![Fra Filippo Lippi 002](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0e/Fra_Filippo_Lippi_002.jpg)
Catholic Marian movements and societies have developed from the veneration of the
Blessed Virgin Mary
Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jews, Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Jose ...
by members of the
Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
. These societies form part of the fabric of
Mariology in the Catholic Church. Popular membership in Marian organizations grew significantly in the 20th century, as apparitions such as
Our Lady of Fátima
Our Lady of Fátima ( pt, Nossa Senhora de Fátima, ); formally known as Our Lady of the Holy Rosary of Fátima) is a Catholic title of Mary, mother of Jesus, based on the Marian apparitions reported in 1917 by three shepherd children at the Cov ...
gave rise to societies with millions of members, and today many Marian societies exist around the world. This article reviews the major Marian movements and organizations.
Sodality of Our Lady
The
Sodality of Our Lady
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) a ...
was formed in 1563 in Rome by members of the
Society of Jesus
, image = Ihs-logo.svg
, image_size = 175px
, caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits
, abbreviation = SJ
, nickname = Jesuits
, formation =
, founders ...
and has remained the official Marian society of the
Holy See
The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of Rome ...
for centuries. In 1584,
Pope Gregory XIII
Pope Gregory XIII ( la, Gregorius XIII; it, Gregorio XIII; 7 January 1502 – 10 April 1585), born Ugo Boncompagni, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 13 May 1572 to his death in April 1585. He is best known for ...
issued a
Papal Bull commending this Sodality, granting it
indulgences
In the teaching of the Catholic Church, an indulgence (, from , 'permit') is "a way to reduce the amount of punishment one has to undergo for sins". The '' Catechism of the Catholic Church'' describes an indulgence as "a remission before God o ...
and establishing it as the ''mother Sodality''. The Bull ''
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 ...
'' of
Pope Benedict XIV
Pope Benedict XIV ( la, Benedictus XIV; it, Benedetto XIV; 31 March 1675 – 3 May 1758), born Prospero Lorenzo Lambertini, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 17 August 1740 to his death in May 1758.Antipope ...
increased the privileges of the sodality and the 1948
Apostolic Constitution Bis Saeculari of
Pope Pius XII
Pope Pius XII ( it, Pio XII), born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli (; 2 March 18769 October 1958), was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 2 March 1939 until his death in October 1958. Before his e ...
summarized the historical and contemporary relevance of the sodality.
Over several centuries the organization listed many saints, several popes and various royal figures as members. Until the
Second Vatican Council
The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, commonly known as the , or , was the 21st Catholic ecumenical councils, ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church. The council met in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome for four periods (or sessions) ...
in 1965, the Sodality of Our Lady or the ''Children of Mary'' as it was known, was a well-known part of the life of Catholic Communities worldwide. After the
Second Vatican Council
The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, commonly known as the , or , was the 21st Catholic ecumenical councils, ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church. The council met in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome for four periods (or sessions) ...
, many sodalities were transformed by the Jesuits, who redirected their policies towards social concern. Since then, the number of active sodalities has dwindled, as other Marian organizations have grown.
Religious institutes
Marians of the Immaculate Conception
![MIC COA 2009](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b4/MIC_COA_2009.png)
Also known as the
Congregation of Marian Fathers
The Congregation of Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary ( la, Congregatio Clericorum Marianorum ab Immaculata Conceptionis Beatissimae Virginis Mariae) is a Catholic male clerical religious congregation fou ...
of the Immaculate Conception of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary, this is a community of more than 500 Roman Catholic priests and brothers in 19 countries on 6 continents. They are a
religious institute
A religious institute is a type of institute of consecrated life in the Catholic Church whose members take religious vows and lead a life in community with fellow members. Religious institutes are one of the two types of institutes of consecrate ...
and pledge support to the Pope. Their aim is to spread devotion to the
Blessed Virgin Mary
Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jews, Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Jose ...
as the
Immaculate Conception
The Immaculate Conception is the belief that the Virgin Mary was free of original sin from the moment of her conception.
It is one of the four Marian dogmas of the Catholic Church, meaning that it is held to be a divinely revealed truth w ...
, pray for the
soul
In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being".
Etymology
The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...
s in
purgatory
Purgatory (, borrowed into English via Anglo-Norman and Old French) is, according to the belief of some Christian denominations (mostly Catholic), an intermediate state after physical death for expiatory purification. The process of purgatory ...
and undertake a variety of apostolic work. Marians were the first Catholic men's religious institute dedicated to the honor of Mary's Immaculate Conception.
The organization was formed in 1673 by Saint
Stanislaus Papczyński
Stanislaus Papczyński (18 May 1631 – 17 September 1701), born Jan Papczyński, was a Polish Catholic priest who founded the Marians of the Immaculate Conception, the first Polish religious order for men. Prior to starting his own order, he ...
(beatified in 2007, canonized in 2016). Pope
Innocent XII
Pope Innocent XII ( la, Innocentius XII; it, Innocenzo XII; 13 March 1615 – 27 September 1700), born Antonio Pignatelli, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 12 July 1691 to his death in September 1700.
