New Series: Lesser Known Religious Orders
Most people, if they know anything about Catholicism, can generally identify, or at least have heard of, the major religious orders like Franciscans or Benedictines. They are probably familiar with Dominicans and possibly the Society of Jesus (Jesuits). Being a convert to Catholicism and a devotee of history, I have always found the concept of independent religious orders outside the normal framework of Dioceses and diocesan parishes to be interesting. In Anglicanism from whence I came, there are a few religious orders, but they are largely a novelty. One of the insidious ways Henry VIII consolidated power from the Catholic Church during the English Reformation was the dissolution of the monasteries. IN fact, if you want a top notch history on that sad escapade, I recommend reading Eamon Duffy's The Stripping of the Altars : Traditional Religion in England . If there is one singular book I ever read that put me on the path to Rome from Anglicanism, it was that book. Ironically, it...
