Page:Withgodbookofpra00las.djvu/576

 them. Thus during  the  fourteenth  and  fifteenth  centuries the history  of  these  confraternities  is  somewhat  obscure. We find,  however,  that  Boniface  IX,  in  his  Constitution Hodie, dated  31  October,  1401,  granted  indulgences  for visiting the  altar  of  the  Confraternity  in  the  Dominican Church of  Schusen,  Saxony.

Portugal, now  almost  in  a  state  of  anarchy  and  sadly  in need  of  a  Holy  Name  Society  to  renew  the  faith  of  its  men, and to  imbue  them  with  courage  for  the  defense  of  their  religion, has  the  honor  of  having  organized  the  Holy  Name Society, practically  in  the  form  in  which  we  have  it  to-day. For some  years  the  retired  Dominican  Bishop  Andre  Diaz preached energetically  devotion  to  the  Holy  Name,  urging the establishment  of  a  confraternity. There was  raging  a plague  in  Lisbon  during  the  year  1432. The saintly  prelate, putting  his  trust  in  the  Sacred  Name,  besought  the faithful to  join  the  confraternity  as  a  means  of  delivering their affected  city,  assuring  them  that  the  compassionate Master would  not  turn  a  deaf  ear  to  their  petitions. He blessed water  in  honor  of  the  Sacred  Name  of  Jesus,  distributing it  among  the  plague-stricken  people. The effect seemed miraculous. The bishop  was  regarded  as  an  instrument in  God's  hands  for  the  deliverance  of  the  people. Taking advantage  of  his  influence,  he  assembled  the  faithful of  the  Confraternity  in  honor  of  the  Holy  Name,  i January,  1433,  to  give  thanks  to  God. Statutes for  the Society were  drawn  up. It was  then  determined  that  the Feast of  the  Circumcision  should  be  the  principal  feast  of the  Confraternity,  as  it  was  on  that  day  Jesus  received  His Name. A ruling  was  also  adopted  that  on  i  January  there should be  a  solemn  procession  in  which  an  image  of  the Infant Jesus  should  be  carried.

Some years  previously  St. Vincent Ferrer  (d.  1419)  had powerfully preached  on  devotion  to  the  Holy  Name. This great Dominican  saint,  known  as  the  preacher  of  the  Apocalypse, on  leaving  Italy  announced  the  advent  of  another saint, his  brother  in  the  Franciscan  family,  Bernardine  of Siena,  who  became  the  renowned  promoter  of  the  devotion in Italy. In the  sixteenth  century  Charles  V  and  Philip  II of  Spain,  wishing  to  suppress  in  their  kingdoms  blasphemies,