Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 14.djvu/148

 SODALITY

124

SODALITY

the Sodalities of the Blessed Virgin Mary (see below).

In addition, mention has ah-eady been made of: the "Confraternity of the Black Scapular of the Seven Dolours of Our Lady" (see Scapular); the "Arch- confraternity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary", which is now combined with the Blue Scapular (see Scapular); the "Pious Union of Our Lady of Good Counsel and the Scapular of Our Lady of Good Counsel" (see Our Lady of Good Counsel, Feast of; Scapular); the "Archcon- fraternity of Our Lady of the German Campo Santo at Rome" (see Puegatorial Societies); the "Archcon- fraternity for the rehef of the Souls in Purgatory, es- tablished under the title of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin, in the Church of Santa Maria in Monterone, at Rome" (see Purgatorial Societies).

Furthermore, mention should be made of the "Arch- confraternity of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart." This society was established in 1S64 at Is.soudun, France, by theMissionersof the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Since 1S72 its headquarters as an archconfraternity have been at Rome, and in 1S97 they were transferred to the newly-built Church of Our Lady of the Heart of Jesus, in the Piazza Navona. Only this confrater- nity at Rome has the right to incorporate in itself con- fraternities of the same title erected in any part of the world and to share with these its indulgences. The object of the confraternity is the veneration of the Blessed Virgin in her intimate relation to the Heart of Jesus. The "Confraternity of the Immaculate Con- ception of the Blessed Virgin Mary", established at Lourdes in 1872, in 1873 was raised to an archconfra- ternity, and in 1878 was made an ajchconfraternity for the entire world by Leo XIII. The head of the archconfraternity is the Bishop of Tarbes.

The "Association of the Children of Mary", under the protection of the Immaculate Virgin and St. Ag- nes, was established for girls alone. It was canonically erected in 1864, in the Church of S. Agnese fuori le mura, Rome; in 1866 it received its indulgences and privileges with the right of aggregation for all similar societies. Since 1870 this power of aggregation has belonged to the abbot-general of the Reformed Augus- tinian Canons of the Lateran, near San Pietro in Vincoli, Rome. The intention of the society is to keep Christian young women under the standard of the Blessed Virgin, and to promote the loyal fulfilment by its members of their duties. (See Children op Mary; Children of Mary of the Sacred Heart.) For the "Archconfraternity of Our Lady of Com- passion for the Return of England to the Catholic Faith", see Unions of Prayer. The miraculous picture of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour, venerated at Rome in the Church of St. Alphonsus, is known everywhere. In 1871 a confraternity was erected in this church, and in 1876 was made an archconfrater- nity under the title of the "Archconfraternity of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour and of St. Alphonsus Liguori". The general of the Redemptorists has the power to incorporate everywhere confraternities of the same name in the archconfraternity and to grant these the same indulgences. There are also various confraternities of the Cord, whose members wear a cord as insignia just as members of other confrater- nities wear a scapular. The oldest and most cele- brated of these Confraternities of the Cord is probably the "Archconfraternity of the Black Leathern Belt of St. Monica, St. Augustine and St. Nicholas of Tolentino", also called the "Archconfraternity of Our Lady of Con.solation". This society has par- ticularly extensive indulgences (cf. "Rescr. authent. S. Congr. Indulg.", II, no. 40, and especially the lately-issued sunnnary of iiidiilgences in the "Acta S. Sedis", .\X.XV,6:50). The headquarters of the society are at Home, in the Church of St. Augustine where the body of St. Monica Ue9,

(8) There are also numerous confraternities in hon- our of angels and saints which are dedicated to the patron saints of individual districts, countries, cities, and localities; these are consequently more local in their character, e. g. the "Boniface Association" in Germany and Austria (see Boniface Association). However, there are also such for the whole world, e. g. the "Confraternity of St. Benedict" (see Scapular), the "Archconfraternity of the Girdle of St. Francis of Assisi", and the "Pious Union in honoui- of St. Anthony of Padua", as also the "Young Men's Sodahtv of St. Anthony of Padua", which, through a Brief (iO March, 1911) of Pius X (Act. Apost. Sedis, III, 128 sq.), was granted indulgences and recom- mended to the faithful [cf. Acta Ord. Fratr. Min., XXX (1911) 177 sqq.). Only a few more of these confraternities can be noticed here. In 1860 the "Confraternity of St. Michael" was founded at Vi- enna to implore the protection of the archangel for the pope and the Church, and to collect gifts as Peterspence for the oppressed pope. There is another "Confraternity of St. Michael", with a scapular (see Scapular). In 1860 the "Confraternity in honour of St. Joseph" was established at Rome in the Church of St. Roch. In 1872 it received indulgences and was raised to an archconfraternity with the right of incor- poration for the whole world. The members also wear a consecrated cord in honour of St. Joseph. Special indulgences are connected with the wearing of this cord. There is also another Archconfraternity of the Cord of St. Joseph, which was erected in 1860 at Verona and to which Pius IX granted indulgences. There are besides many confraternities of St. Joseph for individual countries. Several were founded espe- cially for France (cf. Beringer, op. cit.). In 1892 an "Archconfraternity of St. Joseph" was erected in the Church of St. Joseph, West de Pere, Wisconsin, U. S. A., that is already widely spread over America. Connected with it is a children's league under the patronage of St. Joseph [cf. Seeberger, "Key to the Spiritual Treasures" (2nd ed., 1897), 20 sqq.]. In 1866 the "Confraternity of St. Peter's Chains" was canonically erected at Rome in the BasiUca of San Pietro in Vincoh. In 1866 and 1867 the con- fraternity was granted indulgences and at the same time received as an archconfraternity the right of ag- gregation for the entire world. The purpose of the society is to promote loyalty to the pope, and to pray and work for the real freedom of the papacy, by the veneration of the Holy Chains of St. Peter. The "Militia Angelica", or the "Confraternity of the Cord of St. Thomas Aquinas", has been in exist- ence a long time. It possesses indulgences granted it in 1586 by Sixtus V. Its purpose is the protection of purity by the intercession and aid of the Angelic Doctor who, according to tradition, was girt in his youth with a cord by angels after an heroic and suc- cessful struggle for purity. The father-general of the Dominicans has charge of the administration and erection of the "Militia AngeUca". The members receive a consecrated cord which they wear constantly. B. — In this second class, which contains those con- fraternities that have been established to promote the work of zeal for souls and Christian charity, there are a number of societies that are named after an angel or saint, and thus could also be included in the previous class. On the other hand a number of confraterni- ties, such as the "Confraternity of St. Michael" and the "Confraternity of St. Peter's Chains", and even all confraternities of expiation that liave already been described in the first class, could also quite properly be included here in the second class. Besides these, special mention .should be made of the following:^

(1) All confraternities or sodalities for the relief of the poor souls (see Puug.\tokial Societies). (2) The " Bona Mors Confraternity ", i. e. the Confrater- nity of the Agony of Christ. Tiie object of this con-