Third Order of Saint Francis facts for kids

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The Third Order of Saint Francis is a special group of people who follow the teachings of Francis of Assisi, a famous friar from Italy. He started this group in 1221.

Francis created the Third Order, first called the Brothers and Sisters of Penance. He wanted to include people who couldn't join his other groups, like those who were married or already lived as hermits. This way, they could still live by Francis's ideas about the Gospel.

The Third Order has two main parts, each with its own way of life:

One part is for friars and nuns who live in communities. They are called the Third Order Regular of Saint Francis of Penance. There are hundreds of these groups around the world.
The other part is for people who live in their regular homes. This is now called the Secular Franciscan Order. They meet regularly in local groups. These members don't wear special clothes or live together. They make promises, not vows, and can be married, single, or even clergy. This group was updated and renamed in 1978 by Pope Paul VI.

Other Christian traditions, like Lutheran and Anglican churches, also have Franciscan Third Orders.

How the Third Order Started
Different Ways of Life
Catholic Third Orders
- Secular Franciscans
- Third Order Regular
  - Groups of Friars
  - Groups of Sisters
Lutheran Third Orders
- Lutheran Franciscan Tertiaries
Anglican Third Orders
See also

How the Third Order Started

People in Third Orders are called Tertiaries, which means "third." They follow a special rule of life, either living in a religious community or in their own homes. The main idea was to let people who couldn't join a full religious order still enjoy some of its benefits.

When Francis's closest followers became a religious order, he needed a way for everyday people to join. These were married men and women who couldn't leave their jobs or families but still wanted to live by Franciscan ideas. So, around 1221, Francis wrote a rule for them.

At first, they were known as "Brothers and Sisters of the Order of Penance." Later, when Francis's friars were called the "First Order" and the nuns the "Second Order," this group became the "Third Order of St. Francis."

Tradition says that Francis gave the first rule in 1221 to a married couple, Luchesius Modestini and his wife, Buonadonna. They wanted to follow Francis but didn't want to separate.

Francis got help from his friend Cardinal Ugolino (who later became Pope Gregory IX) to create the order. Once it started in 1221, the Third Order quickly grew across Italy and Western Europe. Many people from all parts of society joined. It was always closely linked to the First Order.

Members of the Third Order were not allowed to carry weapons. This caused problems with local leaders and the feudal system in Italy, which often required men to carry arms. By the 1200s, different local Third Order groups had formed. In 1289, Pope Nicholas IV officially approved the order and placed it under the care of the Friars Minor.

Francis of Assisi's Third Order was the first of its kind. Soon, other religious orders, like the Dominicans and Carmelites, started their own Third Orders. These followed a similar path to the Franciscans.

Different Ways of Life

By the 1400s, many people following the Third Order's rule started living in small communities, sometimes like hermits. In 1447, a special church rule organized these groups into a new, separate religious order with its own rule.

This led to two main types of the Third Order:

The Third Order Regular (TOR), for those living under a "Rule" in communities.
The Third Order Secular, for members who lived in the world.

The rules of the Third Orders were very flexible. Many groups of women who worked in charity, like teaching or nursing, belonged to one of these Third Orders.

The Franciscan Third Order was always the most important. In 1883, Pope Leo XIII approved a new rule for the secular members, which gave the order a big boost. In 1901, Paul Sabatier published a "Rule of Life of the Brothers and Sisters of Penance." This rule likely contained the original ideas from 1221, with some additions. It asked for simple clothes and life, avoiding certain foods, and regular prayers. It also said members should not go to the theater or carry weapons.

In the 1800s, many new groups adopted the Third Order Rule without being directly connected to the First Order. In 1978, Pope Paul VI updated the rules for both the regular and secular branches. He made them more suitable for modern times. The secular part of the Order was renamed the Secular Franciscan Order.

After the Reformation, Lutheran and Anglican churches also formed Franciscan Third Orders. For example, the Evangelical Franciscan Tertiaries were started in Germany in 1927.

Catholic Third Orders

Secular Franciscans

The Secular Franciscan Order (called Ordo Franciscanus Saecularis in Latin) is for both regular people and priests. Many Popes have been members of this Order. Secular Franciscans don't have to live in religious communities, but they meet regularly. Members who have made their promises use the letters OFS after their name. Today, there are about 350,000 members worldwide.

