The Order of Minims (; abbreviated OM), known in German-speaking countries as the Paulaner Order (), are a

religious order A religious order is a subgroup within a larger confessional community with a distinctive high-religiosity lifestyle and clear membership. Religious orders often trace their lineage from revered teachers, venerate their Organizational founder, ...

friar A friar is a member of one of the mendicant orders in the Catholic Church. There are also friars outside of the Catholic Church, such as within the Anglican Communion. The term, first used in the 12th or 13th century, distinguishes the mendi ...

s in the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

, founded by Francis of Paola in fifteenth-century

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

. The order soon spread to

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

and

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

, and continues to exist today. Like the other

mendicant A mendicant (from , "begging") is one who practices mendicancy, relying chiefly or exclusively on alms to survive. In principle, Mendicant orders, mendicant religious orders own little property, either individually or collectively, and in many i ...

orders, there are three separate components, or orders, of the movement: the friars, contemplative nuns and a Third Order of laypeople who live in the spirit of the order in their daily lives. At present there are only two fraternities of the Minim tertiaries; both are in Italy.

History

The founder of the order, Francis of Paola, was born in 1416 and named in honor of

Francis of Assisi Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone ( 1181 – 3 October 1226), known as Francis of Assisi, was an Italians, Italian Mysticism, mystic, poet and Friar, Catholic friar who founded the religious order of the Franciscans. Inspired to lead a Chris ...

. The boy became ill when he was only one month old, and his mother prayed to Saint Francis and promised that her son would spend a year in a Franciscan friary if he were healed. Francis recovered, which she believed meant that God had granted her prayer. At 13 years of age Francis fulfilled that

votive A votive offering or votive deposit is one or more objects displayed or deposited, without the intention of recovery or use, in a sacred place for religious purposes. Such items are a feature of modern and ancient societies and are generally ...

year. After this year he dedicated himself to a life of solitude and penance as a

hermit A hermit, also known as an eremite (adjectival form: hermitic or eremitic) or solitary, is a person who lives in seclusion. Eremitism plays a role in a variety of religions. Description In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Chr ...

. In 1435, two followers joined Francis and began the community, which was first called the "Poor Hermits of St. Francis of Assisi." Francis and his followers founded hermitages at Paterno in 1444 and

Milazzo Milazzo (; ; ) is a municipality () in the Metropolitan City of Messina, Sicily, southern Italy. It is the largest municipality in the Metropolitan City after Messina and Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto. The town has a population of around 31,500 inh ...

Sicily Sicily (Italian language, Italian and ), officially the Sicilian Region (), is an island in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula in continental Europe and is one of the 20 regions of Italy, regions of Italy. With 4. ...

, in 1469. The Archbishop of Cosenza approved the group and established them as a

on November 30, 1470, and this approval was confirmed by

Pope Sixtus IV Pope Sixtus IV (or Xystus IV, ; born Francesco della Rovere; (21 July 1414 – 12 August 1484) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 9 August 1471 until his death in 1484. His accomplishments as pope included ...

in his

bull A bull is an intact (i.e., not Castration, castrated) adult male of the species ''Bos taurus'' (cattle). More muscular and aggressive than the females of the same species (i.e. cows proper), bulls have long been an important symbol cattle in r ...

''Sedes Apostolica'' of May 17, 1474. At that time, the pope also changed their status from that of hermits to

friars. The name ''Minims'' comes from the Italian word ''minimo'', meaning the smallest or the least, and their founder would call himself ''il minimo dei minimi''. Francis of Paola wanted to distinguish himself as being of even less significance than the

Friars Minor The Order of Friars Minor (commonly called the Franciscans, the Franciscan Order, or the Seraphic Order; postnominal abbreviation OFM) is a mendicant Catholic religious order, founded in 1209 by Francis of Assisi. The order adheres to the t ...

founded by his

patron saint A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, Eastern Orthodoxy or Oriental Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, fa ...

. Francis composed a rule for the community in 1493, which was approved under the name of "Hermits of the Order of the Minims". The definitive version of the rule was solemnly approved by Pope Julius II in the Bull ''Inter ceteros'', July 28, 1506, who also simplified the name of the community to the Order of Minims (). In addition to the standard three religious vows of chastity, poverty and obedience, the rule contains the vow of "a

Lent Lent (, 'Fortieth') is the solemn Christianity, Christian religious moveable feast#Lent, observance in the liturgical year in preparation for Easter. It echoes the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert and enduring Temptation of Christ, t ...

en way of life" (), which is considered to be the distinctive feature of the Minims. This vow is for perpetual

abstinence Abstinence is the practice of self-enforced restraint from indulging in bodily activities that are widely experienced as giving pleasure. Most frequently, the term refers to sexual abstinence, but it can also mean abstinence from alcohol (drug), ...

from all meat, eggs and

dairy products Dairy products or milk products are food products made from (or containing) milk. The most common dairy animals are cow, water buffalo, goat, nanny goat, and Sheep, ewe. Dairy products include common grocery store food around the world such as y ...