He ...
granted his approval for the institute in 1699 with solemn vows under the Frenc
Rule of the Ten Virtues of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Over the next 200 years, the institute was caught up in the wars and turmoil in Europe and was saved in 1909 by Blessed
George Matulaitis-Matulewicz who as a youth had been brought up in a village where Marians staffed the local parish. The experience had left him with a lifelong respect and admiration for the Marian Fathers. The new Constitutions for the institute were approved by
Pope Pius X
Pope Pius X ( it, Pio X; born Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto; 2 June 1835 – 20 August 1914) was head of the Catholic Church from 4 August 1903 to his death in August 1914. Pius X is known for vigorously opposing modernist interpretations of C ...
in 1910, and it grew thereafter.
Although it is now an international organization, the Marians still have strong roots in Poland, (e.g. the
Sanctuary of Our Lady of Licheń
A sanctuary, in its original meaning, is a sacred place, such as a shrine. By the use of such places as a haven, by extension the term has come to be used for any place of safety. This secondary use can be categorized into human sanctuary, a saf ...
) and place a great deal of emphasis on spreading the messages of
Divine Mercy
The Divine Mercy is a form of God's compassion, an act of grace based on trust or forgiveness. In Catholicism, it refers specifically to a devotion which had its origin in the apparitions of Jesus Christ reported by Faustina Kowalska.
Etymolog ...
of Saint
Faustina Kowalska
Maria Faustyna Kowalska, OLM (born Helena Kowalska; 25 August 1905 – 5 October 1938), also known as ''Maria Faustyna Kowalska of the Blessed Sacrament'', Faustyna popularly spelled "Faustina", was a Polish Catholic religious sister an ...
. Their role in spreading the
Divine Mercy
The Divine Mercy is a form of God's compassion, an act of grace based on trust or forgiveness. In Catholicism, it refers specifically to a devotion which had its origin in the apparitions of Jesus Christ reported by Faustina Kowalska.
Etymolog ...
message was acknowledged by
Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...
in
Papal Blessingin 2001, the 70th anniversary of the revelation of the Divine Mercy Message and Devotion. Marian Fathers are well known a
Official promoters of the authentic Divine Mercy message since 1941
Company of Mary
The
Company of Mary
The Missionaries of the Company of Mary is a missionary religious congregation within the Catholic Church. The community was founded by Saint Louis de Montfort in 1705 with the recruitment of his first missionary disciple, Mathurin Rangeard. The co ...
, also called the ''Montfort Missionaries'' is the earliest Marian society based on the influence of Saint
Louis de Montfort
Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort (31 January 1673 – 28 April 1716) was a French Roman Catholic priest and confessor. He was known in his time as a preacher and was made a missionary apostolic by Pope Clement XI.
As well as preaching, Montfort ...
. The organization was formed in 1705 by Saint Louis himself with just one missionary disciple, Mathurin Rangeard.
Five months after his ordination, in November 1700, St Louis wrote: "I am continually asking in my prayers for a poor and small company of good priests to preach missions and retreats under the standard and protection of the Blessed Virgin".
During the intervals between his missions Montfort wrote the Rule of the Company of Mary (1713). After he died in 1716, two young priests and sometime collaborators, Father Adrien Vatel and Father Rene Mulot continued his mission. From 1718 till 1781 the "Mulotins", although few in number, gave over 430 missions throughout western France, most of which lasted a month.
After the
French Revolution
The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are considere ...
Montfort's community was reorganized by Father Gabriel Deshayes, elected superior general in 1821. He received from
Pope Leo XII
Pope Leo XII ( it, Leone XII; born Annibale Francesco Clemente Melchiorre Girolamo Nicola della Genga (; 2 August 1760 – 10 February 1829), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 28 September 1823 to his death ...
a brief of praise for the Company of Mary and for the
Daughters of Wisdom
, image = Hospital. Ste. Justine Hospital BAnQ P48S1P12190.jpg
, image_size =
, caption = A member of the Daughters of Wisdom caring for an injured child in the Hospital Sainte-Justine of Montreal in 1945
, ...
, which had also been formed by de Montfort with the help of
Blessed
Blessed may refer to:
* The state of having received a blessing
* Blessed, a title assigned by the Roman Catholic Church to someone who has been beatified
Film and television
* ''Blessed'' (2004 film), a 2004 motion picture about a supernatural ...
Marie Louise Trichet
Marie Louise Trichet, also known as ''Marie-Louise de Jésus'' (1684–1759), was a French Catholic figure who, with Louis de Montfort, founded the Congregation of religious women called Daughters of Wisdom and since the age of seventeen devoted ...
. The company has since grown to an international congregation of missionary priests and brothers serving in nearly 30 countries and numbering near 1,000 men.
