Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 7.djvu/751

 IMMACULATE

681

IMMACULATE

(Paris, 1905); Sardt, La solenne Definizione etc. (2 vols., Rome, 1904); Petridhs, VImm. Cone, et Us Grecs modernes in Echos d' Orient (1905), 275 sqq. : Kellner, Heortologie, 174 sqq. (2nd ed., Freiburg, 1906, Eng. tr. London, 1908); Preuss, Zum Lobe der unbefl. Empf. (Freiburg, 1879); Bishop, On the Origins of the Feast of the Cone. B.M.V. (London, 1904); De Meester, La Festa delta Cone, di Maria SS. nella Chiesa Greea (Rome, 1904); Ullathorne, The I mm. Cone, of the Mothei'of God (West- minster, 1905); Llvms, The Bl. V.M. in the Fathers of the first six centuries (London, 1893); Toscani and Cozza, De 1mm. Deip. Cone. Hymnologia Grwcorum (Rome, 1862); Holweck, Fasti Mariani (Freiburg, 1892); Bourasse, Bullarium Mari- anum in Stimma Aurea. VII (Paris, 1866): Waterson, Pietas Mariana Britannica (London, 1879); Schdtz, Summa Mariana (2 vols., Paderborn, 1903-9) ; (>)lertdge. The Mother of the King (London, 1S90): Hunter, Outlines of Dogmatie Theology (New York, 1894); K6.sters in Buchberger, Kirchtiehes Handleri- kon, s. V. Empfdnguis Maria, Unbelleekte; Berington, Kirk and Waterworth, The Faith of Catholies (St. Louis). 433 sqq.

Frederick G. Holweck. Immaculate Conception, Congregation op the.

— I. CONUKEU.^TION OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

OF Our L.vdy, founded in 14S4 at Toledo, Spain, by Beatrix de Silva, si.ster of Bles.sed Amadeus. On the marriage of Princess Elizabeth of Portugal with John II, King of Castile, Beatrix had accompanied the queen to the court of her husband, but her great beauty having roused the jealousy of the queen, she escaped with difficulty and took refuge in the Domini- can convent at Toledo. Here for forty years she led a life of great holiness, without, however, becoming a member of the order. Inspired by her devotion to the Blessed Virgin to found a new congregation in her honour, Beatrix, with some companions, took pos- session of a castle set apart for them by Queen Isabella. In 1489, by permission of Innocent VIII, the sisters adopted the CUstercian rule, bound themselves to the daily recitation of the Office of the Immaculate Con- ception, and were placed under oliedience to the ordinary of the archdiocese. In 1,501 Alexander VI united this congregation with the Benedictine com- munity of San Pedro de las Duenas, under the Rule of St. Clare, but in 1511 Julius II gave it a rule of its own, and in 1616 special constitutions were drawn up for the congregation by Cardinal Quignonez. The second convent was founded in 1507 at Torrigo, from which, in turn, were established seven others. The congregation soon spread through Spain, Italy, and France. The foundress determined on the habit, which was white, with a white scapular and blue mantle.

Heltot, Diet, des ordres relig. (Paris, 1859); Fehr in Kirch- enlez., 3. v. Empfdngnis Maria, Orden von der.

F. M. RUDGE.

II. Mission Priests of the Immaculate Con- ception (usually called Missionaries of Rennes), founded at St-M^en in the Diocese of Rennes, by Jean- Marie-Robert de Lamennais, for the care of the diocesan seminary and the holding of missions. The disciples of the founder's younger brother. F^licite, in 1829 withdrew with him into the solitude of La Chenaie, forming the famous Society of St. Peter, with which the elder community at its own request was united, under the superiorship of F^licite. The new congre- gation was placed under simple vows, the aims pro- posed being the defence of the Faith, the education of youth, and the giving of missions. A house of studies was erected at Malestroit, near Ploermel, and placed under the direction of Fathers Blanc and Rohrbacher, while Lamennais remained at La Chenaie, with the younger members, writing for them his " Guide de la jeunesse", and for the more advanced the " Journ^e du chr^tien". Lamennais's long-cherished project of forming a body of priests thoroughly equipped for pressing needs in the C'hurch of France, a scheme which he outlined in 1825 in a letter to M. de Salinis, seemed well on the way towards fulfilment. A vivid picture of the rule of life and the spirit of La Chenaie is to be found in the letters of Maurice de Guerin, whose companions were such men as Gerbet,

