Final answer:
A religious order is an organized group within the Catholic Church whose members have taken vows to live under a specific set of rules and principles, often focusing on activities like education, missionary works, or charitable services.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the context of this passage, a religious order refers to an organization, usually within the Catholic Church, that is composed of individuals who have taken religious vows to live according to the rules and principles of that order. These orders are dedicated to certain spiritual goals and often engage in specific activities as part of their mission, such as education, missionary work, or charitable services.
The Society of Jesus, or the Jesuits, which was founded by Ignatius of Loyola in the 1530s, is one such religious order. They focused on the education of young Catholic men, the conversion of non-Christians to Roman Catholicism, advising Catholic rulers, and were distinct in also operating as missionaries, evident in their efforts to convert native peoples to Catholicism in New France.