Sodality of Our Lady
Encyclopedia
The Sodality of Our Lady (also known as the Sodality of the Blessed Virgin Mary (in Latin
, Congregationes seu sodalitates B. Mariæ Virginis) is a Roman Catholic Marian Society founded in 1563 by young Belgian Jesuit
, Jean Leunis (or Jan), at the Collegio Romano of the Society of Jesus
. The Ignatian
lay group, Christian Life Community
, traces its origins to the first Sodality.
Although first established for young school boys, the Papal bull
, Superna Dispositione, allowed for Sodalities for adults, under the authority of the Superior General of the Society of Jesus
, were allowed to be established (as aggregates of the Sodality at the Roman College). Later on, Sodalities would be established for particular groups in society, such as Priests
, Noblemen and Women, Merchants, Labourers, Clerks, the Married, the Unmarried, Soldiers, Street Sodalities (ad infinitum). Each of these groups would be affiliated with the 'Prima-Primaria Sodality' of the Roman College.
historian, John W. O'Malley wrote of the foundations of the Sodality in his book 'The First Jesuits', that, 'It was... made up especially of younger boys (pueri) from the college, who agreed to daily mass, weekly confession, monthly Communion, as well as to a half-hour of meditation each day and to some other pious exercises. They would also "serve the poor."' He goes on to write that, 'The choice of patron Mary (mother of Jesus)
reflected the strong Marian element in Leunis's personal piety, but it was also probably considered appropriate for the age of the members.'
In 1587, following a request from the Society of Jesus
, Pope Sixtus V
issued the Papal bull
Superna Dispositione, which gave the Superior General of the Society of Jesus
the right to create aggregates of the first Congregation within other localities, even among persons who were not enrolled in a Jesuit school or University. As a result of this document, lay Congregations, such as the Ignatian
Christian Life Community
, and the Ignatian only in origin, 'Marianische Frauencongregation' or 'Ladies' Sodality of Our Lady' of Regensburg
, Germany
, derive their beginnings.
and the Americas
as organisations of lay spirituality.
Similar models, although not aggregates of the 'Prima Primaria', were the confrarias (or Confraternities) founded by the Jesuits in Japan
. Within a few years of their arrival in 1549, the Jesuits had established lay communities of Catholic faithful. As Jesuit
historian John O'Malley writes of these groups, 'eventually [they] had male and female branches and devoted themselves to both the corporal and spiritual works of mercy
. When the persecutions started in the seventeenth century [see Toyotomi Hideyoshi
], [the Confraternities] proved to be the underground institution in which Christian faith and practices were maintained and transmitted to the next generation. The leader of the confraternity acted as a lay pastor.'
In Europe, during the 17th Century, the number of Sodalities levelled off at around 2500 groups.
About a century later, in 1748, Pope Benedict XIV
, with the Papal bull
, Praeclaris Romanorum, attempted to renew the vigour of Congregation life.
In 1767, the Society of Jesus
was expelled from Latin America
and in 1773, with the suppression of the Society of Jesus
by Pope Clement XIV
, the congregations 'become one of the normal works of the universal Church'.
, through the brief Dominus ac Redemptor
, suppressed the Jesuits in 1773, the Sodality became 'one of the normal works of the universal Church'. There are two common opinions regarding the direction the sodalities took after the suppression.
In the history of the Christian Life Community
on their global website, it states that, following the suppression of the Society of Jesus, 'In the eighteenth century membership increase[d] vastly, from 2500 groups to 80 000. The consequence [wa]s a diminishment in fervour and practice. The spiritual life of the members and the social concern for the rejected of society [wa]s reduced to pious practices and annual and symbolic events. The Marian Congregations [became] a pious mass movement, different from what Ignatius
or Jean Leunis or Aquaviva had meant it to be.'
Those who still form part of the 'Marian Congregations', such as the 'Marianische Frauencongregation' of Regensburg
, Germany
, would argue otherwise. While the Congregations do not explicitly follow Ignatian spirituality
, nor encourage corporal and spiritual works of mercy
, they claim their existence originated with the original sodality, and believe their devotional practices worthy of merit.
made a special gift to the Sodality, in the form of a Papal bull
called Gloriosae Dominae
, which came to be known as the "Golden Bull" because the seal was not made of lead, as was customary, but of gold - in order to give special honour to the Mother of God. In addition, Pope Pius XII
, through the Apostolic Constitution
(1948), called Bis Saeculari
, gave special honour to the Sodality by summarising the historical and contemporary (up to 1948) relevance of the Sodality.
