Ukrainian & Ruthenian Catholics have Basilians (order of St. Basil), and Ukrainians have Studites. Otherwise, many Eastern Monks are not in specific orders.
Also, the Byzantine Catholics in union with Rome often have orders associated with the West- for example, I have heard of Byzantine Priest, Monks and Nuns in all of the following:
Redemptorists (Much of the Ukrainian Heirarchy at one time was Redemptorist, such as Mykolay Charnetsky) Jesuits Carmelites Benedictines Franciscan (Our Metropolitan is a Franciscan)
I cannot speak to other Eastern Catholics, such as Chaldean, Syro-Malabar and Syro-Malankar, Ethiopians, and Copts. But I am sure they too, have religious Orders.
The Order of the Imitation of Christ (OIC) and Bethany Ashram is strictly Syro-Malankar, along with many Latin orders. The Syro-Malabars have multiple Latin-began orders that exist under it's exclusive authority.
It is not a religous order, but rather an "Ecclesial Family of Consecrated Life"..
The founder is Father Alphonsus Maria Duran, who is bi-ritual. He recently stepped down due to declining health and members met in Ukraine to elect the new General.
Byzantine Franciscans? That sounds interesting. Seems that their website is defunct. Miles Jesu also sounds interesting. I've written asking for more info. Thanks!
They have not, to my understanding, had a novice in years. 10 years ago they had one for a year... They may well have gone 2 decades without a new friar being ordained.
I know this is impolitic, but I have been hoping for years that some of the growing Franciscan groups like Mother Angelica's group, the Franciscan Friars of the Renewel, the of the Primitive Observence would express an interest in re-invigorating the Byzantine Franciscans. Some groups of Franciscans in the Latin Church have been growing almost as fast as they can build new novitiates... It is a fantasy on my part, I know, but I think it would be a beautiful thing if some of them could be entreated to enter community life and preserve Byzantine Franciscan spirituality...
I have been hearing for 15 years that we are really "not supposed to have orders" and that it is a Latinization, and that our guys should join the Holy Resurrection if they want to be monastics... But I really loved the fact we had Byzantine Franciscans - it was a very beautiful and complimentary spirituality. I hope it does not die out.
Originally Posted by Jakub.
There are Byzantine Carmelites, but they are in France...
Not totally true. There are female carmelites in Sugarloaf, PA
They have over 15 members at that Carmel. They were founded in the late 80s and grew appreciably till they sent some of their number to establish a Carmel there... Now I beleive 1/3d of the community is from the Indian Syro Malabar Catholic Church - but all services are taken in the Byzantine rite.
On the side they do some baking and raise mini-horses.... Yea, I don't get the mini-horses thing either. (Maybe they get better MPG?) But their true apostalate and goal is prayer.
See them on youtube:
There were also Byzantine Benedictines - a male monastery and female school teachers. 10 years ago there were 6 men... I don't know the number of women (they no longer wear habits, the only one I knew lived in an apartment)... I don't think they have had vocations in decades either... The men's monastery in Butler PA's address is:
HTM has beautiful grounds and a lovely chapel. The idea that it could in the next decade or two be closed and sold off really kills me. I do not believe it has any members under 65. They may all be older than 70...
a decade ago I visited them in Chicago. Mostly Roman kids in their early 20s, they frequnetly atteded DL at a Ukrainian Church and most of them could chant better than some "lifers" I have known.
These "soldiers" actually spend a few hours a week going out to the streets, passing out tracts and inviting people to come to Mass. They begged for food and had a full pantry - local families were always stopping by with bags of groceries - fresh veggies, bread, rice, pasta, canned goods.
They volunteer at soup kitchens, give retreats, and serve as "Father's helping hands" in local parishes they are close to by doing even menial tasks for the parish such as shoveling snow, sweeping up, cutting the grass.
They only drive cars that have been donated to them if they have them at all.
Any parish would be lucky to have them. I had talked to a Eastern Catholic priest at a parish that owned an old house they rented out about inviting them to come live in the house which was blocks away from the largest University in America and right next to the church. Because they were "Latins" he evinced NO interest whatsoever - thought it was a silly idea because he wanted to keep his parish "eas-tren" (He spoke with a wierd affectation and said "eas-tren" not "eastern"..) To this day I am convinced that if they would have been invited, there would have been more kids from the local college at that parish helping out, evangelizing, praying than he would have known what to do with. But, can't have that! He didn't want some "wes-tren" Rosary-toaters in his parish!
Well he got his wish - a tiny little parish with no one "wes-trenizing" it... No young families or students, but at least no Rosary either!
The Armeinians have the Mekhitarist Fathers - a group of teaching men founded by SOG Mechitar [en.wikipedia.org] . I believe they use a rule similar to that of St. Benedict...
"One day all our ethnic traits ... will have disappeared. Time itself is seeing to this. And so we can not think of our communities as ethnic parishes, ... unless we wish to assure the death of our community."
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