Marianists
The
Marianists
The Society of Mary ( la, Societas Mariae) abbreviated SM is a clerical religious congregation of Pontifical Right for men (brothers and priests) commonly called the Marianists or Marianist Brothers and Priests. Its members add the nominal l ...
, also called the
Society of Mary was founded in 1801 by
Blessed
Blessed may refer to:
* The state of having received a blessing
* Blessed, a title assigned by the Roman Catholic Church to someone who has been beatified
Film and television
* ''Blessed'' (2004 film), a 2004 motion picture about a supernatural ...
William Joseph Chaminade
Guillaume-Joseph Chaminade, SM (also known as William Joseph Chaminade; Périgueux, 8 April 1761 – Bordeaux, 22 January 1850) was a French Catholic priest who survived persecution during the French Revolution and later founded the Society of Ma ...
, a priest who survived the persecutions of Catholics during the
French Revolution
The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are considere ...
. There are currently 500 priests and over 1,500 religious in the organization.
The Society is one of the four branches of the
Marianist Family The Marianist Family is a group of four Catholic organizations which trace their origins to the Blessed William Joseph Chaminade and Blessed Adèle de Batz de Trenquelléon.
The Family's four branches are the Society of Mary (Marianists) (S.M.), ...
. Along with the other branches, the Marianist Brothers and Priests look to
Mary
Mary may refer to:
People
* Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name)
Religious contexts
* New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below
* Mary, mother of Jesus, also calle ...
as a model for faith and spirituality, and they feel that the best ways to live a spiritual life are to share their faith with others, work with the poor, and educate and nourish the mind, the body, and the soul.
Marianists can be classified as priests, teaching brothers, or working brothers, but, regardless of classification, most members of the institute work in schools or programs for young people. In all of their educational institutions, the Characteristics of Marianist Education guide the curriculum.
The society has many affiliated organizations, such as: the ''Daughters of Mary Immaculate'' and the ''Marian Alliance''. The society has branches on every continent.
Marists
![Ravery, Portrait of Marcellin Champagnat, 1840](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/03/Ravery%2C_Portrait_of_Marcellin_Champagnat%2C_1840.jpg)
The
Marists
The Society of Mary ( la, Societas Mariae) abbreviated SM, commonly known as the Marist Fathers, is a men's Roman Catholic clerical religious congregation of pontifical right. It was founded by Jean-Claude Colin and a group of seminarians in L ...
were founded by (later) Father
Jean-Claude Colin
The Venerable Jean-Claude Colin, S.M. was a French priest (7 August 1790 – 15 November 1875) who became the founder of the Society of Mary (Marists).
Early life
When Jean-Claude Colin’s parents married in 1771 his father Jacques was 24 years ...
and a group of other seminarians in France in 1816.
Jean-Claude Courveille
Jean-Claude Courveille (15 May 1787 – 15 September 1866) was a Catholic priest who took the initiative of establishing the Marists, or Society of Mary, of which he was the first superior general. Following a scandal, he retired to Cistercian abb ...
(1787–1866) had the original insight for the congregation but it was brought to fruition by Colin.
Pope Gregory XVI
Pope Gregory XVI ( la, Gregorius XVI; it, Gregorio XVI; born Bartolomeo Alberto Cappellari; 18 September 1765 – 1 June 1846) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 2 February 1831 to his death in 1 June 1846. He h ...
, approved the religious institute in 1836. The Little Brothers of Mary and the Sisters of the Holy Name of Mary, commonly called Marist Brothers and Marist Sisters, were reserved for separate institutes. Father Colin was elected Superior General in 1836, and on that same day the first Marist professions took place, Saint
Peter Chanel
Peter Chanel (12 July 1803 – 28 April 1841), born Pierre Louis Marie Chanel, was a Catholic priest, missionary, and martyr. Chanel was a member of the Society of Mary or "Marists" and was sent as a missionary to Oceania. He arrived on the is ...
, Colin, and Saint
Marcellin Champagnat
Marcellin Joseph Benedict Champagnat (20 May 17896 June 1840), also known as Saint Marcellin Champagnat, was born in Le Rosey, village of Marlhes, near St. Etienne (Loire), France. He was the founder of the Marist Brothers, a religious congregat ...
being among those professed. Saint Peter Chanel, was later martyred on the island of
Futuna.
The society's name derives from the
Blessed Virgin Mary
Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jews, Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Jose ...
whom the members attempt to imitate in their spirituality and daily work. The post-nominal initials of the Society are S.M., which sometimes leads to confusion with another religious institute of the same name (Society of Mary), but known as the
Marianists
The Society of Mary ( la, Societas Mariae) abbreviated SM is a clerical religious congregation of Pontifical Right for men (brothers and priests) commonly called the Marianists or Marianist Brothers and Priests. Its members add the nominal l ...
.
Outside France, their first field of labour was the Vicariate Apostolic of Western Oceania, comprising New Zealand, Tonga, Samoa, the
Gilbert Gilbert may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Gilbert (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters
*Gilbert (surname), including a list of people
Places Australia
* Gilbert River (Queensland)
* Gilbert River (South ...