Apostolic Constitution
Pope
Pius XII issued the Apostolic Constitution
Bis Saeculari
on the 27th of September, 1948, to mark the 200th anniversary of the "Golden Bull" of Benedict XIV. Bis Saeculari
, praised the Sodality for its "numerous and great services to the Church" and said of the Sodalists that "Indeed in propagating, spreading and defending Catholic doctrine they must be considered among the most powerful spiritual forces". Of the Rules of the Sodality he says "through them the members are perfectly lead to that perfection of spiritual life from which they can scale the heights of sanctity" and adds that "wherever Sodalities are in a flourishing condition - holiness of life and solid attachment to religion readily grow and flourish". He illustrates the point by adding that "the fact that they ever had the common good of the Church at heart and not some private interest is proved by the unimpeachable witness of that most brilliant series of Sodalists to whom Mother Church has decreed the supreme honours of the Altars; their glory throws lustre not merely on the Society of Jesus
but on the secular clergy and on not a few religious families, since ten members of the Sodalities of Our Lady became founders of new Religious Orders and Congregations".
, Paris
, from 1830: "It is the Blessed Virgin's wish that you should found a Confraternity of the Children of MARY. She will give them many graces. The month of May will be kept with great splendour and MARY will bestow abundant blessings upon them."
These Children of Mary Sodalities first embraced the pupils and orphans of the schools and institutions of the Sisters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul. In 1847, Blessed Pius IX
affiliated them to the Jesuit Roman Sodality.
The Children of Mary organization flourished in the mid 20th century. Young women went through a period of aspirancy of six months prior to acceptance as a fully fledged child of Mary, who had the right to wear the distinctive blue cape and carry the blue off of a Child of Mary. When a Child of Mary married, she was embraced on arrival on the Church steps by other Children of Mary who removed the blue cape from over her Wedding gown. In retrospect this can be viewed as a metaphorical deflowering of the young virgin as she went to be joined with her husband in the arms of the Catholic faith.
Post-Vatican II
Until the establishment of the Christian Life Communities
in 1967, the "Sodality of Our Lady" remained the Ignatian
lay organisation. Many Sodalities of Our Lady, in the spirit of the Second Vatican Council
, were led to become more devoted to people who were in spiritual and physical need (the hungry, naked, homeless and imprisoned), after having been encouraged to return to their original charism by the Ecumenical Council
.
Some Marian Congregations have been reconstituted since Vatican II
, the Marianische Frauencongregation or Ladies' Sodality of Our Lady of Regensburg is a case in point. HSH
Princess
Gloria von Thurn und Taxis is the re-founding Prefect
.
, the zealous reformer of Church Discipline; St. Francis de Sales, Bishop of Geneva and Doctor of the Church
; Saint Alphonsus Liguori, the Bishop, Moral Theologian, Doctor of the Church
, Founder of the Redemptorists; St. Camillus de Lellis, the patron of Catholic hospitals; St. Leonard of Port Maurice, the Franciscan
preacher; Saint Giovanni Battista de Rossi
, the Vincent de Paul
of Rome
; St. Peter Claver, the apostle of slaves; the humble Jesuit Brother, St. Alphonsus Rodriguez
; Saint Madeleine Sophie Barat, foundress of the Religious of the Sacred Heart
;Saint Julie Billart, the foundress of the Sisters of Notre Dame of Namur
; Saint Therese of the Child Jesus and Saint Bernadette Soubirous
of Lourdes
.
, Lipsius
, Bollandus, James Joyce
; there were painter
s like Rubens; there were preachers like Bossuet
, Fénelon, Segneri
, Bourdaloue; there were magistrate
s, general
s and ministers of State, like Tilly, Turenne, Don Juan de Austria
; there were counts and dukes and princes of the blood royal, like Emmanuel of Savoy, Emperor Leopold of Austria
, Albrecht von Wallenstein
; there were kings and emperors, Bishops, Archbishops, Cardinal
s, and Pope
s. In the seventeenth century alone seven Pope
s belonged to the Sodality of Our Lady. In the twentieth century, Sodalist Popes have included Benedict XV, Pius XI, Pius XII and John Paul II.
