Guild of All Souls
Encyclopedia
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
."
. It was originally called the Guild Burial Society, with Father Arthur Tooth
as the first president. The purpose of the Guild Burial Society was:
"to provide furniture for Burial according to the use of the Catholic Church so as to set forth the two great doctrines of the Communion of Saints and the Resurrection of the Body; and Intercessory prayer for the Dying and for the repose of the souls of the deceased members and all the faithful departed."
The work of the guild soon attracted the attention of other churches in England, and from a small parochial group it increased rapidly in membership throughout England.
In Chicago, 1885, an English delegation had a meeting with priests and lay persons of the Episcopal Church to build an American Branch. This was accomplished in 1889. In 1904 the Australian branch was founded in Melbourne
. The National Shrine of the Sacred Heart
at the Church of the Resurrection (New York City)
is the headquarters of the American branch of the guild.
(also known as the "Catholic Revival") in the Church of England (and its sister churches), there have been organisations with the purpose of propagating Catholic faith and practice within the Anglican tradition. The Guild of All Souls is among the most famous of these societies, which include the Society of King Charles the Martyr
, the Society of Mary
and the Confraternity of the Blessed Sacrament
.
Each of these societies promotes one aspect of Catholic faith and practice that is not emphasised by the Anglican Churches as a whole. For the Guild of All Souls this is the promotion of the Catholic understanding of death and resurrection and prayer for Christians who have died.
Anglican devotional society
Since 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...
dedicated to prayer for faithful departed
Afterlife
The afterlife is the belief that a part of, or essence of, or soul of an individual, which carries with it and confers personal identity, survives the death of the body of this world and this lifetime, by natural or supernatural means, in contrast to the belief in eternal...
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
Communion of Saints
The communion of saints , when referred to persons, is the spiritual union of the members of the Christian Church, living and the dead, those on earth, in heaven, and, for those who believe in purgatory, those also who are in that state of purification.They are all part of a single "mystical body",...
."
Objectives
The stated objectives of the Guild are as follows:- Intercessory prayer for the dying and the faithful departed in PurgatoryPurgatoryPurgatory is the condition or process of purification or temporary punishment in which, it is believed, the souls of those who die in a state of grace are made ready for Heaven...
. - The celebration of Requiem Masses.
- Promotion of the Communion of SaintsCommunion of SaintsThe communion of saints , when referred to persons, is the spiritual union of the members of the Christian Church, living and the dead, those on earth, in heaven, and, for those who believe in purgatory, those also who are in that state of purification.They are all part of a single "mystical body",...
and the Resurrection of the DeadResurrection of the deadResurrection of the Dead is a belief found in a number of eschatologies, most commonly in Christian, Islamic, Jewish and Zoroastrian. In general, the phrase refers to a specific event in the future; multiple prophesies in the histories of these religions assert that the dead will be brought back to...
. - Promotion of The Sacrament of HealingAnointing of the SickAnointing of the Sick, known also by other names, is distinguished from other forms of religious anointing or "unction" in that it is intended, as its name indicates, for the benefit of a sick person...
. - Reservation of the Blessed SacramentBlessed SacramentThe Blessed Sacrament, or the Body and Blood of Christ, is a devotional name used in the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Catholic Churches, Old Catholic, Anglican, and Lutheran churches, to refer to the Host after it has been consecrated in the sacrament of the Eucharist...
for the sick and the dying. - Provide Requiem vestmentsVestmentVestments are liturgical garments and articles associated primarily with the Christian religion, especially among Latin Rite and other Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, Anglicans, and Lutherans...
for parishes that cannot otherwise afford them.
History
The Guild of All Souls was founded in March 1873 at St. James’s Church, HatchamHatcham
Hatcham was a manor and later chapelry in what is now London, England. It corresponds to the area around New Cross Gate station in the London Borough of Lewisham....
. It was originally called the Guild Burial Society, with Father Arthur Tooth
Arthur Tooth
Arthur Tooth SSC was a Ritualist priest in the Church of England and a member of the Society of the Holy Cross . Tooth is best known for having been prosecuted in 1876 under the Public Worship Regulation Act 1874 for using proscribed liturgical practices...
as the first president. The purpose of the Guild Burial Society was:
"to provide furniture for Burial according to the use of the Catholic Church so as to set forth the two great doctrines of the Communion of Saints and the Resurrection of the Body; and Intercessory prayer for the Dying and for the repose of the souls of the deceased members and all the faithful departed."
The work of the guild soon attracted the attention of other churches in England, and from a small parochial group it increased rapidly in membership throughout England.
In Chicago, 1885, an English delegation had a meeting with priests and lay persons of the Episcopal Church to build an American Branch. This was accomplished in 1889. In 1904 the Australian branch was founded in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
. The National Shrine of the Sacred Heart
Sacred Heart
The Sacred Heart is one of the most famous religious devotions to Jesus' physical heart as the representation of His divine love for Humanity....
at the Church of the Resurrection (New York City)
Church of the Resurrection (New York City)
The Church of the Resurrection, located at 119 East 74th Street, New York City, is a parish of the Episcopal Diocese of New York in the Episcopal Church. The church is Anglo-Catholic in doctrine and style, and has an extensive music program. The services are in traditional language and reflect the...
is the headquarters of the American branch of the guild.
Anglican devotional societies
Since the time of the Oxford MovementOxford Movement
The Oxford Movement was a movement of High Church Anglicans, eventually developing into Anglo-Catholicism. The movement, whose members were often associated with the University of Oxford, argued for the reinstatement of lost Christian traditions of faith and their inclusion into Anglican liturgy...
(also known as the "Catholic Revival") in the Church of England (and its sister churches), there have been organisations with the purpose of propagating Catholic faith and practice within the Anglican tradition. The Guild of All Souls is among the most famous of these societies, which include the Society of King Charles the Martyr
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. It is dedicated to and under the patronage of King Charles I of England , the only person to be canonised by the Church of...
, the Society of Mary
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...
and the Confraternity of the Blessed Sacrament
Confraternity of the Blessed Sacrament
The Confraternity of the Blessed Sacrament is a devotional society in the Anglican Communion dedicated to venerating the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist...
.
Each of these societies promotes one aspect of Catholic faith and practice that is not emphasised by the Anglican Churches as a whole. For the Guild of All Souls this is the promotion of the Catholic understanding of death and resurrection and prayer for Christians who have died.
See also
- Anglican CommunionAnglican CommunionThe Anglican Communion is an international association of national and regional Anglican churches in full communion with the Church of England and specifically with its principal primate, the Archbishop of Canterbury...
- Anglo-CatholicismAnglo-CatholicismThe 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....
- Confraternity of the Blessed SacramentConfraternity of the Blessed SacramentThe Confraternity of the Blessed Sacrament is a devotional society in the Anglican Communion dedicated to venerating the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist...
- Guild of Servants of the SanctuaryGuild of Servants of the SanctuaryThe 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 CrossSociety of the Holy CrossThe 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 MartyrSociety of King Charles the MartyrThe Society of King Charles the Martyr is an Anglican devotional society and one of the Catholic Societies of the Church of England. It is dedicated to and under the patronage of King Charles I of England , the only person to be canonised by the Church of...
- Society of Mary (Anglican)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
- The Guild of All Souls (UK)
- The Guild of All Souls (US)
- The Guild of All Souls (Australian)
- Historical and bibliographic material on the Guild of All Souls from Project CanterburyProject CanterburyProject Canterbury is an online archive of material related to the history of Anglicanism. It was founded by Richard Mammana, Jr. in 1999, and is hosted by the non-profit Society of Archbishop Justus...