190. Religious Associations

The illustration (1) shows a young man, member of the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine. This important society should be established in every parish. In the Sodality of Our Lady (2) the members honour the purest of all mankind and strive to imitate her virtues, especially that of chastity. Their activities in the parishes include the teaching of catechism. A member of the Apostleship of Prayer (3) aims to help promote the glory of God in union with the Sacred Heart of Jesus

What are religious associations for the laity?

— Religious associations for the laity are societies under direct ecclesiastical control, established for the purpose of personal sanctification, for works of charity, and for other similar aims. Religious associations are generally classified into: (1) secular third orders; (2) confraternities; and (3) pious societies. In addition, there are associations that do not have a distinctively religious purpose, but all members must be pious Catholics.

Of these last the Knights of Columbus is the best known and largest, a fraternal mutual benefit society of Catholic men, with half a million members in the United States, Canada, Alaska, Mexico, Cuba, and Puerto Rico.

What are secular Third Orders?

— Secular Third Orders are societies of lay people affiliated to organized religious orders, and founded for some devotional or active work for God's greater honour and glory.

The object of Third Orders is to have the religious life of the religious orders penetrate into the homes, so that, in imitation of their brethren of the First and Second Orders, lay people in the world may strive after greater perfection, although not bound by any vows under pain of sin.

Third Orders are like religious orders, being branches of these to which they are affiliated. They have a probation similar to a novitiate, a rule, and a habit. The rule is not binding under pain of sin. The habit is not worn in public without permission.

There are many Third Orders such as: Augustinian, Benedictine, Carmelite, Dominican, Franciscan, St. Pius X etc. Members of Third Orders are "brethren," sharing in the merits and spiritual life of the first and second orders of religious.

What are confraternities?

— Confraternities are societies of lay people erected by ecclesiastical authority for the furtherance of works of piety and charity.

The rules of confraternities are not binding under pain of sin. However, if the rules are not observed the special graces, and indulgences attached to them are not granted. Confraternities with the right to affiliate similar associations to themselves are termed archconfraternities. We here list a few examples of our largest confraternities.

1. The Confraternity of Christian Doctrine by order of the Holy See, is to be instituted in every parish, to promote greater knowledge and more assiduous practice of the Catholic Faith. The means used are: instruction classes, study and discussion clubs, home instruction, and religious education of non-Catholics.

2. The Holy Name Society aims to promote due love and reverence for the Holy Name of God and Jesus. {See page 199.}

3. The Society of the Holy Family is an archconfraternity, aiming to sanctify Christian families. Men, women, and children can all become members.

This archconfraternity has some five million members throughout the world.

What are pious societies?

— Pious societies are associations of lay-persons which have the same aims as confraternities, but do not have solemn canonical erection.

Some pious societies have personal sanctification for their chief aim; some adopt particular practices of devotion; and others interest themselves in certain good works, like catechism classes, the raising of funds for religion, etc. They are variously called pious unions, sodalities, and leagues,

1. The Apostleship of Prayer (League of the Sacred Heart) promotes the glory of God and the sanctification of its members by the performance of all prayers and good works in union with the Sacred Heart of Jesus. To become a member, one only need to have one's name registered in an affiliated centre and receive the certificate of admission. There are three degrees of members, with corresponding spiritual duties. The most common devotions of this association are the morning offering and the First Friday devotion.

The morning offering is worded thus: "O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer Thee all my prayers, works, and sufferings of this day in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world, in reparation for my sins, for the intentions of all our associates and in particular for those of Thy Sacred Heart this month." In the United States alone the Apostleship of Prayer has 6,000,000 members.

2. The Legion of Mary is an Association of Catholics, with the sanction of the Church and the leadership of Mary Immaculate, Mediatrix of all Graces. It is a Legion patterned after the army of ancient Rome, for service in the warfare perpetually waged by the Church against the world and its evil powers to bring about the Glory of God and the salvation of souls as its final end. Personal sanctification is however the first end as well as the primary means to bring about the final end, as the movement of the Holy Ghost, i.e. having divine grace is its moving principle.

Apart from the other religious associations, the Legion is noted for its intensely ordered system. So much so that it is also the measure for the perfection of membership. Members are required to attend weekly meetings for about 60-90 minutes, and are assigned to do apostolic work for two hours a week. The Legion is a combination of the highest ideals, organized action and readily attainable by everyone. The Legion of Mary had so much success all over the world as well tested in the most difficult persecutions of the Church.

3. The Confraternity of the Most Holy Rosary is a religious association for the purpose of promoting the devotion of the Rosary. Members are required to recite fifteen decades of the rosary every week; this does not bind under pain of sin.

To form the "living rosary," fifteen members unite every month to divide among themselves (generally by lot) the fifteen decades of the rosary. Daily, throughout the month, each one recites the decade that fell to his lot. Thus among the fifteen in the group, the entire rosary is recited every day.

4. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul is established for the relief of the poor and neglected; its works are a living embodiment of the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. Only Catholic men over 18 years of age are accepted members. Each is assigned a poor family for weekly visits.

Honorary members have no poor families under their special care; but they make an annual offering of a fixed sum, for the works of the Society. The Society spends millions of dollars every year on the poor. There are numerous worthy and approved mission associations actively engaged in mission work. Good Catholics should try to belong to some of them, in order to be of help in the propagation of their Faith.