Pope Paul VI approved the current rule in 1978. This rule updated the Secular Franciscan Order for modern needs. The Secular Franciscans became an independent Order within the Catholic Church, with their own leader. Their name changed from the Third Order Secular to the Secular Franciscan Order.

Third Order Regular

The Third Order Regular started in the late 1200s in different places like the Netherlands, France, Germany, and Italy. Some secular tertiaries, who had meeting houses, slowly began to live completely separate from the world. They formed religious communities, but without the three main vows of other religious orders. Other religious groups, like the Beguines (women) and Beghards (men), sometimes became Third Orders.

For a long time, these regular tertiaries didn't have a common organization. It wasn't until the 1400s that well-organized religious communities with vows and a single leader appeared. In 1428, Pope Martin V tried to put all tertiaries under the Friars Minor, but his successor, Pope Eugene IV, soon changed this. In 1521, Pope Leo X updated the rule to bring more order to the many groups. He kept parts of the rule from Pope Nicholas IV but added new points, like the three vows and being under the First Order. However, some groups did not accept this last part of Leo X's rule.

More than 448 groups follow the "Rule and Life of the Brothers and Sisters of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis." There are 18 male groups and 370 groups of Franciscan Sisters, plus 60 monasteries of cloistered nuns. Over 200,000 men and women belong to these Third Order groups.

A new Rule, written by friars and sisters from different groups, was approved by Pope Paul VI in 1978. This is the rule that all Third Order Regular groups follow today.

Groups of Friars

It took until the 1400s for single, well-organized religious communities of male tertiaries to develop. These groups, with their three vows and a common leader, were found in Italy, Spain, France, Germany, and other countries.

The Brothers of the Poor of St. Francis were founded in Germany in 1857. They help poor, homeless boys. They also have houses in Brazil, Holland, and the United States.
The Franciscan Brothers of the Holy Cross started in Germany in 1862. They care for orphans, the poor, the sick, and those who are suffering. They also have a monastery and trade school in the United States.
The Franciscan Missionary Brothers of the Sacred Heart of Jesus were founded in Poland in 1888. They focus on medical care and have a facility near St. Louis, Missouri.
The Amigonian Friars were founded in Spain in 1889 by a Capuchin friar. They help young boys caught in the Spanish justice system. They set up reform schools and trade schools.
In Ireland, a Franciscan Monastery was built in Roundstone in 1835. In 1858, the Brothers from this monastery were invited to operate schools for boys in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn.

Groups of Sisters

There are also many groups of religious sisters in the Third Order. For example, the Grey Sisters of the Third Order served in hospitals in France and the Netherlands.

Angelina of Marsciano is often seen as the founder of the Third Order Regular for women around 1403. Her group was the first Franciscan community of women living under the Rule of the Third Order Regular that was approved by Pope Nicholas V. Unlike the Poor Clares, these nuns were not an enclosed religious order and lived under the local bishop.

Over time, some groups of sisters lived a quiet, prayerful life, often in cities. Other communities of women did not stay enclosed. Instead, they focused on helping the poor and sick as part of their Franciscan mission. In the 1800s, many new groups adopted the Third Order Rule. Most of them focus on charity work, like in hospitals, homes, or schools. Many also work in foreign missions.

The Franciscan Missionary Sisters of Mary Help of Sinners were founded in Ecuador in 1888. They later moved to Colombia and are also active in Brazil.
The Franciscan Sisters of Mary Immaculate were founded in Colombia in 1893. They combine social service with prayer and serve in Texas, California, and New Mexico.
The Franciscans Servants of Mary were founded in France in 1852. They are active in France, England, Italy, India, Madagascar, and Chad.
The "Franciscan Sisters of Calais" were founded in France in 1854. They came to Louisiana in the U.S. in 1911 to open a hospital. They later founded several medical facilities and changed their name to the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady.
The Franciscan Sisters of Dillingen were founded in Bavaria, Germany. They work in education, nursing, elder care, and other ministries in Germany, Brazil, Spain, India, and the United States.
In 1845, Frances Schervier founded the Poor Sisters of St. Francis in Germany. Sisters from this group came to the United States in 1868 to help German immigrants. In 1959, the American groups became independent and are now called the Franciscan Sisters of the Poor.
The Hospital Sisters of St. Francis were founded in Germany in 1847. They came to the United States in 1875 and established St. John's Hospital (Springfield, Illinois).
The Congregation of the Sisters of Saint Elizabeth (CSSE) was founded in Prussia in 1850.
In 1855, Paul Joseph Nardini founded the Franciscan Sisters of the Holy Family in Germany.
The Franciscan Servants of the Holy Child Jesus were founded in Germany in 1855. They help women who are neglected, especially prisoners and the very poor. They came to the United States in 1929.
The Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration were founded in Germany in 1863. They came to the United States in 1875.
The Sisters of St. Francis of the Martyr St. George were founded in Germany in 1869. They came to the United States in 1923 and work in elderly care, child care, and education.

