In order to associate the faithful, who were not Oblates of St. Benedict, in a certain measure with the Benedictine Order, a Confraternity of St. Benedict was founded in the second half of the nineteenth century, at first by the English Congregation.

Confraternity

The Benedictine scapular is the emblem of the confraternity. Reception is effected by the enrollment of the members and investment with a small blessed scapular of black cloth. The Confraternity offers an official association to the monastery to those who wish to incorporating Benedictine principles in their lives. Each abbey/priory/convent is independent of each other.

St. Gregory's Abbey, Three Rivers St. Gregory's Abbey is an American monastic community of men living under the Rule of St. Benedict within the Episcopal Church. The abbey is located near Three Rivers in St. Joseph County, Michigan. History In 1935, Rolland F. Severance an ...

in Michigan, is a Benedictine community in the Anglican tradition that sponsors both a Confraternity and an Oblate program.

Scapular

The Scapular of St. Benedict is a

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

devotional scapular The scapular (from Latin ''scapulae'', "shoulders") is a Western Christian garment suspended from the shoulders. There are two types of scapulars, the monastic and devotional scapular, although both forms may simply be referred to as "scapular ...

. This scapular is worn most often by the votarists and

oblate In Christianity (especially in the Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican and Methodist traditions), an oblate is a person who is specifically dedicated to God or to God's service. Oblates are individuals, either laypersons or clergy, normally livi ...

s belonging to the

Order of Saint Benedict The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict ( la, Ordo Sancti Benedicti, abbreviated as OSB), are a Christian monasticism, monastic Religious order (Catholic), religious order of the Catholic Church following the Rule of Saint Benedic ...

, who most often come from the

Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...

Catholic 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 ...

Lutheran Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched th ...

, and

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's b ...

Churches. Others associated with the Order of Saint Benedict may be invested with it.Ann Ball, 2003, ''Encyclopedia of Catholic Devotions and Practices'' page 518 The front usually has a picture of St. Benedict, but no picture is necessary. The

confraternity A confraternity ( es, cofradía; pt, confraria) is generally a Christian voluntary association of laypeople created for the purpose of promoting special works of Christian charity or piety, and approved by the Church hierarchy. They are most c ...

and the scapular were endowed with

indulgence 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 ...

s in 1882 and 1883. Since 1950, oblates of the Order of Saint Benedict who reside in warmer climates may wear the Medal of St. Benedict in lieu of the Scapular of St. Benedict, although the latter is still preferred.

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Scapular Of St. Benedict Scapulars Catholic devotions Confraternities

Confraternity

Scapular

See also

Notes