The lives of monks and nuns in Catholic religious congregations or orders are a form of Consecrated Life, expressed through their voluntary commitment to follow Christ completely, in the particular spirituality and charismatical tradition of the religious order they have chosen.
Catholic monks and nuns, upon taking their religious vows, often add the abbreviation of religious order after their name (e.g., Sr.Helen Alford, OP or Fr. Jacques Philippe, CB...). The abbreviations of Roman congregations usually derive from Latin, English, French, or other languages. The following list provides the meanings of the abbreviations for various religious orders.
| ABBREVIATION | FULL TEXT |
| AA | Augustinians of the Assumption (Assumptionists) |
| AASC | Handmaids of the Blessed Sacrament & of Charity |
| ACI | Handmaids of the Sacred Heart of Jesus |
| AJ | Apostles of Jesus |
| ASC | Adorers of the Blood of Christ |
| ASCJ | Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus |
| BGS | Little Brothers of the Good Shepherd |
| BSP | Brothers and Sisters of Penance of St. Francis |
| BVM | Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary |
| CB | Communauté des Béatitudes Website |
| CBS | Sisters of Bon Secours de Paris |
| CBS | Congregation of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament |
| CCR | Congregation of Carmelite Religious |
| CCVI | Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word |
| CDP | Sisters of Divine Providence |
| CFA | Alexian Brothers |
| CFIC | Congregation of Franciscans of the Immaculate Conception |
| CFR | Franciscan Friars of the Renewal |
| CFX | Congregation of Xaverian Brothers |
| CHM | Congregation of the Humility of Mary |
| CICM | Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary |
| CJ | Josephite Fathers |
| CJC | Sisters of Jesus Crucified |
| CJM | Congregation of Jesus and Mary |
| CM | Congregatio Missionis |
| CMF | Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (Claretians) |
| CMI | Carmelites of Mary Immaculate |
| CMMC | Congregation of Mary Mother of the Church |
| CMRI | Congregation of Mary Immaculate Queen |
| CMSF | Missionary Congregation of St. Francis of Assisi |
| CND | Congrégation Notre-Dame |
| CO | Congregation of the Oratory (Oratorians) |
| CP | Congregation of the Passion of Jesus Christ |
| CPM | Congregation of the Fathers of Mercy |
| CPS | Missionary Sisters of the Precious Blood |
| CRM | Congregation of the Mother of the Redeemer |
| CRSF | Sisters of St. Francis |
| CSB | Congregation of St. Bridget |
| CSB | Congregation of St. Basil (Basilian Fathers) |
| CSC | Congregation of Holy Cross |
| CSC | Sisters of the Holy Cross |
| CSJ | Congregation of St. Joseph |
| CSJ | Sisters of St. Joseph |
| CSJB | Sisters of St. John the Baptist |
| CSJP | Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace |
| CSP | Congregation of St. Paul (Paulists) |
| CSR | Sisters of the Holy Redeemer |
| CSSp | Congregatio Sancti Spiritus |
| CSsR | Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (Redemptorists) |
| CSVB | Sisters of the Savior and the Blessed Virgin Mary |
| DC | Daughters of Charity |
| DC | Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul |
| DCJ | Carmelite Sisters of the Divine Heart of Jesus |
| DDL | Daughters of Divine Love |
| DHM | Daughters of the Heart of Mary |
| DHS | Daughters of the Holy Spirit |
| DIHM | Daughters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary |
| DJ | Daughters of Jesus |
| DM | Daughters of Mary of the Immaculate Conception |
| DW | Daughters of Wisdom |
| ESA | Brothers of the Sacred Heart |
| FC | Brothers of Charity |
| FCJ | Faithful Companion of Jesus, Sisters |
| FDC | Daughters of Divine Charity |
| FEHJ | Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus |
| FFSC | Franciscan Brothers of the Holy Cross |
| FI | Franciscan of the Immaculate |
| FIC | Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception |
| FJ | Congregation of St. John |
| FMS | Marist Brothers |
| FS | Sisters of Our Lady of Fatima |
| FSF | Daughters of St. Francis of Assisi |
| FSFS | Daughters of St. Francis of Sales |
| FSGM | Sisters of St. George Martyrs |
| FSM | Franciscan Sisters of Mary |
| FSP | Daughters of St. Paul |
| FSSJ | Franciscan Sisters of St. Joseph |
| HC | Sisters of the Holy Cross |
| HSC | Hospitaller Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus |
| ICM | Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary |
| IHM | Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary |
| LBN | Little Brothers of Nazareth |
| LC | Congregation of the Legionaries of Christ |
| LSA | Little Sisters of the Assumption |
| LSJ | Little Sisters of Jesus |
| LSMI | Little Servants of Mary Immaculate |
| LSP | Little Sisters of the Poor |
| MAfr | Missionaries of Africa |
| MC | Missionaries of Charity |
| MFSC | Missionary Sons of the Sacred Heart of Jesus |
| MFVA | Franciscan Missionaries of the Eternal Word |
| MGL | Missionaries of God’s Love Sisters |
| MI | Ministers of the Infirm |
| MIC | Congregation of Marians Immaculate Conception (Marian Fathers) |
| MIHM | Missionaries Immaculate Heart of Mary |
| MJ | Missionaries of Jesus |
| MM | Catholic Foreign Mission Society of America (Maryknoll) |
| MS | Marian Sisters |
| MS | Missionaries of Our Lady of LaSalette |
| MSF | Congregation of Missionaries of the Holy Family |
| MSS | Missionaries of the Blessed Sacrament |
| MSSC | Missionaries of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary |
| MSSP | Missionary Society of St. Paul |
| NDC | Sisters of Our Lady of the Cross |
| OblSB | Oblate of St. Benedict |
| OC | Order of the Carmelites |
| OCarm | Order of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel (Carmelites) |
| OCarm | Carmelites of Ancient Observance |
| OCist | Order of Cistercians |
| OCD | Order of Discalced Carmelites |
| OCR | Order of Cistercians, Reformed (Trappist) |
| OCSO | Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance (Trappists) |
| ODC | Carmelites (Discalced) |
| OFM | Order of Friars Minor (Franciscans) |
| OFMCap | Order of Friars Minor Capuchin (Capuchins) |
| OFMConv | Order of Friars Minor Conventual (Convential Franciscans) |
| OFMI | Order Friars of Mary Immaculate (Franciscans) |
| OH | Hospitallers Brothers of St. John of God |
| OHF | Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate |
| OMC | Order of Merciful Christ |
| OMI | Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate |
| OMV | Oblates of the Virgin Mary |
| OP | Order of Friars Preachers (Dominicans) |
| OPB | Oblates of the Precious Blood |
| OSA | Order of St. Augustine (Augustinians) |
| OSB | Order of St. Benedict |
| OSB | Benedictine Sisters |
| OSCr | Order of the Holy Cross |
| OSFS | Order of St. Francis de Sales |
| OSJ | Oblates of St. Joseph |
| OSP | Oeuvre de Saint Paul |
| OSSR | Order of the Most Holy Redeemer |
| OSsS | Brigittine Monks |
| OSST | Order of the Most Holy Trinity and the Ransom of Captives (Trinitarians) |
| OSU | Ursuline Sisters of the Roman Order |
| OSV | Ursuline Sisters of the Blessed Virgin Mary |
| PC | Poor Clares |
| PCPA | Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration |
| PIME | Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions |
| PM | Sisters of the Presentation of Mary |
| PSS | Society of Priests of Saint Sulpice (Sulpitians) |
| RDC | Religious of Divine Compassion |
| RGS | Religious of the Good Shepherd (Sisters) |
| RMI | Religious of Mary Immaculate |
| RSC | Religious Sisters of Charity |
| RSM | Sisters of Mercy |
| RVM | Religious of the Virgin Mary |
| SAC | Sisters of the Guardian Angel |
| SC | Sisters of Charity |
| SC | Servants of Charity |
| SCJ | Priests of the Sacred Heart of Jesus |
| SDB | Salesians of Saint John Bosco |
| SDD | Societas Domus Dei |
| SDV | Society of Divine Vocations (Vocationist Fathers) |
| SJ | Society of Jesus (Jesuits) |
| SL | Sisters of Loretto |
| SVD | Societas Verbi Divini |
| SM | Society of Mary (Marianist Fathers) |
| SMI | Sisters of Mary Immaculate |
| SMM | Montfort Society of Mary (Montfort Fathers) |
| SND | Sisters of Notre Dame |
| SOLM | Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy |
| SOLT | Sisters of Our Lady of Most Holy Trinity |
| SSA | Sisters of St. Ann |
| SSB | Sisters of St. Brigid |
| SSC | Franciscan Servants of the Sacred Heart |
| SSCM | Servants of the Holy Heart of Mary |
| SSMN | Sisters of St. Mary of Namur |
| SSS | Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament |
| SU | Society of the Sisters of St. Ursula |
| SVP | Society of Saint Vincent de Paul |
| SX | Xaverian Missionary Fathers |
| VSC | Vincentian Sisters of Charity |
| WF | White Fathers |
The above is a list of the abbreviations of Roman congregations and orders that Joseph Tuan has compiled from various sources and Catholic documents. If you find any missing religious orders, please leave a comment below this post, and I will update the list. Wishing you joy and the abundant peace of the Lord.
