The
Confraternity of the Blessed Sacrament (CBS) is a devotional society in the
Anglican CommunionThe Anglican Communion is an international association of national Anglican churches. There is no single "Anglican Church" with universal juridical authority as each national or regional church has full autonomy...
dedicated to venerating the
Real PresenceReal Presence is a term used in various Christian traditions to express belief that in the Eucharist, Jesus Christ is really present in what was previously just bread and wine, and not merely present in symbol, a figure of speech , or by his power .Not all Christian traditions accept this dogma...
of Christ in the
EucharistThe Eucharist, also called Holy Communion, Sacrament of the Table, the Blessed Sacrament, or The Lord's Supper and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance, generally considered to be a commemoration of the Last Supper, the final meal that Jesus Christ shared with his disciples before his...
. It is the oldest
Anglican devotional societySince the time of the Oxford Movement in the Church of England, there have been organizations whose purpose is the propagation of the Catholic Faith within the Anglican Communion. Each of these societies champions one aspect of Ritualism and Anglican doctrine which otherwise is not emphasized by...
and was founded in 1862 by
Thomas Thellusson CarterThomas Thellusson Carter often known as T. T. Carter, T.T.C. or Canon Carter was a significant figure in the Victorian Church of England, responsible for re-introducing some Anglo-Catholic practices to the Church, being the founder of Confraternity of the Blessed Sacrament. He also founded several...
during the Catholic Revival in the
Church of EnglandThe Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England, the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the oldest among the communion's thirty-eight independent national and regional churches...
and has worked to promote the
MassThe Mass is the Eucharistic celebration in the Latin liturgical rites of the Catholic Church. The term is used also of similar celebrations in Old Catholic Churches, in the Anglo-Catholic tradition of Anglicanism, in many Lutheran Churches, and in a small amount of High Church Methodist parishes...
as the weekly main service, regular
confessionThe confession of one's sins is a religious practice important to many faiths, e.g., Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy.- Christianity :...
, and the Eucharistic fast. The society's motto is, "
Adoremus in aeternum sanctissimum sacramentum", or in English, "Let us forever adore the Most
Blessed SacramentThe Blessed Sacrament, or the Body and Blood of Christ, is a devotional name used in the Roman Catholic Church, Old Catholic, Anglican, and Lutheran Churches, to refer to the Host and wine after they have been consecrated in the sacrament of the Eucharist...
."
Associates and Priests-Associate (the Constitution differentiates between the two, but requirements upon them are identical) of the Confraternity of the Blessed Sacrament strive to promote reverence for
JesusJesus of Nazareth —also known as Jesus Christ or occasionally Jesus the Christ—is the central figure of Christianity. Within most Christian denominations...
in the Holy Eucharist through the witness of their lives, words, prayers and teaching.
The
Confraternity of the Blessed Sacrament (CBS) is a devotional society in the
Anglican CommunionThe Anglican Communion is an international association of national Anglican churches. There is no single "Anglican Church" with universal juridical authority as each national or regional church has full autonomy...
dedicated to venerating the
Real PresenceReal Presence is a term used in various Christian traditions to express belief that in the Eucharist, Jesus Christ is really present in what was previously just bread and wine, and not merely present in symbol, a figure of speech , or by his power .Not all Christian traditions accept this dogma...
of Christ in the
EucharistThe Eucharist, also called Holy Communion, Sacrament of the Table, the Blessed Sacrament, or The Lord's Supper and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance, generally considered to be a commemoration of the Last Supper, the final meal that Jesus Christ shared with his disciples before his...
. It is the oldest
Anglican devotional societySince the time of the Oxford Movement in the Church of England, there have been organizations whose purpose is the propagation of the Catholic Faith within the Anglican Communion. Each of these societies champions one aspect of Ritualism and Anglican doctrine which otherwise is not emphasized by...
and was founded in 1862 by
Thomas Thellusson CarterThomas Thellusson Carter often known as T. T. Carter, T.T.C. or Canon Carter was a significant figure in the Victorian Church of England, responsible for re-introducing some Anglo-Catholic practices to the Church, being the founder of Confraternity of the Blessed Sacrament. He also founded several...
during the Catholic Revival in the
Church of EnglandThe Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England, the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the oldest among the communion's thirty-eight independent national and regional churches...
and has worked to promote the
MassThe Mass is the Eucharistic celebration in the Latin liturgical rites of the Catholic Church. The term is used also of similar celebrations in Old Catholic Churches, in the Anglo-Catholic tradition of Anglicanism, in many Lutheran Churches, and in a small amount of High Church Methodist parishes...
as the weekly main service, regular
confessionThe confession of one's sins is a religious practice important to many faiths, e.g., Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy.- Christianity :...