, except in case of grave illness and by order of a

physician A physician, medical practitioner (British English), medical doctor, or simply doctor is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through the Medical education, study, Med ...

. The order is also discalced. The Minim habit consists of a black wool

tunic A tunic is a garment for the torso, usually simple in style, reaching from the shoulders to a length somewhere between the hips and the ankles. It might have arm-sleeves, either short or full-length. Most forms have no fastenings. The name deri ...

, with broad sleeves, a hood, and a short scapular. It has a thick, black cord (with four knots that signify the four vows) with a tassel to gird the robe. The Order of the Minims spread throughout

in the fifteenth century and was introduced to

in 1482, and later to

and to

in 1497. The houses in Spain, Germany, and France were suppressed during the period following the French Revolution. By the turn of the 20th century, only 19 friaries remained, all but one of them in Italy. On December 31, 2010, the order had 46 communities with 174 members, 112 of them priests. The majority of these were in Italy, but they are also established in

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

Cameroon Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon, is a country in Central Africa. It shares boundaries with Nigeria to the west and north, Chad to the northeast, the Central African Republic to the east, and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the R ...

Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...

, the

Democratic Republic of the Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), also known as the DR Congo, Congo-Kinshasa, or simply the Congo (the last ambiguously also referring to the neighbouring Republic of the Congo), is a country in Central Africa. By land area, it is t ...

, the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

, and the

United States of America The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguo ...

Paulaner brewery

The

Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...

friary of the German Minims brewed beer as means of support, but after the friars were expelled, the

brewery A brewery or brewing company is a business that makes and sells beer. The place at which beer is commercially made is either called a brewery or a beerhouse, where distinct sets of brewing equipment are called plant. The commercial brewing of b ...

continued independently. It continues to brew the

Paulaner Paulaner is a German brewery, established in 1634 in Munich by the Paulaner Order of mendicant friars. Now owned by the Schörghuber family, it is one of the six breweries which provides beer for Oktoberfest. Paulaner ranks number six amon ...

brand of beer, which draws its name from Francis of Paola.

Other Notable Minim friars

Marin Mersenne Marin Mersenne, OM (also known as Marinus Mersennus or ''le Père'' Mersenne; ; 8 September 1588 – 1 September 1648) was a French polymath whose works touched a wide variety of fields. He is perhaps best known today among mathematicians for ...

(1588–1648) * Emmanuel Maignan (1601–1676) * Jean François Niceron (1613–1646) * Charles Plumier (1646–1704) * Fra Galgario (1655–1743) * Louis Feuillée (1660–1732)

The nuns

Francis was called to France in 1483 by King Louis XI to serve as his deathbed confessor. While he was there, the Spanish

ambassador An ambassador is an official envoy, especially a high-ranking diplomat who represents a state and is usually accredited to another sovereign state or to an international organization as the resident representative of their own government or so ...

, Don Pedro de Lucena, who was a very pious man, grew to know and admire him. He sent reports of the holy friar to his family back in Jaén. His daughter, Elena, and her two daughters, Maria and Francisca, felt so inspired by Don Pedro's reports, they wanted to dedicate themselves to the way of life Francis had established. Through the ambassador, they communicated their interest to the saint, and asked for a rule of life which they might follow. Francis welcomed their request heartily, and, to this end, he adapted the rule of the friars for them to live as cloistered nuns. Don Pedro donated a portion of his estate to the young women, and there they formed a small monastic community. They received the Minim

religious habit A religious habit is a distinctive set of clothing worn by members of a religious order. Traditionally, some plain garb recognizable as a religious habit has also been worn by those leading the religious Hermit, eremitic and Anchorite, anchorit ...

from a Friar Lionet on June 11, 1495, and established the Monastery of Jesus and Mary. This was first and remains the oldest monastery of the Minim nuns. Francisca was elected as the first corrector ( religious superior) of the community. She spent many years as the corrector of the monastery, gaining a reputation for holiness, and is today honored as Blessed Francisca. Their proper rule was approved by the

Holy See The Holy See (, ; ), also called the See of Rome, the Petrine See or the Apostolic See, is the central governing body of the Catholic Church and Vatican City. It encompasses the office of the pope as the Bishops in the Catholic Church, bishop ...

in 1506, at the same time as that of the friars. The Federation of Minim Nuns of Saint Francis of Paola includes 14 monasteries in Spain, Italy, Mexico, and the Philippines.

Notable Minim nuns

A new community was established in

Barcelona Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...

Easter Easter, also called Pascha ( Aramaic: פַּסְחָא , ''paskha''; Greek: πάσχα, ''páskha'') or Resurrection Sunday, is a Christian festival and cultural holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, described in t ...

