Mercedarians

The Royal, Celestial and Military Order of Our Lady of Mercy and the Redemption of the Captives, commonly known as the Mercedarians, is a Catholic mendicant order established in 1218 by Peter Nolasco in Barcelona, then part of the Crown of Aragon, with an original mission of ransoming Christian captives held by Muslim forces. Members take a fourth vow beyond the standard three monastic vows, committing to be willing to die, if necessary, for another in danger of losing their faith. Nolasco began ransoming captives around 1203 and formally established the order under Mary's patronage after fifteen years of this work, receiving papal recognition from Pope Gregory IX in 1236 under the Rule of Saint Augustine. The order remains active in 17 countries with headquarters in Rome.