, and the Eucharistic fast. The society's motto is, "
Adoremus in aeternum sanctissimum sacramentum", or in English, "Let us forever adore the Most
Blessed SacramentThe Blessed Sacrament, or the Body and Blood of Christ, is a devotional name used in the Roman Catholic Church, Old Catholic, Anglican, and Lutheran Churches, to refer to the Host and wine after they have been consecrated in the sacrament of the Eucharist...
."
Duties of Associates
Associates and Priests-Associate (the Constitution differentiates between the two, but requirements upon them are identical) of the Confraternity of the Blessed Sacrament strive to promote reverence for
JesusJesus of Nazareth —also known as Jesus Christ or occasionally Jesus the Christ—is the central figure of Christianity. Within most Christian denominations...
in the Holy Eucharist through the witness of their lives, words, prayers and teaching. They pray for one another at
MassIn physics, mass commonly refers to any of three properties of matter, which have been shown experimentally to be equivalent: inertial mass, active gravitational mass and passive gravitational mass...
and before the
Blessed SacramentThe Blessed Sacrament, or the Body and Blood of Christ, is a devotional name used in the Roman Catholic Church, Old Catholic, Anglican, and Lutheran Churches, to refer to the Host and wine after they have been consecrated in the sacrament of the Eucharist...
and make use of the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
Autonomous Provinces
The Confraternity consists of autonomous Provinces, of which there are currently two - the English (and original) CBS and the American CBS - each led by a Superior-General and administered by a Secretary-General and Treasurer-General. Additionally there are semi-autonomous branches of CBS in both Canada and Australia, though currently neither has the numerical strength to become a fully autonomous province, and so they remain part of the English CBS. The English CBS is also active in
SwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe...
,
WalesWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom, bordered by England to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It is also an elective region of the European Union...
, and the
Channel IslandsThe Channel Islands are an archipelago in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two separate bailiwicks: the Bailiwick of Guernsey and the Bailiwick of Jersey...
. Currently lacking structure, there are fledgling CBS movements in parts of
AfricaAfrica is the world's second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area. With a billion people in 61 territories, it accounts for about 14.8% of the...
.
Districts
Within an autonomous Province of CBS there may be a further level of structure known as a 'District'. The English CBS is divided into 23 Districts. A District is led by a 'District Superior', who may appoint a 'District Secretary', and is a collection of all the Wards within a particular region.
Wards
The local unit of CBS is known as a 'Ward'. Members of the Confraterity meet together in local Wards for prayer, worship and mutual support under the guidance of a
priestA priest or priestess is a person having the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities. Their office or position is the priesthood, a term which may also apply to such persons collectively.Priests and priestesses...
as 'Ward Superior', assisted by a 'Ward Secretary'. Each individual Ward decides its own annual programme of events, and the Ward Superior has authority to admit new Associates (although he must consult the District Superior or Superior-General before admitting a new Priest-Associate).
Many Wards are attached to a local
parishA parish is a territorial unit that was usually historically served by a local church. This administrative unit is typically found in Roman Catholic, Anglican Communion, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Church of Sweden, United Methodist, and Presbyterian churches...
of the Anglican Church, although this is not necessary according to the Constitution, which merely requires a Priest-Associate (as Ward Superior) to gather other Associates around himself in order to form a Ward. In recent times a number of Priests-Associate have formed Wards which are
not attached to any parish church. Examples in the English CBS include:
- The Ward of St Cuthman - attached to the Deanery of Storrington
Storrington is a village in the Horsham District of West Sussex, England, and one of two in the civil parish of Storrington and Sullington. Storrington lies at the foot of the north side of the South Downs. As of 2006 the village has a population of around 4,500. It has one main shopping street...