(now known as Kiribati) and Marshall Islands, Fiji,
New Caledonia
)
, anthem = ""
, image_map = New Caledonia on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg
, map_alt = Location of New Caledonia
, map_caption = Location of New Caledonia
, mapsize = 290px
, subdivision_type = Sovereign st ...
,
New Guinea
New Guinea (; Hiri Motu
Hiri Motu, also known as Police Motu, Pidgin Motu, or just Hiri, is a language of Papua New Guinea, which is spoken in surrounding areas of Port Moresby (Capital of Papua New Guinea).
It is a simplified version of ...
, the Solomon and the
Caroline Islands
The Caroline Islands (or the Carolines) are a widely scattered archipelago of tiny islands in the western Pacific Ocean, to the north of New Guinea. Politically, they are divided between the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) in the centra ...
. The society has since grown to an international organization. and there are around 1000 Marists worldwide.
Marist Brothers
The
Marist Brothers
The Marist Brothers of the Schools, commonly known as simply the Marist Brothers, is an international community of Catholic religious institute of brothers. In 1817, St. Marcellin Champagnat, a Marist priest from France, founded the Marist Brother ...
are a
religious institute
A religious institute is a type of institute of consecrated life in the Catholic Church whose members take religious vows and lead a life in community with fellow members. Religious institutes are one of the two types of institutes of consecrate ...
of brothers and affiliated lay people founded near
Lyon
Lyon,, ; Occitan: ''Lion'', hist. ''Lionés'' also spelled in English as Lyons, is the third-largest city and second-largest metropolitan area of France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of t ...
in France in 1817 by
Saint Marcellin Champagnat
Marcellin Joseph Benedict Champagnat (20 May 17896 June 1840), also known as Saint Marcellin Champagnat, was born in Le Rosey, village of Marlhes, near St. Etienne (Loire), France. He was the founder of the Marist Brothers, a religious congregati ...
, a young French priest of the
Marist Fathers
The Society of Mary ( la, Societas Mariae) abbreviated SM, commonly known as the Marist Fathers, is a men's Roman Catholic clerical religious congregation of pontifical right. It was founded by Jean-Claude Colin and a group of seminarians in ...
.
The Marist Brothers are not clerics, but are devoted to educational work throughout the world and now conduct primary and secondary schools, academies, industrial schools,
orphanage
An orphanage is a Residential education, residential institution, total institution or group home, devoted to the Childcare, care of orphans and children who, for various reasons, cannot be cared for by their biological families. The parent ...
s and retreat houses in 77 countries on five continents: Europe, Africa,
America
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
, Asia, and Oceania.
The Marist Brothers have had ministries in over 100 different nations. Presently there are approximately 4300 brothers in 76 countries on 5 continents, working directly and sharing their mission and spirituality with more than 40,000 lay Marists, and together educating close to 500,000 children and young people.
In 2007, the
Holy See
The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of Rome ...
beatified
Beatification (from Latin ''beatus'', "blessed" and ''facere'', "to make”) is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a deceased person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in their nam ...
47 Marist Brothers from the dioceses of
Burgos
Burgos () is a city in Spain located in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is the capital and most populated municipality of the province of Burgos.
Burgos is situated in the north of the Iberian Peninsula, on the confluence of t ...
, Cartagena,
Girona
Girona (officially and in Catalan language, Catalan , Spanish: ''Gerona'' ) is a city in northern Catalonia, Spain, at the confluence of the Ter River, Ter, Onyar, Galligants, and Güell rivers. The city had an official population of 103,369 in ...
,
Lleida
Lleida (, ; Spanish: Lérida ) is a city in the west of Catalonia, Spain. It is the capital city of the province of Lleida.
Geographically, it is located in the Catalan Central Depression. It is also the capital city of the Segrià comarca, as ...
, Palencia, Pamplona and Tudela, San Sebastian, Solsona, Terrassa,
Teruel and Albarracin,
Urgell
Modern-day Urgell (), also known as ''Baix Urgell'' (''baix'' meaning "lower", by contrast with Alt Urgell "Higher Urgell"), is a ''comarca'' (county) in Catalonia, Spain, forming only a borderland portion of the region historically known as Ur ...
and
Vic
Vic (; es, Vic or Pancracio Celdrán (2004). Diccionario de topónimos españoles y sus gentilicios (5ª edición). Madrid: Espasa Calpe. p. 843. ISBN 978-84-670-3054-9. «Vic o Vich (viquense, vigitano, vigatán, ausense, ausetano, ausonense): ...
who died in the
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, lin ...
.
Early 20th century
Schoenstatt Movement
![Refugium peccatorum](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5a/Refugium_peccatorum.jpg)
The
Schoenstatt Movement
The Apostolic Movement of Schoenstatt (german: Schönstatt-Bewegung) is a Catholic Marian movement founded in Germany in 1914 by Fr Joseph Kentenich, who saw the movement as a means of spiritual renewal for the Catholic Church.