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
, Congregationes seu sodalitates B. Mariæ Virginis) is a Roman Catholic Marian Society founded in 1563 by young Belgian Jesuit
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
, Jean Leunis (or Jan), at the Collegio Romano of the Society of Jesus
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
. The Ignatian
Ignatian spirituality
Ignatian spirituality sometimes called Jesuit spirituality, is a Catholic spirituality which both lay and religious people have traditionally found helpful. Founded on the experiences of a 16th century saint, struggling to live a good life, it is sometimes referred to as the spirituality for...
lay group, Christian Life Community
Christian life community
The Christian Life Community is an international association of lay Christians who have adopted an Ignatian model of spiritual life. The 'Community' is present in almost sixty countries....
, traces its origins to the first Sodality.
Although first established for young school boys, the Papal bull
Papal bull
A Papal bull is a particular type of letters patent or charter issued by a Pope of the Catholic Church. It is named after the bulla that was appended to the end in order to authenticate it....
, Superna Dispositione, allowed for Sodalities for adults, under the authority of the Superior General of the Society of Jesus
Superior General of the Society of Jesus
The Superior General of the Society of Jesus is the official title of the leader of the Society of Jesus—the Roman Catholic religious order, also known as the Jesuits. He is generally addressed as Father General. The position carries the nickname of Black Pope, after his simple black priest's...
, were allowed to be established (as aggregates of the Sodality at the Roman College). Later on, Sodalities would be established for particular groups in society, such as Priests
Priesthood (Catholic Church)
The ministerial orders of the Catholic Church include the orders of bishops, deacons and presbyters, which in Latin is sacerdos. The ordained priesthood and common priesthood are different in function and essence....
, Noblemen and Women, Merchants, Labourers, Clerks, the Married, the Unmarried, Soldiers, Street Sodalities (ad infinitum). Each of these groups would be affiliated with the 'Prima-Primaria Sodality' of the Roman College.
Foundations
The JesuitSociety of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
historian, John W. O'Malley wrote of the foundations of the Sodality in his book 'The First Jesuits', that, 'It was... made up especially of younger boys (pueri) from the college, who agreed to daily mass, weekly confession, monthly Communion, as well as to a half-hour of meditation each day and to some other pious exercises. They would also "serve the poor."' He goes on to write that, 'The choice of patron Mary (mother of Jesus)
Mary (mother of Jesus)
Mary , commonly referred to as "Saint Mary", "Mother Mary", the "Virgin Mary", the "Blessed Virgin Mary", or "Mary, Mother of God", was a Jewish woman of Nazareth in Galilee...
reflected the strong Marian element in Leunis's personal piety, but it was also probably considered appropriate for the age of the members.'
In 1587, following a request from the Society of Jesus
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
, Pope Sixtus V
Pope Sixtus V
Pope Sixtus V , born Felice Peretti di Montalto, was Pope from 1585 to 1590.-Early life:The chronicler Andrija Zmajević states that Felice's family originated from modern-day Montenegro...
issued the Papal bull
Papal bull
A Papal bull is a particular type of letters patent or charter issued by a Pope of the Catholic Church. It is named after the bulla that was appended to the end in order to authenticate it....
Superna Dispositione, which gave the Superior General of the Society of Jesus
Superior General of the Society of Jesus
The Superior General of the Society of Jesus is the official title of the leader of the Society of Jesus—the Roman Catholic religious order, also known as the Jesuits. He is generally addressed as Father General. The position carries the nickname of Black Pope, after his simple black priest's...
the right to create aggregates of the first Congregation within other localities, even among persons who were not enrolled in a Jesuit school or University. As a result of this document, lay Congregations, such as the Ignatian
Ignatian spirituality
Ignatian spirituality sometimes called Jesuit spirituality, is a Catholic spirituality which both lay and religious people have traditionally found helpful. Founded on the experiences of a 16th century saint, struggling to live a good life, it is sometimes referred to as the spirituality for...
Christian Life Community
Christian life community
The Christian Life Community is an international association of lay Christians who have adopted an Ignatian model of spiritual life. The 'Community' is present in almost sixty countries....