1623. In 1936, the 25 members of the community in

were arrested by soldiers of the Republic of Spain. Charged with treason, nine choir nuns and an extern Sister were executed on July 23. They were beatified by

Pope Francis Pope Francis (born Jorge Mario Bergoglio; 17 December 1936 – 21 April 2025) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 13 March 2013 until Death and funeral of Pope Francis, his death in 2025. He was the fi ...

on October 13, 2013, and are commemorated on July 23. *Josefa Pilar García Solanas (María Montserrat) *Ramona Ors Torrents (Margarida d'Alacoque of Saint Raymond) *Dolors Vilaseca Gallego (Maria de l'Assumpciò) *Mercè Mestre Trinché (Maria Mercè) *Vicenta Jordá Martí (María de Jesús) *Josepa Panyella Doménech (Josepa of the Heart of Mary) *Teresa Ríus Casas (Trinitat) *Maria Montserrat Ors Molist (Enriqueta) *Ana Ballesta Gelmá (Filomena of Saint Francis de Paola) *Lucrecia García Solanas The Minim Daughters of Mary Immaculate is a separate institute founded in 1867 in Guanajuanto, Mexico, by Pablo de Anda Padilla. The sisters work in schools and medical centers in Mexico, Cuba, Ecuador, Rome, and Nogales, Arizona.

Saints, Blesseds, and other holy people

Saints * Francesco da Paola (27 March 1416 – 2 April 1507), founder of the order, canonized on 1 May 1519. * Francis de Sales (21 August 1567 – 28 December 1622), tertiary, Bishop of Geneva, and Doctor of the Church, canonized on 8 April 1665. * Vincent de Paul (24 April 1581 – 27 September 1660), tertiary and founder of the Congregation of the Mission, canonized on 16 June 1737. * Nicola Saggio da Longobardi (6 January 1650 – 3 February 1709), professed religious, canonized on 23 November 2014. Blesseds * Thomas Felton (c. 1566 – 28 August 1588), Martyr of the English Reformation, beatified on 15 December 1929. * Gaspar de Bono i Montso (5 January 1530 – 14 July 1604), priest, beatified on 10 September 1786. * Nicholas Barré (21 October 1621 – 31 May 1686), founder of the Sisters of the Infant Jesus, beatified on 7 March 1999. * Charles-Louis Hurtrel (c. 1760 – 2 September 1792), Martyr of the French Revolution, beatified on 17 October 1926 * Francesco Faa de Bruno (7 March 1825 – 25 March 1888), priest, mathematician and founder of the Minim Sisters of Our Lady of Suffrage, beatified on 25 September 1988. * Maria Anna Rosa (Maria Margherita) Caiani (2 November 1863 – 8 August 1921), founder of the Minim Sisters of the Sacred Heart, beatified on 3 April 1989. * María Montserrat García Solanas and 8 Companions (died 23 July 1936), Martyrs of the Spanish Civil War, beatified on 13 October 2013. * Elena Aiello (10 April 1895 – 19 June 1961), founder of the Minim Sisters of the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ, beatified on 14 September 2011. Venerables * Eleonora Ramirez Montalvo Landi (6 July 1602 – 10 August 1659), widow and founder of the Minim Sisters Handmaids of the Holy Trinity, declared Venerable on 8 May 1987 * Bernardo Maria Clausi (26 November 1789 – 20 December 1849), priest, declared Venerable on 11 December 1987. * Teodora Campostrini (26 October 1788 – 22 May 1860), founder of the Minim Sisters of Charity of Our Lady of Sorrows, declared Venerable on 3 March 2016. * Filomena Ferrer Galcerán of Saint Columba (3 April 1841 – 13 August 1868), professed religious, declared Venerable on 7 September 1989 * Pablo de Anda Padilla (5 July 1830 – 29 June 1904), founder of the Minim Daughters of Mary Immaculate, declared Venerable on 28 June 1999. * María Consuelo of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (Consuelo Utrilla Lozano) (6 September 1925 – 9 December 1956), professed religious, declared Venerable on 15 December 1994. * Pio (Stanislao) Dellepiane (4 January 1904 – 12 December 1976), priest, declared Venerable on 19 May 2018. Servants of God * Diana de Filpo (28 August 1677 – 22 May 1722), tertiary * María Claudia Josefa (María del Socorro) de Astorga Liceras (30 October 1769 – 31 March 1814), professed religious, declared as a Servant of God in 2019. * Maria (Maria Raffaella) de Giovanna (31 July 1870 – 11 March 1933), founder of the Minim Sisters of Saint Francis da Paola, declared as a Servant of God on 11 December 2012.

References

External links

Order of Minims (Nuns branch)

Italian

Ordine dei Minimi di s. Francesco di Paola
{{DEFAULTSORT:Minim (Religious Order) 1435 establishments in Europe Christian religious orders established in the 15th century History of Catholic religious orders Mendicant orders Roman Catholic friars