The movement i ...
was founded in Germany in 1914 by Father
Joseph Kentenich
Peter Joseph Kentenich, SAC (16 November 1885 – 15 September 1968) was a Pallottine priest and founder of the Schoenstatt Apostolic Movement. He is also remembered as a theologian, educator, and pioneer of a Catholic response to an array of ...
as a means of bringing spiritual renewal to the Catholic Church.
It is named after a small village near
Koblenz
Koblenz (; Moselle Franconian language, Moselle Franconian: ''Kowelenz''), spelled Coblenz before 1926, is a German city on the banks of the Rhine and the Moselle, a multi-nation tributary.
Koblenz was established as a Roman Empire, Roman mili ...
, Germany. Schoenstatt emphasizes a strong devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, upholding her as a perfect example of love and purity. Schoenstatt seeks to invite the Blessed Virgin (and, hence, her divine Son, Jesus Christ), into the home by establishing a spiritual Covenant of Love with her. It encourages its members to have the faith and purity of children, and to think of Mary as their mother.
A central point in the movement dynamics and faith is the devotion to the Shrine, based on the first shrine in Schoenstatt where the movement started with a special devotion to
Mary
Mary may refer to:
People
* Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name)
Religious contexts
* New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below
* Mary, mother of Jesus, also calle ...
and of which there are dozens of replicas around the world. The movement is now active in several countries besides Germany, especially in South America and India and it is involved in various
apostolic
Apostolic may refer to:
The Apostles
An Apostle meaning one sent on a mission:
*The Twelve Apostles of Jesus, or something related to them, such as the Church of the Holy Apostles
*Apostolic succession, the doctrine connecting the Christian Churc ...
actions, including
missionary
A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Tho ...
work, charity, and education.
Many groups have been formed within the movement where people can join anything from loose groups with sparse meetings to
religious institute
A religious institute is a type of institute of consecrated life in the Catholic Church whose members take religious vows and lead a life in community with fellow members. Religious institutes are one of the two types of institutes of consecrate ...
s. The organization reports that there are hundreds of Schoenstatt youth groups throughout the world and that overall it has close to one million followers.
Militia Immaculata
The
Militia Immaculata was founded in 1917 by St. Maximilian Maria Kolbe OFM Conv. while a Franciscan seminarian in Rome. There he witnessing an anti-clerical demonstration by Freemasons celebrating their second centenary. Besides protest with by handing out pamphlets the streets, the protest overtook St. Peter's Square with signs and banners that read of Satan's reign over St. Michael and the Pope. Maximilian went to his superior to ask permission to go and speak to the head Mason. His superior told the bold young friar that he should instead go to the chapel and pray.
Turning to the Immaculata as Queen and Mother, he desired to become her "Knight" ready for whatever she asked of him. He presenting the idea of forming the "Militia of the Immaculata" (or M.I.) to his Jesuit spiritual director, as well as his Franciscan Superior at the house of studies in Rome, and was encouraged to proceed. The purpose of the M.I. is to draw souls back to the knowledge and importance of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and to how every soul can easily enter into this consoling mystery through their own personal Act of Consecration to the Immaculata.
On Oct. 16th 1917, the eve of the Feast of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, Maximilian Kolbe, along with six like-minded friars gathered in prayer around a statue of Our Lady of Full of Grace and began to write up the Charter of the "Knights of the Immaculata," which is deeply rooted in the 800-year-old teachings/spirituality of the Franciscan Order. They took as their emblem the "Medal of the Immaculate Conception" or the "Miraculous Medal" as it later become known.
In 1919 the M.I. was blessed by Pope Benedict XV, and in 1922 the Vicar of Rome, Cardinal Pomilii, approved the M.I. as a "pious union". In 1926 Pope Pius XI granted indulgences to the M.I. in Rome, where the international college of the Order was established as a Primary Center, and in 1997 on the 80th anniversary of the founding of the M.I. the Holy See erected the M.I. as an International Public Association of the Faithful. The M.I. is open to all Catholics, religious and laity, young and old. Its purpose is to bring about renewal in individuals and throughout society through the mediation of the Mother of God, Mary Immaculate.
To become an M.I. member one has to simply make an Act of Total Consecration to the Immaculata, enroll at a M.I. center, wear or carry a Miraculous Medal, and renew one's Consecration daily.
Legion of Mary
Formed in 1921 in
Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...
, Ireland by
Frank Duff
Francis Michael Duff, L.O.M. (7 June 1889 – 7 November 1980), known as Frank Duff, is known especially for bringing attention to the role of the laity during the Second Vatican Council of the Roman Catholic Church as well as for founding ...
, The
Legion of Mary
The Legion of Mary ( la, Legio Mariae, postnominal abbreviation L.O.M.) is an international association of members of the Catholic Church who serve it on a voluntary basis. It was founded in Dublin, as a Marian movement by the layman and civi ...
was first only open to women, but men joined as of 1929. The legionaries first started out by visiting hospitals, and in 1928 Duff formulated its basic rules.