, and the Ignatian only in origin, 'Marianische Frauencongregation' or 'Ladies' Sodality of Our Lady' of Regensburg
Regensburg
Regensburg is a city in Bavaria, Germany, located at the confluence of the Danube and Regen rivers, at the northernmost bend in the Danube. To the east lies the Bavarian Forest. Regensburg is the capital of the Bavarian administrative region Upper Palatinate...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, derive their beginnings.
17th Century to the Suppression of the Society of Jesus (1773)
In the late 16th Century and throughout the 17th, Jesuits were using the model of the first Sodality at the Roman College to establish a number of similar Sodalities in Europe, IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and the Americas
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
as organisations of lay spirituality.
Similar models, although not aggregates of the 'Prima Primaria', were the confrarias (or Confraternities) founded by the Jesuits in Japan
History of Roman Catholicism in Japan
Christian missionaries arrived with Francis Xavier and the Jesuits in the 1540s and briefly flourished, with over 100,000 converts, including many daimyo in Kyoshu. Suddenly in 1587 Christianity was repressed as a threat to national unity and ceased to exist publicly. Many Catholics went...
. Within a few years of their arrival in 1549, the Jesuits had established lay communities of Catholic faithful. As Jesuit
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
historian John O'Malley writes of these groups, 'eventually [they] had male and female branches and devoted themselves to both the corporal and spiritual works of mercy
Works of Mercy
The Works of Mercy or Acts of Mercy are actions and practices which Christianity in general, and the Methodist Church, Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church in particular, consider expectations to be fulfilled by believers, and are a means of grace, which aid in sanctification.The...
. When the persecutions started in the seventeenth century [see Toyotomi Hideyoshi
Toyotomi Hideyoshi
was a daimyo warrior, general and politician of the Sengoku period. He unified the political factions of Japan. He succeeded his former liege lord, Oda Nobunaga, and brought an end to the Sengoku period. The period of his rule is often called the Momoyama period, named after Hideyoshi's castle...
], [the Confraternities] proved to be the underground institution in which Christian faith and practices were maintained and transmitted to the next generation. The leader of the confraternity acted as a lay pastor.'
In Europe, during the 17th Century, the number of Sodalities levelled off at around 2500 groups.
About a century later, in 1748, Pope Benedict XIV
Pope Benedict XIV
Pope Benedict XIV , born Prospero Lorenzo Lambertini, was Pope from 17 August 1740 to 3 May 1758.-Life:...
, with the Papal bull
Papal bull
A Papal bull is a particular type of letters patent or charter issued by a Pope of the Catholic Church. It is named after the bulla that was appended to the end in order to authenticate it....
, Praeclaris Romanorum, attempted to renew the vigour of Congregation life.
In 1767, the Society of Jesus
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
was expelled from Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
and in 1773, with the suppression of the Society of Jesus
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
by Pope Clement XIV
Pope Clement XIV
Pope Clement XIV , born Giovanni Vincenzo Antonio Ganganelli, was Pope from 1769 to 1774. At the time of his election, he was the only Franciscan friar in the College of Cardinals.-Early life:...
, the congregations 'become one of the normal works of the universal Church'.
Views on the development of the Sodality after the Suppression of the Society of Jesus
After Pope Clement XIVPope Clement XIV
Pope Clement XIV , born Giovanni Vincenzo Antonio Ganganelli, was Pope from 1769 to 1774. At the time of his election, he was the only Franciscan friar in the College of Cardinals.-Early life:...
, through the brief Dominus ac Redemptor
Dominus ac Redemptor
Dominus ac Redemptor is the papal brief promulgated on 21 July 1773 by which Pope Clement XIV suppressed the Society of Jesus.-Circumstances:...
, suppressed the Jesuits in 1773, the Sodality became 'one of the normal works of the universal Church'. There are two common opinions regarding the direction the sodalities took after the suppression.
In the history of the Christian Life Community
Christian life community
The Christian Life Community is an international association of lay Christians who have adopted an Ignatian model of spiritual life. The 'Community' is present in almost sixty countries....
on their global website, it states that, following the suppression of the Society of Jesus, 'In the eighteenth century membership increase[d] vastly, from 2500 groups to 80 000. The consequence [wa]s a diminishment in fervour and practice. The spiritual life of the members and the social concern for the rejected of society [wa]s reduced to pious practices and annual and symbolic events. The Marian Congregations [became] a pious mass movement, different from what Ignatius
Ignatius of Loyola
Ignatius of Loyola was a Spanish knight from a Basque noble family, hermit, priest since 1537, and theologian, who founded the Society of Jesus and was its first Superior General. Ignatius emerged as a religious leader during the Counter-Reformation...
or Jean Leunis or Aquaviva had meant it to be.'
