre-existing one for men, or tertiaries.
A number of generic terms exist to define groups of orders and congregations, but they are not always exclusively defined. These include Mendicant orders, Canons regular etc.
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List of Roman Catholic religious institutes
The following list refers to some of the major religious institutes of the Catholic Church, both orders and others; it should be understood that communities using the same name may exist in Anglican or Eastern Orthodox traditions as well, as well as more than one Catholic order with the same name. Each is accompanied by its official name in English as well as the acronym (or "post-nominal initials") commonly used to identify its members. In many cases name variations and/or alternative names are also in use. In parenthesis is the year it was established and the number of members when known.
Augustinians (Order of Saint Augustine) - O.S.A. (1256)
Baladites (Order of Lebanese Maronite) - O.L.M.
Barnabites (Clerics Regular of Saint Paul) - B., C.R.S.P. (1530)
Canossians (Canossian Daughters and Sons of Charity) - F.D.D.C.
Carmelites (Order of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel) - O.Carm., O.C.D., O.C.D.S. (1209)
Cistercians (Cistercians of the Ancient Observance)- O.Cist./S.O.Cist
Columbans (Missionary Society of St. Columban) - S.S.C.
Dottrinari (Congregazione dei Preti della Dottrina Cristiana) - D.C.
Eudists (Congregation of Jesus and Mary) - C.I.M.
Felician Sisters (Congregation of the Sisters of St. Felix of Cantalice) - C.S.S.F.
Fathers of Mercy - (Franciscan Friars of the Third Order Regular - T.O.R.
#Franciscan Missionaries of the Divine Motherhood - F.M.D.M
#Franciscan Missionaries of Mary - (1877) F.M.M
#Franciscan Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
#Franciscan Servants of Jesus (1997)
#Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity - O.S.F.
#Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist - O.S.F. (1973)
#Franciscan Brothers of the Eucharist (2004)
#Franciscan Sisters of Mary Immaculate
#Franciscan Sisters of Penance of the Sorrowful Mother - T.O.R.
#Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration - O.S.F. (1849)
#Fransalians (Missionaries of St. Francis de Sales) - M.S.F.S.
#Grey Nuns - 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 Precious Blood - H.P.B.
#Handmaids of the Sacred Heart of Jesus - A.A.S.C.
#Handmaids of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Mary and Joseph
#Holy Cross Fathers (Congregation of Holy Cross) - C.S.C. (1837)
#Holy Spirit Adoration Sisters (Pink Sisters)
#Infant Jesus Sisters (Nicolas Barre) - I.J
#Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest - I.C.R.S.S. (1990)
#Institute of the Incarnate Word - I.I.W. (1984)
#Jesuits (Society of Jesus) - S.J. (1534)
#Josephite Fathers (St. Joseph's Society of the Sacred Heart) - S.S.J.
#Lazarists or Vincentians (Congregation of the Mission) - C.M. (1624)
#Little Brothers of the Good Shepherd - B.G.S
#Little Brothers of the Gospel - (1956)
#Little Brothers of Jesus - (1933)
#Little Brothers of St Francis - {1970) {l.b.s.f)
#Little Sisters of the Assumption
#Little Sisters of the Gospel - (1963)
#Little Sisters of Jesus - (1933)
#Little Sisters of Jesus and Mary
#Little Sisters of the Poor - L.S.P. (ca. 1700s)
#Sisters of Loreto|Loreto Sisters (Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary) - I.B.V.M.
#Congregation of Marian Fathers|Marian Fathers - M.I.C.
#Marianists (Society of Mary) - S.M.
#Marianist Sisters (Daughters of Mary Immaculate) - F.M.I.
#Marianites of Holy Cross - M.S.C.
#Marists (Society of Mary) - S. M.(1817)
#Marist Brothers - F.M.S. (1817)
#Maryknoll (Catholic Foreign Mission Society of America) - M.M. (1911)
#Mercedarians (Order of Our Lady of Mercy) - O. de M. (1218)
#Missionary Society of St. Columban
#Missionaries of Charity - M.C. (1950)
#Missionaries of St. Charles Borromeo) - C.S. (1887)
#Missionaries of La Salette - M.S. (1852)
#Missionaries of the Gospel of Life
#Missionaries of the Poor M.O.P
#Missionaries of the Precious Blood C.PP.S.
#Missionaries of the Sacred Heart - M.S.C.