The organization spread out of Ireland and started to grow after
Pope Pius XI
Pope Pius XI ( it, Pio XI), born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti (; 31 May 1857 – 10 February 1939), was head of the Catholic Church from 6 February 1922 to his death in February 1939. He was the first sovereign of Vatican City fro ...
expressed praise for it in 1931. The Venerable
Edel Mary Quinn spearheaded the spread of the organization in Africa during the 1930s and 1940s and Legion of Mary currently claims three million active members worldwide, and estimates its auxiliary members about ten million. Both Quinn and Duff are in the
beatification
Beatification (from Latin ''beatus'', "blessed" and ''facere'', "to make”) is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a deceased person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in their nam ...
process. Members must be practicing Catholics.
The spirituality of the Legion of Mary is based on the approach of
Saint Louis de Montfort
Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort (31 January 1673 – 28 April 1716) was a French Roman Catholic priest and confessor. He was known in his time as a preacher and was made a missionary apostolic by Pope Clement XI.
As well as preaching, Montfort ...
as put forward in his book ''True Devotion to Mary''. Saint Louis de Montfort's approach of "total dedication" to Christ through devotion to the
Virgin Mary
Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother o ...
also influenced popes such as
John Paul II
Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...
.
The essential aim of the Legion of Mary is the sanctification of its members through prayer, the sacraments and devotion to Mary and the Trinity, and of the whole world through the apostolate of the Legion.
Along with attending a weekly meeting, members of the Legion of Mary promise to perform two hours of substantial active legionary work. The weekly work assignments are done in pairs and the results of the work and reported back on at the following meeting. The characteristic and preferred work of the Legion of Mary is home to home visitation. Home to home visitation enables Legionaries to show forth the Blessed Virgin's motherly concern for the spiritual wellbeing of every one of her children.
Blue Army of Our Lady of Fatima
The Blue Army was founded in 1947 by Rev. Fr.
Harold V. Colgan in
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
, USA. Inspired by the message of Our Lady of Fátima he focused the organization on devotion to the
Immaculate Heart of Mary
The Immaculate Heart of Mary () is a Roman Catholic devotional name used to refer to the Catholic view of the interior life of Mary, mother of Jesus, her joys and sorrows, her virtues and hidden perfections, and, above all, her virginal love ...
, daily recitation of the
Rosary
The Rosary (; la, , in the sense of "crown of roses" or "garland of roses"), also known as the Dominican Rosary, or simply the Rosary, refers to a set of prayers used primarily in the Catholic Church, and to the physical string of knots or b ...
and righteous observance of the duties of one's
state of life.
[''Catholic Dictionary'' by Peter M. J. Stravinskas 2002 page 141]
Author
John Haffert assisted Colgan and began delivering conferences on the message of Fátima and the Blue Army. He also edited the "Scapular Magazine" that added one million new members to the organization.
In May 1947 Colgan met
Pope Pius XII
Pope Pius XII ( it, Pio XII), born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli (; 2 March 18769 October 1958), was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 2 March 1939 until his death in October 1958. Before his e ...
who approved of and blessed the organization. In 1950 there were one million enrolled members, in 1953 five million, and currently the numbers are beyond twenty million.
As the Blue Army grew into an international organization, it was transformed into the
World Apostolate of Fatima
In its most general sense, the term "world" refers to the totality of entities, to the whole of reality or to everything that is. The nature of the world has been conceptualized differently in different fields. Some conceptions see the worl ...
, the decree of erection for it being signed in October 2005. In February 2006, the World Apostolate of Fátima held an official ceremony for the consignment of the decree and the approval of its statutes at the
Pontifical Council for the Laity
The Pontifical Council for the Laity was a pontifical council of the Roman Catholic Curia from 1967 to 2016. It had the responsibility of assisting the Pope in his dealings with the laity in lay ecclesial movements or individually, and their co ...
in Rome. The
World Apostolate of Fátima is now headquartered in
Fátima, Portugal
Fátima () is a city in the municipality of Ourém and district of Santarém in the Central Region of Portugal, with 71.29 km2 of area and 13,212 inhabitants (2021). The homonymous civil parish encompasses several villages and localities of ...
.
Our Lady's Rosary Makers
![Rosary 2006-01-23](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/db/Rosary_2006-01-23.jpg)
This organization was formed in 1949 in
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border ...
by
Sylvan Mattingly
Our Lady's Rosary Makers is a non-profit Catholic apostolate in Louisville, Kentucky, USA dedicated to spreading devotion to the Virgin Mary and the Rosary. According to the OLRM Web site, its 17,000 members, in the U.S. and other countries, make ...
, a
Xaverian Brother
The Xaverian Brothers or Congregation of St. Francis Xavier are a Roman Catholic religious institute founded by Theodore James Ryken in Bruges, Belgium, in 1839 and named after Saint Francis Xavier. The institute is dedicated to education.