Those who still form part of the 'Marian Congregations', such as the 'Marianische Frauencongregation' of Regensburg
Regensburg
Regensburg is a city in Bavaria, Germany, located at the confluence of the Danube and Regen rivers, at the northernmost bend in the Danube. To the east lies the Bavarian Forest. Regensburg is the capital of the Bavarian administrative region Upper Palatinate...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, would argue otherwise. While the Congregations do not explicitly follow Ignatian spirituality
Ignatian spirituality
Ignatian spirituality sometimes called Jesuit spirituality, is a Catholic spirituality which both lay and religious people have traditionally found helpful. Founded on the experiences of a 16th century saint, struggling to live a good life, it is sometimes referred to as the spirituality for...
, nor encourage corporal and spiritual works of mercy
Works of Mercy
The Works of Mercy or Acts of Mercy are actions and practices which Christianity in general, and the Methodist Church, Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church in particular, consider expectations to be fulfilled by believers, and are a means of grace, which aid in sanctification.The...
, they claim their existence originated with the original sodality, and believe their devotional practices worthy of merit.
Papal Blessing
In 1748, Pope Benedict XIVPope Benedict XIV
Pope Benedict XIV , born Prospero Lorenzo Lambertini, was Pope from 17 August 1740 to 3 May 1758.-Life:...
made a special gift to the Sodality, in the form of a Papal bull
Papal bull
A Papal bull is a particular type of letters patent or charter issued by a Pope of the Catholic Church. It is named after the bulla that was appended to the end in order to authenticate it....
called Gloriosae Dominae
Gloriosae Dominae
Gloriosae Dominae is an Apostolic Letter by Pope Benedict XIV issued on September 27, 1748.In this Apostolic Letter Pope Benedict XIV called the Blessed Virgin Mary "Queen of heaven and earth," stated that the sovereign King has in some way communicated to her his ruling power....
, which came to be known as the "Golden Bull" because the seal was not made of lead, as was customary, but of gold - in order to give special honour to the Mother of God. In addition, Pope Pius XII
Pope Pius XII
The Venerable Pope Pius XII , born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli , reigned as Pope, head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City State, from 2 March 1939 until his death in 1958....
, through the Apostolic Constitution
Apostolic constitution
An apostolic constitution is the highest level of decree issued by the Pope. The use of the term constitution comes from Latin constitutio, which referred to any important law issued by the Roman emperor, and is retained in church documents because of the inheritance that the canon law of the...
(1948), called Bis Saeculari
Bis Saeculari
Bis Saeculari , is an Apostolic Constitution, of Pope Pius XII on the Sodality of Our Lady. It reminisces the two hundredth anniversary of the Papal bull Gloriosae Dominae of Pope Benedict XIV in 1748....
, gave special honour to the Sodality by summarising the historical and contemporary (up to 1948) relevance of the Sodality.
Apostolic ConstitutionApostolic constitutionAn apostolic constitution is the highest level of decree issued by the Pope. The use of the term constitution comes from Latin constitutio, which referred to any important law issued by the Roman emperor, and is retained in church documents because of the inheritance that the canon law of the...
: Bis SaeculariBis SaeculariBis Saeculari , is an Apostolic Constitution, of Pope Pius XII on the Sodality of Our Lady. It reminisces the two hundredth anniversary of the Papal bull Gloriosae Dominae of Pope Benedict XIV in 1748....
PopePope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
Pius XII issued the Apostolic Constitution
Apostolic constitution
An apostolic constitution is the highest level of decree issued by the Pope. The use of the term constitution comes from Latin constitutio, which referred to any important law issued by the Roman emperor, and is retained in church documents because of the inheritance that the canon law of the...
Bis Saeculari
Bis Saeculari
Bis Saeculari , is an Apostolic Constitution, of Pope Pius XII on the Sodality of Our Lady. It reminisces the two hundredth anniversary of the Papal bull Gloriosae Dominae of Pope Benedict XIV in 1748....
on the 27th of September, 1948, to mark the 200th anniversary of the "Golden Bull" of Benedict XIV. Bis Saeculari
Bis Saeculari
Bis Saeculari , is an Apostolic Constitution, of Pope Pius XII on the Sodality of Our Lady. It reminisces the two hundredth anniversary of the Papal bull Gloriosae Dominae of Pope Benedict XIV in 1748....
