Order of Friars Minor Conventual
religious order of friars within the Catholic Church
The Order of Friars Minor Conventual (O.F.M. Conv.) is a male religious fraternity in the Catholic Church and a branch of the Franciscan Order. Conventual Franciscan Friars are identified by the affix O.F.M. Conv. after their names. They are also known as Conventual Franciscans or Minorites.
The Conventual Franciscan Friars have worldwide provinces that date to the 13th century. They dress in black or grey habits with white cords. Many friars engage in such ministries as teaching, parish ministry and service to the poor.
Background
The Conventual Franciscan Friars are one of three separate fraternities that compose the First Order of St. Francis (with the Second Order consisting of the Poor Clares, and the Third Order being for secular or religious men and women).
Source of the name
There are several theories as to the source of the name "conventual".
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Order of Friars Minor Conventual” as religious order of friars within the Catholic Church. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the places & architecture register because the source frames it as religious order of friars within the Catholic Church. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Place names and jurisdictional language are key evidence: both can reveal earlier catalogue descriptions and overlooked record series. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jun 16, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q692799. VIAF identifies the subject as 137834055. 3 of 8 selected statements include explicit references; 4 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank.
A single description cannot reconcile every naming convention, rebuilding phase or administrative transfer associated with a place. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Order of Friars Minor Conventual”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Order of Friars Minor Conventual primary sources, Order of Friars Minor Conventual archive and Order research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Order of Friars Minor Conventual”?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Order of Friars Minor Conventual” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.