Hist ...
who, inspired by the message of Our Lady of Fátima, decided to form a
rosary
The Rosary (; la, , in the sense of "crown of roses" or "garland of roses"), also known as the Dominican Rosary, or simply the Rosary, refers to a set of prayers used primarily in the Catholic Church, and to the physical string of knots or b ...
making club. The organization started modestly, with $25 donated by an old couple for a typewriter and was based in the basement of
St. Xavier High School. Sylvan Mattingly died two years after he formed the club, but over time it grew in the U.S. and around the world.
Our Lady's Rosary Makers
Our Lady's Rosary Makers is a non-profit Catholic apostolate in Louisville, Kentucky, USA dedicated to spreading devotion to the Virgin Mary and the Rosary. According to the OLRM Web site, its 17,000 members, in the U.S. and other countries, make ...
now has about 17,000 members, in the U.S. and other countries, who make and distribute roughly 7 million cord and chain rosaries annually for missions around the world. Over the years, the members Our Lady's Rosary Makers have distributed hundreds of millions of free rosaries to Catholic missions worldwide.
The core of
Our Lady's Rosary Makers
Our Lady's Rosary Makers is a non-profit Catholic apostolate in Louisville, Kentucky, USA dedicated to spreading devotion to the Virgin Mary and the Rosary. According to the OLRM Web site, its 17,000 members, in the U.S. and other countries, make ...
operation is the bimonthly newsletter called Our Lady's Messenger which reaches approximately twenty thousand people. There is no central control over the rosary-making activity, and Catholic
missionaries
A missionary is a member of a religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thomas Hale 'On Being a Mi ...
worldwide who are in need of rosaries just post their requests in the newsletter. Other members then select which missionaries they are inspired to send rosaries to by reading the newsletter. The missionaries simply wait until packages of Rosaries arrives in the mail from various members.
Late 20th century
Mariological Society of America
The
Mariological Society of America
The Mariological Society of America is a Roman Catholic theological society dedicated to the study of the BVM(RC), Blessed Virgin Mary. Each year the society publishes the proceedings of the annual meeting in ''Marian Studies'', a publication that ...
(MSA) is a theological society dedicated to the study of the Virgin Mary along with an interest in encouraging Marian catechetics and Marian spirituality in the Americas. It is a Catholic theological association dedicated to studying and making known the role of the
Blessed Virgin Mary
Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jews, Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Jose ...
in the mystery of Christ and in the Church and in the history of salvation. Through its annual meeting and in its publication, Marian Studies, the Society seeks to promote original research in
Mariology
Mariology is the theological study of Mary, the mother of Jesus. Mariology seeks to relate doctrine or dogma about Mary to other doctrines of the faith, such as those concerning Jesus and notions about redemption, intercession and grace. Chri ...
, Marian doctrine and devotion.
The
Mariological Society of America
The Mariological Society of America is a Roman Catholic theological society dedicated to the study of the BVM(RC), Blessed Virgin Mary. Each year the society publishes the proceedings of the annual meeting in ''Marian Studies'', a publication that ...
was founded by Fr.
Juniper B. Carol, O.F.M., in October 1949 with the support of
Charles Balic, O.F.M. The charter members gathered for the first meeting in Washington, D.C., in January 1950. Since that time, the MSA has met annually in various cities throughout the United States. In 1954, the Society was recognized as a corporation "organized exclusively for charitable, religious, educational and scientific purposes." Listed in the Official Catholic Directory as one of the national organizations of the United States Catholic Conference. The proceedings of the annual meeting are published in Marian Studies.
Marian Movement of Priests
The
Marian Movement of Priests was founded by Father
Stefano Gobbi in 1972, on the 55th anniversary of
Our Lady of Fátima
Our Lady of Fátima ( pt, Nossa Senhora de Fátima, ); formally known as Our Lady of the Holy Rosary of Fátima) is a Catholic title of Mary, mother of Jesus, based on the Marian apparitions reported in 1917 by three shepherd children at the Cov ...
. According to the organization, its members now include over 400 Catholic
cardinal
Cardinal or The Cardinal may refer to:
Animals
* Cardinal (bird) or Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds
**''Cardinalis'', genus of cardinal in the family Cardinalidae
**''Cardinalis cardinalis'', or northern cardinal, the ...
s and
bishop
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...
s, more than 100,000 Catholic priests, and several million lay Catholics worldwide.
![William-Adolphe Bouguereau The Virgin With Angels](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5c/William-Adolphe_Bouguereau_The_Virgin_With_Angels.jpg)
Father Gobbi had not claimed a
Marian apparition
A Marian apparition is a reported supernatural appearance by Mary, the mother of Jesus, or a series of related such appearances during a period of time.
In the Catholic Church, in order for a reported appearance to be classified as a Marian ap ...
, but had reported
interior locution
An interior locution is a mystical concept used by various religions. An interior locution is a form of private revelation, but is distinct from an apparition, or religious vision. An interior locution may be defined as "A supernatural communicati ...
from the
Virgin Mary
Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother o ...
