In the past, lay people who wished to live the Gospel in Dominic’s way belonged to what was known as the Third Order.
Today, this name has been replaced by the term Dominican Laity.
The origins of the Dominican Laity can be traced back to the promulgation, some 60 years after the death of St. Dominic, of the Rule of the Order of Penance of St. Dominic in 1285.
Not unconnected with the lay religious movements of the 12th and 13th centuries, the members of the Dominican Third Order set out to lead a quasi-religious life in the world by making a public profession of evangelical living, especially marked by penance.
Today, the Dominican Laity comprises several fraternities in Canada.
They can be found in the following cities : Montreal, Ottawa, Quebec City, Toronto and Vancouver.