#Monastic Fraternities of Jerusalem
#Premonstratensian|Norbertines or Premonstratensians (Canons Regular of Prémontré) - C.R.P., O.Praem. (1120)
#Olivetans (Order of Our Lady of Mount Olivet) (1313)
#Oblates Of Mary Immaculate - O.M.I. (1816)
#Oblates Of The Virgin Mary - O.M.V. (1827)
#Oblate Sisters of Providence - O.S.P. (1829)
#Oblates of St. Joseph - OSJ
#Oratory of Saint Philip Neri|Oratorians (Oratory of St. Philip Neri) - C.O., Cong. Orat. (1500s)
#Order of St. Elisabeth O.S.E. (1622)
#Order of the Imitation of Christ - O.I.C. (1930)
#Pallottines (Society of the Catholic Apostolate) - S.A.C. (1835)
#Paris Foreign Missions Society (Missions Etrangères de Paris) - M.E.P. (1658)
#Passionists (Congregation of the Passion) - C.P. (1720)
#Passionist Sisters
#Patrician Brothers
#Pauline Fathers (Order of Saint Paul the First Hermit)
#Paulists (Congregation of St. Paul) - C.S.P.
#Piarists (Clerics Regulars Poors of the Mother of God of the Pious Schools) - Sch.P. (1617)
#Poor Clares (Nuns of the Order of St. Clare/(Order of Poor Ladies) - O.S.C.
#Poor Clare Nuns of Perpetual Adoration
#Presentation Brothers - F.P.M.
#Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary - P.B.V.M.
#Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter - F.S.S.P. (1988)
#Racine Dominican Sisters
#Redemptorists (Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer) - C.Ss.R. (1732)
#Religious of the Assumption - R.A.
#Religious of the Cenacle - R.C.
#Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary - R.S.H.M.
#Religious Sisters of Mercy of Alma, Michigan - R.S.M.
#Resurrectionist Order|Resurrectionists - C.R.
#Rogationists of the Heart of Jesus - R.C.J.
#Rosminians (Institute of Charity) - I.C.
#Salesians of Don Bosco|Salesians of St. John Bosco - S.D.B. (1857)
#Salesian Sisters (Daughters of Mary Help of Christian) - F.M.A.
#Salvatorians (Society of the Divine Savior) - S.D.S. (1881)
#School Sisters of Christ the King
#School Sisters of Notre Dame - S.S.N.D. (1833)
#School Sisters of the Third Order of St Francis
#Servites (Order of Friars, Servants of Mary) - O.S.M. (1233)
#Sinsinawa Dominican Sisters
#Sister Adorers of the Precious Blood - R.P.G. (1861)
#Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament
#Sisters Adorers of the Royal Heart of Jesus Christ Sovereign Priest
#Sisters of Charity Federation in the Vincentian-Setonian Tradition
#Sisters of Charity - S.C.
#Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth
#Sisters of Charity of New York
#Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary - B.V.M.
#Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth
#Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill (Pennsylvania)
#Sisters of Charity of Our Lady of Mercy (South Carolina)
#Sisters of Charity of the Immaculate Conception (St. John, New Brunswick, Canada)
#Sisters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul - Halifax (Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada)
#Vincentian Sisters of Charity (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
#Sisters of Saint Martha (Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada)
#Les Religieuses de Notre-Dame-du-Sacre-Coeur (Dieppe, New Brunswick)
#Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati
#Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word
#Sisters of the Apostolic Carmel
#Sisters of the Holy Cross - C.S.C.
#Sisters of Holy Cross - C.S.C
#Sisters of the Holy Family
#Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary - S.N.J.M. (1844)
#Sisters of Jesus, Our Hope
#Sisters of La Retraite
#Sisters of Life - S.V. (1991)
#Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist - O.P. (1997)
#Sisters of Mercy - R.S.M. (1831)
#Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur - S.N.D., S.N.D. de N. (1803)
#Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy
#Sisters of Saint Agnes
#Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi
#Sisters of St Francis of the Martyr St George - F.S.G.M.
#Sisters of Saint Francis of Rochester, Minnesota
#Sisters of St Joseph - C.S.J. or S.S.J. (1650)
#Sisters of Saint Joseph of Medaille
#Sisters of Saint Joseph of Chambery|Sisters of St. Joseph of Chambéry
#Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace
#Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Bourg|Sisters of Saint Joseph of Bourg
#Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart - S.S.J. (1866)
#Sisters of St. Joseph of the Third Order of St. Francis (1901)
#Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary – I.H.M – 1845
#Sisters, Servants of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus (Cresson, PA; Poland; Vatican City) - S.S.C.J.
#Sisters of St Rita (1911)
#Society of the Helpers of the Holy Souls
#Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity - S.O.L.T.
#Society of Saint Edmund|Society of St. Edmund (1843) S.S.E.
#Society of St. Paul|Society of Saint Paul - S.S.P (1914)
#Missionaries of the Precious Blood (Precious Blood Fathers) - C.PP.S.
#Society of the Sacred Heart R.S.C.J (1800)
Stigmatines (Congregation of the Sacred Stigmata) - C.S.S.
Theatines (Congregation of Clerics Regular) - C.R. (1524)
Trappists (Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance) - O.C.R., O.C.S.O. (1662)
Trinitarians (Order of the Most Holy Trinity) - O.SS.T. (1194)
Ursulines (Ursuline Nuns of the Roman Union) - O.S.U. (1535)
Viatorians (Clerics of Saint Viator) - C.S.V. (1831)
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