Olpe Franziskanerinnen-Mutterhaus

The Franciscan Missionaries of Mary were founded in India in 1877. They have almost 8,300 sisters in 75 countries, including Canada, England, and the United States.
The Franciscan Missionary Sisters for Africa were founded in Ireland in 1952. They focus on missions in Africa and also have convents in the U.S., Ireland, and Scotland.
The Tertiary Sisters of St. Francis were founded in Italy in 1700. Over 480 sisters work in education, nursing, elder care, and orphanages in Italy, Austria, Bolivia, and Cameroon.
The Franciscan Sisters, Daughters of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary were founded in Germany in 1860. They came to the United States in 1872 to care for the sick poor. They established hospitals, schools, and orphanages.
The Franciscan Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart (FMSC) were founded in Italy in 1861. They came to New York City in 1865 to help immigrants, orphans, and the poor. They have 560 sisters in twenty-one countries.
The Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother were founded in Italy in 1883. They came to the United States in 1889 and opened hospitals and an orphanage. They serve in many countries today.
The Sisters of St. Francis of Penance and Christian Charity were founded in the Netherlands in 1835. They came to New York City in 1874 to teach German-speaking children.
The Franciscan Apostolic Sisters were founded in the Philippines in 1953. They help Franciscan friars spread the Gospel and care for the poor and sick. They have communities in Nebraska, Illinois, and Rhode Island.
The Congregation of Sisters of St. Felix of Cantalice Third Order Regular of St. Francis of Assisi (CSSF) were founded in Poland in 1855. They have 1800 sisters, with 700 serving in North America.
The Franciscan Hospitaller Sisters of the Immaculate Conception were founded in Portugal in 1871. They came to the United States in 1960 to help Portuguese immigrants, mainly in healthcare in California.
The Sisters of Mercy of the Holy Cross were founded in Switzerland in 1856. They specialize in healthcare and came to the United States in 1912, working mainly in Wisconsin and Louisiana.
The Little Sisters of St. Francis were founded in Uganda in 1923. They work in Uganda, Kenya, and Zambia.
The Franciscan Missionary Sisters of Little Hampton (FMSL) were founded in the United Kingdom in 1911. They have missions in Peru and India and run care homes and a house of hospitality.
The Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception (also known as the Franciscan Sisters of Glasgow) were founded in Scotland in 1847. They teach poor children and are involved in parish ministry, social work, and healthcare in many countries.
The Sisters of the Holy Cross Menzingen were founded in Switzerland in 1844. They opened a school in England in 1902 and have expanded their work beyond education.
The Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception and St Francis were founded in London in 1852. They ran a day school, orphanage, and nursing home. In 1965, they joined with the Missionary Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception.
The Franciscan Missionary Sisters of St. Joseph (F.M.S.J.) were founded in London in 1883. They are also known as the Mill Hill Sisters. They serve in various ministries in the UK, Kenya, Uganda, and the U.S.
The Franciscan Missionaries of the Divine Motherhood (FMDM) were founded in London in 1884. They started by caring for orphans and now have about 300 members worldwide.

Lutheran Third Orders

Lutheran Franciscan Tertiaries

In Germany, the Lutheran Franciscan Tertiaries, officially called the Evangelische Franziskanerbruderschaft der Nachfolge Christi, were founded in 1927. They focus on the Rule of Saint Francis and pray daily.

Anglican Third Orders

Anglican churches also have Franciscan Third Orders, like the Society of Saint Francis.