, praised the Sodality for its "numerous and great services to the Church" and said of the Sodalists that "Indeed in propagating, spreading and defending Catholic doctrine they must be considered among the most powerful spiritual forces". Of the Rules of the Sodality he says "through them the members are perfectly lead to that perfection of spiritual life from which they can scale the heights of sanctity" and adds that "wherever Sodalities are in a flourishing condition - holiness of life and solid attachment to religion readily grow and flourish". He illustrates the point by adding that "the fact that they ever had the common good of the Church at heart and not some private interest is proved by the unimpeachable witness of that most brilliant series of Sodalists to whom Mother Church has decreed the supreme honours of the Altars; their glory throws lustre not merely on the Society of Jesus
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
but on the secular clergy and on not a few religious families, since ten members of the Sodalities of Our Lady became founders of new Religious Orders and Congregations".
The Children of Mary (associated group)
On May 1, 1835, St. Catherine Laboure told her Spiritual Director of a revelation she had received from the Blessed Virgin Mary during a series of apparitions she received in the Convent of the Rue du BacChapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal
The Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal in Paris, France, is the chapel where Catholics believe that the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to Saint Catherine Labouré in 1830 and requested the creation of the medal which came to be known as the Miraculous Medal...
, Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, from 1830: "It is the Blessed Virgin's wish that you should found a Confraternity of the Children of MARY. She will give them many graces. The month of May will be kept with great splendour and MARY will bestow abundant blessings upon them."
These Children of Mary Sodalities first embraced the pupils and orphans of the schools and institutions of the Sisters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul. In 1847, Blessed Pius IX
Pope Pius IX
Blessed Pope Pius IX , born Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti, was the longest-reigning elected Pope in the history of the Catholic Church, serving from 16 June 1846 until his death, a period of nearly 32 years. During his pontificate, he convened the First Vatican Council in 1869, which decreed papal...
affiliated them to the Jesuit Roman Sodality.
The Children of Mary organization flourished in the mid 20th century. Young women went through a period of aspirancy of six months prior to acceptance as a fully fledged child of Mary, who had the right to wear the distinctive blue cape and carry the blue off of a Child of Mary. When a Child of Mary married, she was embraced on arrival on the Church steps by other Children of Mary who removed the blue cape from over her Wedding gown. In retrospect this can be viewed as a metaphorical deflowering of the young virgin as she went to be joined with her husband in the arms of the Catholic faith.
Sodality Rules
The first of its rules states that the Sodality: "is a religious body which aims at fostering in its members and ardent devotion, reverence, and filial love towards the Blessed Virgin Mary. Through this devotion, and with the protection of so good a Mother, it seeks to make the faithful gathered together under her name good Catholics, sincerely bent on sanctifying themselves, each in his state of life, and zealous, as for as their condition in life permits, to save and sanctify their neighbour and to defend the Church of Jesus Christ against the attacks of the wicked."Post-Vatican IISecond Vatican CouncilThe Second Vatican Council addressed relations between the Roman Catholic Church and the modern world. It was the twenty-first Ecumenical Council of the Catholic Church and the second to be held at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. It opened under Pope John XXIII on 11 October 1962 and closed...
and the advent of the Christian Life CommunitiesChristian life communityThe Christian Life Community is an international association of lay Christians who have adopted an Ignatian model of spiritual life. The 'Community' is present in almost sixty countries....
Until the establishment of the Christian Life CommunitiesChristian life community
The Christian Life Community is an international association of lay Christians who have adopted an Ignatian model of spiritual life. The 'Community' is present in almost sixty countries....
in 1967, the "Sodality of Our Lady" remained the Ignatian
Ignatian spirituality
Ignatian spirituality sometimes called Jesuit spirituality, is a Catholic spirituality which both lay and religious people have traditionally found helpful. Founded on the experiences of a 16th century saint, struggling to live a good life, it is sometimes referred to as the spirituality for...
lay organisation. Many Sodalities of Our Lady, in the spirit of the Second Vatican Council
Second Vatican Council
The Second Vatican Council addressed relations between the Roman Catholic Church and the modern world. It was the twenty-first Ecumenical Council of the Catholic Church and the second to be held at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. It opened under Pope John XXIII on 11 October 1962 and closed...
