Discuss the various mendicant orders within the Catholic Church and how these organizations affected ...

The mendicant orders of the Church focused on simple living and avoidance of materialistic goals, serving God through humble means. The first of these orders, the Franciscans took their name from their founder, Giovanni Bernardone (nicknamed Francesco), who renounced a life of luxury and dedicated himself to preaching and serving the poor. In imitation of the apostles, he practiced absolute poverty and begged for his food and lodging as he traveled from town to town. His mendicant (begging) lifestyle made him an icon of humility; and his attention to the poor and the sickly revived the compassionate ideals of Early Christianity and of Jesus himself. Other mendicant orders included the Dominicans and the Order of Poor Ladies. These orders earned longlasting respect and acclaim for educating the young, fighting heresy, and ministering to the sick and needy.