, i.e. an internal voice from the Blessed Virgin that urged him to have confidence in the
Immaculate Heart of Mary
The Immaculate Heart of Mary () is a Roman Catholic devotional name used to refer to the Catholic view of the interior life of Mary, mother of Jesus, her joys and sorrows, her virtues and hidden perfections, and, above all, her virginal love ...
and to gather those priests that would be willing to consecrate themselves to
Immaculate Heart of Mary
The Immaculate Heart of Mary () is a Roman Catholic devotional name used to refer to the Catholic view of the interior life of Mary, mother of Jesus, her joys and sorrows, her virtues and hidden perfections, and, above all, her virginal love ...
and be strongly united with the Pope and the Catholic Church.
In 1973, he wrote his
interior locution
An interior locution is a mystical concept used by various religions. An interior locution is a form of private revelation, but is distinct from an apparition, or religious vision. An interior locution may be defined as "A supernatural communicati ...
s as messages which were published in the book: "To the Priests, Our Lady's Beloved Sons" and received
imprimatur
An ''imprimatur'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''impr.'', from Latin, "let it be printed") is a declaration authorizing publication of a book. The term is also applied loosely to any mark of approval or endorsement. The imprimatur rule in the R ...
s from three Catholic
cardinal
Cardinal or The Cardinal may refer to:
Animals
* Cardinal (bird) or Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds
**''Cardinalis'', genus of cardinal in the family Cardinalidae
**''Cardinalis cardinalis'', or northern cardinal, the ...
s. Pope John Paul II, who had a personal devotion to the
Virgin Mary
Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother o ...
, used to meet with and celebrated mass with Father Gobbi in his private papal chapel in the
Vatican
Vatican may refer to:
Vatican City, the city-state ruled by the pope in Rome, including St. Peter's Basilica, Sistine Chapel, Vatican Museum
The Holy See
* The Holy See, the governing body of the Catholic Church and sovereign entity recognized ...
on an annual basis for several years. In November 1993, Pope John Paul II also provided an official papal
blessing
In religion, a blessing (also used to refer to bestowing of such) is the impartation of something with grace, holiness, spiritual redemption, or divine will.
Etymology and Germanic paganism
The modern English language term ''bless'' likely ...
for the American branch of the organization in
St. Francis, Maine but did not offer an
imprimatur
An ''imprimatur'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''impr.'', from Latin, "let it be printed") is a declaration authorizing publication of a book. The term is also applied loosely to any mark of approval or endorsement. The imprimatur rule in the R ...
for the book.
The movement places special emphasis on the power of praying the
Holy Rosary Holy Rosary may refer to:
* Rosary, a set of prayer beads used in a traditional Roman Catholic devotion
* The Holy Rosary, a prayer based on the rosary
See also
* Holy Rosary Academy (disambiguation), one of several Roman Catholic schools with ...
and
Eucharistic Adoration as effective means of strengthening the Church. Father Gobbi has held
cenacle
The Cenacle (from the Latin , "dining room"), also known as the Upper Room (from the Koine Greek and , both meaning "upper room"), is a room in Mount Zion in Jerusalem, just outside the Old City walls, traditionally held to be the site o ...
s of varying sizes on every continent. The cenacle he held in
Ōita, Japan on June 2, 1978 was for a few priests and nuns while the cenacle he held in Mexico City on November 27, 1994 was attended by 20,000 people in the city stadium.
Fatima Family Apostolate
The
Fatima Family Apostolate was founded in 1986 by Father
Robert J. Fox
Robert Joseph Fox (December 24, 1927 – November 26, 2009) was an American priest of the Roman Catholic church. He was an author of religious books and tapes, and appeared on many Roman Catholic television programs and conferences. Fox also s ...
. Headquartered in Hanceville, Alabama, the apostolate publishes a quarterly magazine, ''Immaculate Heart Messenger''. The mission of the Fatima Family Apostolate is to promote the true message of Fatima and the sanctification of family life.
See also
*
Religious of the Virgin Mary
, image = Religious of the Virgin Mary (seal of the congregation).png
, image_size = 175px
, caption =
, abbreviation = RVM
, established =
, type = Centralized Religious In ...
*
Roman Catholic Marian churches
Catholic Marian churches are religious buildings dedicated to the veneration of the Blessed Virgin Mary. These churches were built throughout the history of the Catholic Church, and today they can be found on every continent including Antarctica. ...
*
Roman Catholic Marian music
*
Queen of Angels Foundation
The Queen of Angels Foundation is an association of lay faithful of the Catholic Church dedicated to fostering devotion to Mary, Mother of Jesus. The Foundation is a volunteer group of lay men and women who "...strive together in a common endeav ...
Marian Devotional Movement
Notes
References
* Catholic encyclopedia on Company of Mary
* ''Daughters of Mary Immaculate'
* ''Marian Alliance'
External links
University of Dayton on Marian Organizations
{{Catholic Church
Catholic lay organisations
Catholic Mariology
Catholic orders and societies