A Catholic lay association, also referred to as Catholic Congress, is an

association Association may refer to: *Club (organization), an association of two or more people united by a common interest or goal *Trade association, an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a specific industry *Voluntary associatio ...

of lay Catholics aiming to discuss certain political or social issues from a Catholic perspective. The

Pontifical Council for the Laity The Pontifical Council for the Laity was a pontifical council of the Roman Catholic Curia from 1967 to 2016. It had the responsibility of assisting the Pope in his dealings with the laity in lay ecclesial movements or individually, and their co ...

is the body responsible for approving those Catholic associations that exist at an international level. The structure of some Religious Orders allow for Lay branches to be associated with them. These are often referred to as Third Orders. Some of the best known Catholic Lay Associations are Knights of Columbus, Knights of Columba,

Catenians The Catenian Association is a Roman Catholic lay society with around 8,000 members (known as "brothers") in a number of English-speaking countries. Catenian men and their families meet socially to help develop their faith and build lasting friends ...

Knights of Malta The Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM), officially the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta ( it, Sovrano Militare Ordine Ospedaliero di San Giovanni di Gerusalemme, di Rodi e di Malta; ...

, the

Piusverein The Piusverein (Pius Association) was a Roman Catholic society, founded in 1848 in Germany, and named for Pope Pius IX. Its political direction was conservative and ultramontanist, and its purpose to form a bridge between Catholics and the political ...

in Germany and Switzerland, Azione Cattolica in Italy and the UK-based Catholic Truth Society. There are also lay Catholic

guilds A guild ( ) is an association of artisans and merchants who oversee the practice of their craft/trade in a particular area. The earliest types of guild formed as organizations of tradesmen belonging to a professional association. They sometimes ...

and associations representing a whole range of professions. These include the Catholic Police Guild, Holy Name Society ( NYPD), the

Association of Catholic Nurses Association may refer to: *Club (organization), an association of two or more people united by a common interest or goal *Trade association, an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a specific industry *Voluntary associatio ...

, the Guild of Catholic Doctors, the Catholic Physicians Guild, the Catholic Association of Performing Arts (UK), and the Catholic Actors Guild of America.

List of Catholic lay organisations

This a list of organisations covering Catholic laity. It aims to list ecclesial movements of unspecified standing. For international Catholic movements that have received official approval by the Catholic Church, see

Directory of International Associations of the Faithful The Directory of International Associations of the Faithful, published by the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life, lists the international associations of the faithful in the Catholic Church that have been granted official recognition."The Dir ...

. *

Apostolate for Family Consecration The Apostolate for Family Consecration is a U.S. Roman Catholic lay movement headquartered in Bloomingdale, Ohio. Founded in 1975 by Jerry and Gwen Coniker. History In 1971, Jerry Coniker (1938–2018) sold his business and with his wife Gwen (19 ...

, founded in the US in 1975 by Jerry and Gwen Conker * Apostolic Movement, a lay organization founded in Catanzaro, Italy, on 3 November 1979 by Maria Marino. Archbishop Antonio Cantisani and the Calabrian Bishops Conference have approved it statutes. *

Catholic Charismatic Renewal The Catholic Charismatic Renewal is a movement within the Catholic Church that is part of the wider charismatic movement across historic Christian churches. The Renewal has been described as a "current of grace". It began in 1967 when Catho ...

, with around 70 million Roman Catholics worldwide active in the movement, founded in the US in 1967 among college students. * Catholic Worker Movement: Founded in the US in 1933 by Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin, this movement works for peace and the equal distribution of goods. *

Madonna House Apostolate The Madonna House Apostolate is a Roman Catholic Church, Catholic Christians, Christian community of Laity, lay men, women, and priests dedicated to loving and serving Jesus, Jesus Christ in all aspects of everyday life. It was founded in 1947 by C ...

, founded in Canada in 1947 by Catherine Doherty as a community of priests and laypersons has established missionary field houses worldwide. * National Black Catholic Congress, founded in the United States in 1987 as a successor to the

Colored Catholic Congress The Colored Catholic Congress movement was a series of meetings organized by Daniel Rudd in the late 19th and early 20th centuries for African-American Catholics to discuss issues affecting their communities, churches, and other institutions. Pa ...

founded a century earlier by Daniel Rudd. *

World Movement of Christian Workers The World Movement of Christian Workers (Mouvement Mondial des Travailleurs Chrétiens) is the Catholic Church's officially recognized association for Catholic workingmen and women. It is a member organization of Vatican's Conference of Internat ...

(WMCW), an international association similar to the Catholic Worker Movement, recognized by the Catholic Church.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Roman Catholic lay ecclesial movement Catholic Church-related lists Types of Roman Catholic organization

List of Catholic lay organisations

See also

References