The First Order is our male expression, and is comprised of brothers, deacons, priests and bishops who take perpetual vows and participate in the full life of the Society.
Members of the first order progress through the minor orders of the church (door keeper, reader, excorcist, accolyte & sub-deacon) and if they are called, the are educated and proceed through the major orders of deacon and priest.
In a like manner, First order members take first, second, and perpetual vows to live a life of charity, humility and service, committing themselves to follow the Benedictine Rule, and to work with, consult and submit to the authority of General Chapter and the Father General in their ministerial works.
Why seperate the men and the women into seperate orders? Women have long been relegated to a second class status in the institutional church.
Denied full access to follow the calling instilled into them by God, to minister in a way that they are best designed to do, and under constant control and authority of men, it is our belief that having a female expression removes that male dominated and control stigma.
This allows the female members of the society to fully blossom into the tools Christ needs them to be.