The Royal, Celestial and Military Order of Our Lady of Mercy and the Redemption of the Captives, also known as Our Lady of Ransom, or the Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mercy, is a Roman Catholic mendicant Order established in 1218 by Saint Peter Nolasco in Barcelona. Its members are known as Mercedarian friars or nuns. Members of the Order are required to take a fourth vow to die for another who is in danger of losing their faith. At the time of its founding, medieval Europe was experiencing frequent warfare between the Christian kingdoms of southern Europe and the Muslims of North Africa, Southern France, Sicily, and the Moorish regions of Spain. A continuous threat to Christian Europeans was capture by Muslim pirates or coastal raiders. For more than six hundred years, prisoners were taken by both sides, and Christians who were captured by Islamic invaders were kept in a state of slavery as war booty. Slaves were an important trade commodity during the 13th century. Even before the First Crusade, hospices and hospitals were organized by Christian cathedrals or by monastic orders, and charitable institutions, like almshouses, were established by confraternities or guilds. The Knights of the original Order of Saint John and the Templars were active during this time. Not much is known of the origins of the Mercedarians or its founder, Saint Peter Nolasco, but it is known that he became concerned about the welfare of Christians captured in Moorish raids, and that he decided to establish a religious Order in order to aid them. In 1203, he began paying the ransom of Christian captives but, as the number of captives was growing each day, he saw the need of creating a religious Order to carry on this work. In 1236, Pope Gregory IX granted the Mercedarians formal recognition as a religious Order under the Rule of Saint Augustine. Off-shoots of the Order include the Mercedarian Recollects, later known as the Discalced Mercedarians, who are an independent Order.
Recommended Resources
Cypress Springs Mercedarian Prayer Center
Located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the mission offers a place of healing and evangelization, where the sick and terminally ill can visit and be accompanied on their journey towards God, the facility is operated by the Mercedarian Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, who are also housed there. Its location, history, and testimonials are offered, along with a schedule of events and a gift shop.
http://www.cypressspringsprayercenter.org/
Mercedarian Missionaries of Berriz
The community of women work and live in the Philippines, Guatemala, Micronesia, the United States, and other areas, which are featured here, with mission reports, contacts, and photographs. A history of the Catholic missionaries, which began in the 16th century when three women founded the Beaterio of the Vera-Cruz, a convent linked to the Mercedarian Order, as well as its lay organization.
https://www.mmberriz.org/
Mercedarian Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament
Founded in Mexico City by the Venerable Maria del Refugio Aguilar in 1910, the Mercedarian Sisters are a Religious Institute of Pontifical Right, involved in providing children and youth with a Christian education in schools and catechetical centers, visiting the sick and the imprisoned, and assisting in parish and diocesan ministries. Its history, community, apostolate, and vocations are highlighted.
http://mercedariansisters.org/
Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mercy
News from the mission fields of the Mercedarians is presented, as well as informational articles on the Order, including its work in the Middle East, its history of martyrdom, its charism of the ransom of Christian captives, sharing faith and culture, and the stories of friars and nuns who have had a significant impact on its mission. Organizational data is included, with contact information.
http://orderofmercymen.org/
The Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mercy
Founded in 1218, the international community of priests and brothers live a life of prayer and communal fraternity based on the Rule of Saint Augustine and the Constitutions of the Order. Its history and a biography of its founder are put forth, along with its charism, houses, and an overview of its vocation and formation process, apostolate, saints of the order, and devotions
http://orderofmercy.org/
