The soon-to-be canonization of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati is giving a local group of Catholics — the Lay Dominicans — a cause for rejoicing, said Lora Robertson.
The soon-to-be-saint was a third-order Dominican, said Robertson, who serves as president of the St. Louis Bertrand Chapter of the Lay Fraternity of St. Dominic.
The Archdiocese of Louisville is home to several communities of third orders, including the Lay Dominicans, Lay Missionaries of Charity, the Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites, the Oblates of St. Benedict and the Secular Franciscans.
Some are new to the archdiocese — such as the Lay Missionaries of Charity, whose Kentucky chapter began last year — whereas others have much older histories in the region. The Lay Fraternity of St. Dominic has been in the archdiocese for more than 150 years.
The practice of third orders is believed to have begun in the 13th century with St. Francis of Assisi, who established the Secular Franciscans. Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, a third order Dominican who will be canonized on Sept. 7, isn’t the first member of a third order to be named a saint. Other notable third-order saints include St. Elizabeth of Hungary, St. Catherine of Siena, St. Martin de Porres and St. Thomas More, to name a few.
Many religious orders have secular third orders — male and female members of the religious order who live in the world, but commit themselves to practicing the spirituality or charism of the religious order and observing its rule or statutes.
For example, the life of a Secular Franciscan is “open to practicing Catholics who feel called to integrate Franciscan values into their secular lives — at home, at work and in the world,” said Joseph Edwards, the regional minister of the Holy Trinity Region of Secular Franciscans.
Each of the third orders in the archdiocese meets monthly at a local parish to conduct business and share in fellowship, formation and the sacraments. But being in a third order isn’t just a once-a-month activity — it’s a daily practice, said local laity involved in the orders.
Some commit themselves to the daily obligations of their orders — such as praying morning and evening prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours, attending daily Mass or reading excerpts from the rule of their order.
Most orders are open to practicing Catholics age 18 and older — including married persons.
The process of formation and discernment to become a member of one of these religious families takes years. At its conclusion, the candidate makes a profession or promise.
Third orders are different from parish clubs or prayer groups, members of third orders said in recent interviews.
Denese Alexsonshk, a local secular Discalced Carmelite, said, “We are not just a prayer group — we are members of the (Carmelite) Order — the friars, the nuns and the seculars. They live out their responsibilities in the monastery and the convent, and we live out those responsibilities in the world.”
Secular Carmelites make their final promises to the superiors of the Carmelite Order, she explained.
“The promise is what makes us a member of the order. That promise has been recognized by the church; it is ecclesial,” she said.
To read brief profiles of five third orders present in the archdiocese, visit LINK. This list may not be representative of all third orders practiced in the archdiocese’s boundaries. In addition to third orders, local religious communities offer associate programs that are also open to the laity, though they are not considered third orders.
Here’s a look at five lay orders present in the Archdiocese of Louisville. This list may not be representative of all third orders practiced in the archdiocese’s boundaries. Associate programs with local religious orders are also open to the laity, though they are not considered third orders.
Lay Fraternity of St. Dominic
Louisville has two Lay Fraternities of St. Dominic — Our Lady, Queen of Peace Chapter, which is open to men and women, and the St. Louis Bertrand Chapter, which is a women-only chapter. The latter, founded in January 1873, is the oldest chapter of Lay Dominicans in the United States.
The St. Louis Bertrand chapter now has 51 members and has consistently received new members in the past several years, said Lora Robertson, president of the chapter, in a recent interview.
‘The more I learned, the more I thought it was something I wanted to be a part of.’
— Lora Robertson, Lay Dominican
Robertson, a convert to Catholicism, said she was drawn to the Lay Dominicans by the Dominican priests at St. Louis Bertrand Church and the Lay Dominicans.
“The women that were in the Dominican laity had a joy, a peace that was so strong,” she said. “The more I learned, the more I thought it was something I wanted to be a part of.”
She made her final profession in 2003.
The St. Louis Bertrand Chapter meets on the fourth Sunday of the month at St. Louis Bertrand Church, 1104 South Sixth St. During this time, the group prays the rosary, attends Mass, prays the Liturgy of the Hours, eats lunch, conducts business, shares reflections from their studies and then attends adoration, said Robertson.
Lay Dominicans practice four pillars of spirituality: prayer, study, community and apostolate, she said. They pray morning and evening prayer daily and aim “to live according to the rule of St. Dominic,” she said.
Those interested in joining, first attend meetings for three to six months before entering the postulancy period, which lasts for six months. During postulancy, they meet with the formation director and learn more about Dominican spirituality.
Then, they can be “accepted into the order as a member of the fraternity,” entering the novitiate period and continuing their studies for another year.
Following novitiate, they are invited to make a temporary profession, which is “a promise to live the Dominican Rule for three years,” she said. “Through ongoing formation and the practice of the Four Pillars, members discern a life vocation. At the end of three years, a Life Profession is made and the member is fully received into the Order of Preachers for life.”
To learn more about the Lay Dominicans, email Lora Robertson at lora.robertson.top@gmail.com.
Lay Missionaries of Charity
The Lay Missionaries of Charity only recently found a home in the archdiocese. The local chapter began in January of 2024 with two laywomen who had made their professions in other chapters and had moved to Kentucky.
The group meets on the second Sunday of the month at St. Aloysius Church, 187 S. Plum St. in Shepherdsville, Ky., for Mass, adoration and a meeting. At the meetings, the group reflects on a small section of their statutes and discusses volunteer work, upcoming events and the needs of the community, said Martha Green, one of the chapter’s first two members.
Green, who made her first vows in 2017, had been searching “to do something more” in her spiritual life when she heard of the Lay Missionaries of Charity from a worker at a Catholic gift shop, she said. After perusing the website laymc.com and speaking with her spiritual director, she knew it was the right fit, she said, adding, “I kept coming back to Mother Teresa.”