and holding meetings throughout that Deanery;
- The Ward of the Precious Blood - attached to the Deanery of Horsham
Horsham is a market town situated on the River Arun in the centre of the Weald, in the county of West Sussex, England with a population of 55,657 . It lies south southwest from London, northwest from Brighton and northeast from the county town of Chichester. Nearby towns include Crawley to the...
and holding meetings throughout that Deanery;
- The Ward of St Mary and St Nicolas - attached to Lancing College
Lancing College is a co-educational English independent school, founded in 1848 by Nathaniel Woodard, whose aim was to provide education based on sound principle and sound knowledge, firmly grounded in the Christian faith. Lancing was to be the first of a family of over 30 schools founded by Woodard...
and for the benefit of members of that school who belong to CBS;
- The Ward of St Brigid - a geographically vast ward, uniting scattered CBS members throughout Sweden.
There remain unattached Associates of CBS, who live too far from any Ward to be able to participate in its life. These unattached Associates receive updates and news directly from the Secretary-General.
Finances
The English CBS has beneifited from a number of generous bequests and careful financial management, and has consequently built up considerable financial reserves. These allow it to provide grants of vessels and vestments to priests celebrating the Eucharist and reserving the Blessed Sacrament in poorer parishes, and also to provide financial support to large projects and conferences, including the annual
Caister ConferenceThe Caister Retreat Conference is a residential Christian revival event held in East Anglia, England, shortly after Easter on an almost annual basis.thumb|Logo of the 2007 Caister event-Origins and Background:...
.
Other points of interest
The English CBS publishes a quarterly newsletter and prayer schedule, known as the 'Quarterly Paper' or 'QP', and sent to all Associates. Other publications include The Constitution, The Manual, and The Directory (of Districts and Wards).
There are copies of the society's Manuals in the Library and Museum of
FreemasonryFreemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around 5 million, including just under two million in the United States and around 480,000 in...
in
London[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
, listed under Classmark 1295 CON.
The Reverend Christopher Pearson, Vicar of St Agnes
Kennington ParkKennington Park is in Kennington, London, England, in London SE11, and lies between Kennington Park Road and St Agnes Place. It was opened in 1854. Previously the site had been Kennington Common. This is where the Chartists gathered for their biggest 'monster rally' on 10 April 1848...
, is the current Superior-General in the United Kingdom. The Secretary-General of the American branch is the Very Reverend Father William Willoughby III. The Reverend Canon Dr. Brian Freeland leads the Canadian organisation.
See also
- Anglican Communion
The Anglican Communion is an international association of national Anglican churches. There is no single "Anglican Church" with universal juridical authority as each national or regional church has full autonomy...
- Anglo-Catholicism
The terms Anglo-Catholic and Anglo-Catholicism describe people, beliefs and practices within Anglicanism that affirm the Catholic, rather than Protestant, heritage and identity of the Anglican churches....
- Guild of All Souls
The Guild of All Souls is an Anglican devotional society dedicated to prayer for faithful departed Christians. As stated on its website, it is a "devotional society praying for the souls of the Faithful Departed, and teaching the Catholic doctrine of the Communion of Saints."-Objectives:The stated...
- Guild of Servants of the Sanctuary
The Guild of Servants of the Sanctuary or GSS is an association of altar servers in the Church of England and the Church in Wales, with some overseas organisation in several other countries.-Objectives and Membership:...
- Society of the Holy Cross
The Society of the Holy Cross is an international Anglo-Catholic society of priests with members in the Anglican Communion, the Continuing Anglican Movement, and the Roman Catholic Church's Anglican Use...
- Society of King Charles the Martyr
The Society of King Charles the Martyr is an Anglican devotional society and one of the Catholic Societies of the Church of England....
- Society of Mary (Anglican)
The Society of Mary is an Anglican devotional society dedicated to and under the patronage of the Blessed Virgin Mary. As its website states, it is a group of Anglican Christians "dedicated to the Glory of God and the Holy Incarnation of Christ under the invocation of Our Lady, Help of...
External links