Gu&anger, Gaume, Scorbiac, and Ch. de Sainte-Foi. The condemnation of " L'Avenir " disturbed only tem- porarily the activity of La Chenaie. On the final de- fection of F^hcite, however, the Bishop of Rennes transferred to Jean-Marie the superiorship of the con- gregation, the members of which left La Chenaie for Malestroit, laymen being now excluded. The congre- gation, reorganized, gained a new lease of life in 1837 and by 1861 had 200 members in 9 houses, under the mother-house at Rennes.

Heimbucher, Orden und Kongregationen, III (Paderborn, 1908), 349; Spuller, Lamennais (Paris, 1892); Weinand in Kirchenlex., s. v. Lamennais. F. M. RuDGE.

III. Ser\ites of the Immaculate Conception, founded in 1864 by Peter Carisciarian, a Georgian priest, at Constantinople, to minister to the spiritual wants of Georgian Christians. The congregation was confirmed by Pius IX, 29 May, 1875. Approval was given for the three rites, Latin, Armenian, and Geor- gian, the first two for use among the Georgians in their native country, the last to keep up the Greek-Georgian Rite in the monastery at Constantinople, which is the mother-house of the congregation. The priests of the Immacidate Conception have charge of three congre- tions at Constantinople, one at Feri-kuei, for Geor- gians and Armenians, another for the Latins at Scutari, and a third for Georgians at Pera. Candidates for the priesthood are ordained by the Bishop of Saratow, who is the ecclesiastical superior of Georgia ; for a time they fill parish duties as secular priests, after which they are appointed by the congregation to some post where they may minister to their countrymen.

The Sister Servites of the Immaculate Con- ception conduct two primary schools, to which chil- dren are admitted, without distinction of creed.

Heimbucher, Orden und Kongregationen, III (Paderborn, 1907), 353. F. M. Rudge.

IV. Sisters of Providence of the Immaculate Conception, founded at Jodoigne, in 1S33, definitively established at Champion near Xamur in 1836, by Canon Jean-Baptiste-Victor Kinet, for the instruction of children, the care of orphan asylums, and the service of the sick and prisoners. In 1858 the congregation received the approbation of the Apostolic See, and shortly afterwards the confirmation of its statutes. By 1876 there were a hundred and fifty convents in Bel- gium, England, Italy, and the United States. The mother-house is at Champion.

Heimbucher, Orden und Kongregationen (Paderborn, 1907); Idem in Kirchenlex., s. v. Vorschung, Frauen von der.

F. M. Rudge.

V. Sisters of the Immaculate Conception, a branch of the Institute of the Holy Family, founded in 1820 by the .\bb6 Pierre Bonaventure Noailles, Canon of Bordeaux. Abb6 Noailles when studying at the Seminary of St. Sulpice, Paris, conceived the idea of founding a congregation, in which Christians of every class of life might lead a life of perfection. In 1820 he placed the first three members of the Holy Family in a house at Bordeaux, under the name of the Ladies of Loreto. As the numbers increased the sisters were divided by their founder into two cate- gories: (1) Those engaged directly in the various works undertaken by the Institute (2) Lay sisters who perform household duties, and are called the Sisters of St. Martha. The first are sub-divided into three branches (a) The Sisters of St. Joseph who undertake the charge of orphans (b) The Sisters of the Immaculate Conception, who devote themselves to educational work (e) The Sisters of Hope, who nurse the sick. The Institute encountered much oppo- sition at first, but the constitutions have now been canonically approved by the Holy See. The works of the Sisters of the Immaculate Conception are very mmierous; they devote themselves to educational work and visiting the poor. They have fifteen con-