, were led to become more devoted to people who were in spiritual and physical need (the hungry, naked, homeless and imprisoned), after having been encouraged to return to their original charism by the Ecumenical Council
Ecumenical council
An ecumenical council is a conference of ecclesiastical dignitaries and theological experts convened to discuss and settle matters of Church doctrine and practice....
.
Some Marian Congregations have been reconstituted since Vatican II
Second Vatican Council
The Second Vatican Council addressed relations between the Roman Catholic Church and the modern world. It was the twenty-first Ecumenical Council of the Catholic Church and the second to be held at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. It opened under Pope John XXIII on 11 October 1962 and closed...
, the Marianische Frauencongregation or Ladies' Sodality of Our Lady of Regensburg is a case in point. HSH
HSH
HSH may refer to:* The Albanian code for Hekurudha Shqiptare in Albania* The IATA code for Henderson Executive Airport in Henderson, Nevada, USA* Her Space Holiday, American indie rock group...
Princess
Princess
Princess is the feminine form of prince . Most often, the term has been used for the consort of a prince, or his daughters....
Gloria von Thurn und Taxis is the re-founding Prefect
Prefect
Prefect is a magisterial title of varying definition....
.
Saints
On its rolls are the names of many saints, amongst whom may be mentioned: Saint Charles BorromeoCharles Borromeo
Charles Borromeo was the cardinal archbishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Milan from 1564 to 1584. He was a leading figure during the Counter-Reformation and was responsible for significant reforms in the Catholic Church, including the founding of seminaries for the education of priests...
, the zealous reformer of Church Discipline; St. Francis de Sales, Bishop of Geneva and Doctor of the Church
Doctor of the Church
Doctor of the Church is a title given by a variety of Christian churches to individuals whom they recognize as having been of particular importance, particularly regarding their contribution to theology or doctrine.-Catholic Church:In the Catholic Church, this name is given to a saint from whose...
; Saint Alphonsus Liguori, the Bishop, Moral Theologian, Doctor of the Church
Doctor of the Church
Doctor of the Church is a title given by a variety of Christian churches to individuals whom they recognize as having been of particular importance, particularly regarding their contribution to theology or doctrine.-Catholic Church:In the Catholic Church, this name is given to a saint from whose...
, Founder of the Redemptorists; St. Camillus de Lellis, the patron of Catholic hospitals; St. Leonard of Port Maurice, the Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
preacher; Saint Giovanni Battista de Rossi
Saint Giovanni Battista de Rossi
Saint John Baptist de Rossi is a saint in the Roman Catholic Church.-Life:St John Baptist de Rossi was born in the municipality of Voltaggio, in the Province of Alessandria, Piedmont, then a part of the Duchy of Savoy. He was one of four children of Carlo de Rossi and Francesca Anfosi, relatively...
, the Vincent de Paul
Vincent de Paul
Vincent de Paul was a priest of the Catholic Church who became dedicated to serving the poor. He is venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion. He was canonized in 1737....
of Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
; St. Peter Claver, the apostle of slaves; the humble Jesuit Brother, St. Alphonsus Rodriguez
Alphonsus Rodriguez
Saint Alphonsus Rodríguez was a Spanish Jesuit lay brother, now venerated as a saint. He was a native of Segovia. He is sometimes confused with Fr...
; Saint Madeleine Sophie Barat, foundress of the Religious of the Sacred Heart
Society of the Sacred Heart
The Society of the Sacred Heart is a Roman Catholic religious congregation established in France by St. Madeleine Sophie Barat in 1800. It has presence in 45 countries. Membership to the Society is restricted to women only. Its members do many works, but focus on education, particularly girls'...
;Saint Julie Billart, the foundress of the Sisters of Notre Dame of Namur
Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur
The Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, is the name of a Roman Catholic order of religious sisters, dedicated to providing education to the poor.The order was founded in Amiens in 1803, but the opposition of the local bishop to missions outside his diocese led to the moving of headquarters to then...