The local chapter aims, both as individuals and a group, to serve the poorest of the poor — from serving in food pantries, to visiting nursing home residents, to bringing communion to the homebound, to teaching faith formation classes, Green said. They also visit and serve with the Missionaries of Charity living in Jenkins, Ky., she noted.
Lay Missionaries of Charity are recommended to participate daily in Mass, the rosary and the Liturgy of the Hours, Green said.
A year and a half since the chapter began, an additional person has entered into formation and several individuals are discerning with the chapter, said Green.
Those interested can attend a few meetings to “come and see” what it’s about, she said. Those who discern to pursue the lay order then enter into a two-year formation, which ends with “annual vows of poverty, chastity, obedience and free service to the poorest of the poor,” she said.
To learn more, visit laymc.com or email Martha Green at lmcarchlou@gmail.com.
Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites
The Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites’ Kentucky Chapter, called the Holy Spirit Community, meets at Guardian Angels Church, 6000 Preston Highway, on the third Sunday of the month. The community has 23 active members and 24 “extended members” — members who cannot attend regularly due to age, illness or distance, said Theresa Smith, president of the Holy Spirit Community.
At the chapter’s monthly meetings, the Secular Carmelites begin with business, engage in small group formation and discussions, socialize and receive formation as a group, pray evening prayer and attend adoration, said Denese Alexsonshk, a member of the community.
‘We are not just a prayer group — we are members of the (Carmelite) Order — the friars, the nuns and the seculars. They live out their responsibilities in the monastery and the convent, and we live out those responsibilities in the world.’
— Denese Alexsonshk, a local secular Discalced Carmelite
She was introduced to the Discalced Carmelites while living in Ohio, she said during a recent interview.
“A member of our parish said, ‘I think you should become a secular Carmelite,’ and I said, ‘What is that?’ ” she recounted. She received the Carmelite scapular in 1999 and joined Louisville’s chapter in 2017, when she moved to the area.
“The beauty of the Carmelite family is we all have the same formation, and so it’s not like you’re going somewhere new,” she said.
Discalced Carmelites commit to the “evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity, obedience and the beatitudes,” Alexsonshk said. “We’re promising to live our lives in allegiance to Jesus Christ through a friendship with him under the protection of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.”
Secular Carmelites are encouraged each day to attend Mass, pray morning and evening prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours, make an examination of conscience and spend 30 minutes in mental prayer, said Alexsonshk. Members also wear the brown scapular, she noted.
Formation lasts about six years, which includes stages of temporary promises before a “definitive promise,” she said. “Within these six years, you get a good foundation of Carmelite spirituality.”
To learn more, visit ocdswashprov.org or contact Theresa Smith at dtbasmith@windstream.net.
Oblates of St. Benedict
The Oblates of St. Benedict’s St. Meinrad Archabbey Louisville Chapter meet every third Sunday at St. John Paul II Church, 3539 Goldsmith Lane.
‘St. Benedict’s Rule can still be practiced in our regular life – it is all about obedience, humility and service and love of neighbor.’
— Corazon Veza, Benedictine Oblate
At the monthly meetings, the community prays evening prayer, listens to a talk and engages in fellowship, said Dr. Corazon Veza, who has been a Benedictine Oblate since 2014, in a recent interview. There are about 40 members in the Louisville community, said Veza.
“St. Benedict’s Rule can still be practiced in our regular life — it is all about obedience, humility and service and love of neighbor,” said Veza.
Benedictine Oblates are encouraged to pray morning and evening prayer, read the Rule of St. Benedict daily, practice lectio divina and receive Communion daily, she said.
Unlike most third orders, the process of becoming a Benedictine Oblate is open to any Christian person, including those of Protestant denominations, she noted.
For more information, visit saintmeinrad.org/oblates/becoming-an-oblate or contact Corazon Veza at vezacora@gmail.com.
Secular Franciscans
In the Archdiocese of Louisville, the St. Joseph Fraternity meets on the first Saturday of the month at St. Stephen Martyr Church, 2931 Pindell Avenue. They begin with Mass, followed by a business meeting and formation.
Nearby, the St. Joseph Cupertino Fraternity meets at Mount St. Francis in southern Indiana on the fourth Sunday of the month. Between the two fraternities, there are 22 Secular Franciscans with additional individuals in formation, said Joseph Edwards, the regional minister of the Holy Trinity Region of Secular Franciscans, in a recent email interview.
“Becoming a Secular Franciscan is a spiritual journey rooted in living the Gospel in everyday life, inspired by the example of St. Francis of Assisi,” said Edwards.
The life of a Secular Franciscan is marked by “simplicity and humility, prayer, care for creation and the marginalized, a deep commitment to peace and justice, and joyful service in everyday life,” he said.
Secular Franciscans “make a public profession to observe the Rule of the Secular Franciscan Order,” Edwards added.
Their rule encourages praying the Liturgy of the Hours, but many members may attend daily Mass or use a daily examen of conscience, he added.
The formation process unfolds in three parts, said Edwards.
Orientation, a time for discernment and exploration of Franciscan prayer, typically lasts three or more months.
The inquiry stage follows, where an individual learns “what it means to live as a secular Franciscan.” This period lasts six or more months, and ends with formal reception into the order.
Candidacy, the final state, follows and lasts for 18 or more months. In this stage, individuals “prepare to live out the Rule of the Secular Franciscan Order,” he said.
After candidacy, a candidate could make a permanent profession, which is “a lifelong commitment to live the Gospel as a Secular Franciscan,” he said.
To learn more, visit secularfranciscansusa.org and holytrinityregionofs.org or contact Joseph Edwards at drjoeedwards@iglou.org.
