Apostolic: Describes active religious communities – communities whose mission includes ministry in the community, such as social work, health care, education or pastoral work.

Brothers: A Brother commits himself to Christ by the three vows. He lives in a community and works in ministry. He is not ordained a priest.

Contemplative: Describes religious communities that focus primarily on prayer as their ministry. Most contemplative communities follow "a rule" which provides a structure for a communal life of prayer. These communities generally pray seven times a day, attend Mass, read scripture and spiritual works, maintain periods of silence and perform labour to sustain the community.

Cloistered: Describes certain contemplative communities that limit their access to the outside world. Not all contemplative communities are cloistered.

Congregation: The particular religious "family" that someone belongs to. For example Sisters of Mercy, Dominicans, Jesuits, etc. The word order is sometimes used instead.

Charism: The particular focus and spirit of a religious community. For example "to make known the love of the heart of God" and this expressed through the work of education. " To bring Gods love to the poor" and that may be expressed through healthcare and social work.

Community: Used to refer to small groups of religious that you live with in the same house. Communities can vary from being as small as two or three to larger groups. The general name for a collection of communities is usually a Province or Region.

Consecrated: Religious make public commitment to God to live the vows for life.

Convent: A house where Religious sisters live.

Discernment: This describes a process of praying and reflecting God’s call when making a decision.

Formation: The process of education and spiritual development that takes place throughout the life of a member of a religious order. In the early months and years of joining a religious congregation, this is referred to as Initial Formation. In later years it is known as On-going formation. Initial formation takes place from the moment of entering a congregation and making final vows. That process can take between 6 to 11 years.

Friar: A friar is a male Religious who belongs to one of the orders which broke away from the contemplative life in the 13 th – 15 th centuries in order to adopt a more active life style e.g. Franciscans, Dominicans and Carmelites.

Candidate/Postulant: A man or woman thinking about entering Religious Life and wanting to live alongside a community before making a final decision. This stage of formation usually lasts between 6 months and 2 years. Prior to this stage someone would have been in contact with the people in a congregation with special responsibility for new members. This is usually the vocation minister. If the person decides to make a decision to join an Order they apply to be a Novice.

Novice: This is the first stage of being part of a congregation. Usually by reaching this stage a person has undergone psychological assessment, health checks etc. This stage is known as the novitiate and can last between 12 months and 2 years. During this time a person gets to know an order more deeply through the study of its history, charism, constitutions and way of living the vows. At the end of this period a person may want to deepen their commitment to an order by making first vows of poverty, obedience and celibate chastity. This sometimes is called First or Simple Profession or Temporary vows because the vows are made for a set period of time such as 3 – 6 years.

Temporary Professed: This stage has different names according to different congregations. These are people who have made first vows but not a final commitment to a congregation. This period can between 3 –6 years and longer depending on individual circumstances. During this time people live in one of the communities of their province and work in ministry or study or continue professional development. At the end of this period a person may ask to make final vows, (also known as Final Commitment / Final Profession / Solemn Profession). Through this you are making a life commitment to a congregation and they to you.

Monastery: A place where contemplative Religious live.

Monk: A male Religious who lives in a monastery. These include Benedictines, Cistercians and Carthusians.

Nun: The female equivalent of a monk. A woman who lives a contemplative life, dedicated to prayer for the needs of the world.

Ministry: Each Religious will talk about his or her "ministry". That is their work but it is often more than just a job. The choice of ministry will emerge from an individual’s sense of the charism of his or her order, the individual’s gifts and aptitudes and the order’s needs.

Provincial: Basically the person responsible for the administration of an order in a particular country. S/he is usually assisted by a team of people. The person with overall responsibility for a congregation all over the world is often referred to as the Congregational Leader or Superior General. At local level many congregations appoint superiors to houses or areas.

Reflection: A period of quiet for thinking and praying about a particular situation, topic or question.

Religious: A short title for Religious sisters and men.

Religious Life: The life style lived by vowed members of Religious congregations.

Religious Congregation/ Order: The individual group of sisters, Brothers or priests to which a member belongs. The word Order and Congregation can be used interchangeably.

Religious Profession: The taking of public vows in a Religious Order. The vows are generally first taken for a period of 3 to 6 years (first profession) and then, in final profession, for life. The vows include poverty, chastity and obedience.

Religious Sisters and Men: Members of active apostolic congregations. The focus of their life is service to others through their ministries. Religious men include both Brothers and priests.

The Spirituality: A particular style or way of praying. The spirituality of an individual or a group indicates something of the way in which they relate to God and see God present in the world e.g. Celtic spirituality places particular emphasis on the presence of God in nature, in story and myths.

Vows: At final profession a Religious man or woman will take three vows. These vows are like three orientations for the life this person is choosing to live.

Poverty: The choice to try and live simply and share ones goods, time, gifts, particularly with the poor or marginalized. Religious hold money, property, etc in common. In more recent years the "stewardship" element of this vow has become more important especially in terms of care of the earth, etc. We do not "own" what we have but have a responsibility to hand it on for future generations

Obedience: A Religious man or woman has chosen to live this life with others and they make their choices in the light of the gospel, their tradition and heritage and their collective wisdom. Through this vow they are indicating that they want to live their life with others faithful to those guiding principles. Decision making is often the result of prayer, discernment, discussion and of the group searching for a way forward together.

Celibate Chastity: The choice for Religious Life only makes sense in the light of a particular relationship with God. The choice to live the vow of celibacy emerges from a deep relationship with God. The choice to live the vow of celibacy emerges from a deep relationship with God and a desire to live that relationship more deeply and express it through the service of others. Chastity today is often described in terms of our relationships and the challenge to live them with integrity and honesty. Some orders take a fourth vow. For example, Benedictines, take a vow of stability which binds them to a particular monastery.