; Saint Therese of the Child Jesus and Saint Bernadette Soubirous
Bernadette Soubirous
Saint Marie-Bernarde Soubirous was a miller's daughter born in Lourdes. From 11 February to 16 July 1858, she reported 18 apparitions of "a small young lady" who asked for a chapel to be built at that site at Lourdes....
of Lourdes
Lourdes
Lourdes is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in the Midi-Pyrénées region in south-western France.Lourdes is a small market town lying in the foothills of the Pyrenees, famous for the Marian apparitions of Our Lady of Lourdes occurred in 1858 to Bernadette Soubirous...
.
Others
Among the members, known as Sodalists, were learned men and writers like CorneillePierre Corneille
Pierre Corneille was a French tragedian who was one of the three great seventeenth-century French dramatists, along with Molière and Racine...
, Lipsius
Justus Hermann Lipsius
Justus Hermann Lipsius was a German classical scholar, born at Leipzig, professor of the university of his native city after 1869. He was editor of Andocides and of Demosthenes, On the Crown , reviser of Meier and Schömann's Der attische Prozess and of Schömann's Griechische Altertümer Justus...
, Bollandus, James Joyce
James Joyce
James Augustine Aloysius Joyce was an Irish novelist and poet, considered to be one of the most influential writers in the modernist avant-garde of the early 20th century...
; there were painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
s like Rubens; there were preachers like Bossuet
Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet
Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet was a French bishop and theologian, renowned for his sermons and other addresses. He has been considered by many to be one of the most brilliant orators of all time and a masterly French stylist....
, Fénelon, Segneri
Paolo Segneri
Paolo Segneri was an Italian Jesuit preacher, missionary, and ascetical writer.-Life:Segneri was born at Nettuno. He studied at the Roman College, and in 1637 entered the Society of Jesus, not without opposition from his father. Oliva was his first master in the religious life; Sforza...
, Bourdaloue; there were magistrate
Magistrate
A magistrate is an officer of the state; in modern usage the term usually refers to a judge or prosecutor. This was not always the case; in ancient Rome, a magistratus was one of the highest government officers and possessed both judicial and executive powers. Today, in common law systems, a...
s, general
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
s and ministers of State, like Tilly, Turenne, Don Juan de Austria
Don Juan de Austria
Don Juan de Austria may refer to:People:*John of Austria, general and illegitimate son of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor...
; there were counts and dukes and princes of the blood royal, like Emmanuel of Savoy, Emperor Leopold of Austria
Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor
| style="float:right;" | Leopold I was a Holy Roman Emperor, King of Hungary and King of Bohemia. A member of the Habsburg family, he was the second son of Emperor Ferdinand III and his first wife, Maria Anna of Spain. His maternal grandparents were Philip III of Spain and Margaret of Austria...
, Albrecht von Wallenstein
Albrecht von Wallenstein
Albrecht Wenzel Eusebius von Wallenstein , actually von Waldstein, was a Bohemian soldier and politician, who offered his services, and an army of 30,000 to 100,000 men during the Danish period of the Thirty Years' War , to the Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand II...
; there were kings and emperors, Bishops, Archbishops, Cardinal
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
s, and Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
s. In the seventeenth century alone seven Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
s belonged to the Sodality of Our Lady. In the twentieth century, Sodalist Popes have included Benedict XV, Pius XI, Pius XII and John Paul II.
Further Reading
External links
- Agrupacion Catolica Universitaria, Miami, FloridaFloridaFlorida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, U.S. - The Sodality of the Blessed Virgin and St. Patrick, Dublin, IrelandIrelandIreland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
- Mens Sodality of the Blessed Virgin, AltottingAltöttingAltötting is a town in Bavaria, capital of the district Altötting.This small town is famous for the Gnadenkapelle , one of the most-visited shrines in Germany. This is a tiny octagonal chapel which keeps a venerated statue of the Virgin Mary...
, BavariaBavariaBavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany... - Ladies Sodality of the Blessed Virgin, RegensburgRegensburgRegensburg is a city in Bavaria, Germany, located at the confluence of the Danube and Regen rivers, at the northernmost bend in the Danube. To the east lies the Bavarian Forest. Regensburg is the capital of the Bavarian administrative region Upper Palatinate...
, BavariaBavariaBavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany... - National Confederation of Sodalities, BrazilBrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
- Sedes Sapientiae Sodality, Rio de JaneiroRio de JaneiroRio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
, BrazilBrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...