The Rise of Mendicant Orders
As previously noted, monasticism has a long history within the Catholic Church. First individually and then in groups, men and women congregated apart from society so that they could become closer to God. This tradition grew stronger during the Middle Ages, which saw the introduction of new religious orders that still exist today.
Those who joined the mendicant orders kept on the move, preaching and begging for alms in order to survive. The mendicant friars were poor, but they were rich in spirit, because they followed the example of Christ. The two great mendicant orders were the Dominicans and the Franciscans.
What are the mendicant orders?
Mendicant orders are religious orders whose members take the vow of poverty (“mendicant” comes from Latin
The Dominicans took their name from Dominic de Guzman, born in 1170. Dominic's mission was to convert heretics back to the Christian fold, and he persuaded a number of men to help him in his teaching all over Europe. That's how the Dominican order got started. The Dominicans are also known as Black Friars, because of the black cloaks they wear over their white robes. Eventually, members of the Dominican order settled down into communal houses; one of the great achievements of this order is the fostering of scholarship.
One of the most well known Dominicans is St. Thomas Aquinas (1224–1274), who disobeyed his wealthy family's wishes when he joined the order. Aquinas studied with learned Dominican teachers like Albert the Great and became a great scholar. His greatest achievement was applying the philosophical reasoning of Aristotle to the wisdom of the Bible in his
It is very likely that you have heard of St. Francis of Assisi, especially if you have pets! There are many pictures of him surrounded by animals because he was so simple in his lifestyle and so in tune with nature that he could coax the birds from the air and animals to his feet.
Like Thomas Aquinas, Francis turned his back on wealth and comfort, but his personal vow of poverty was more severe than most. Francis cared for the sick and the lame — even the lepers whom no one would go near. Eventually he attracted many followers who also adopted his simple style of living and good works, and he took them across Europe. One of the people he attracted was a woman named Clare, who started a convent called the Poor Clares for nuns who wished to spend their lives in prayer.
