CONFRATERNITIES  

 
 
1 - THE ORIGIN
 
        The existence of the Mariales Confraternities, a Christian movement, was confirmed by popes and carried one of the names  of the Virgin Mary such as the Immaculate Conception, Our Lady of Sorrows, Our Lady of the Assumption, Our Lady of the Rosary, Our Lady of the Annunciation....
 
        The first marial community was established at the "Roman College" of the Jesuit Fathers in Rome in 1563,. This community was founded by Father Jean Lenice in favor of his schoolchildren in the 5th class in order to stimulate the Christian ardor in their real life. It proved out to be that their lives changed and that they surpassed themselves in their studies; then the idea was propagated to the superior classes and at the end of the year 73 pupils were received in the confraternity. (1)

(1) the only reference used: "Manual of my Marial Consecration . R.P.Hubert Houflain, C.M. Imprimatur 7 Julii 1956-Pierre Girard,S.S. - Lutetiae Parisiorum.
*Adress: Association of Children of Mary Immaculate. Central secretariat - 67,Rue of Sèvre - Paris VI.page 21 -the community Prima Primaria, established in Rome at the Roman college, in favor of schoolchildren of the company of Jesus.
 
2-THE SPREADING
 
        The news was not a secret anymore and from then on communities were developed in the schools and the universities of Europe; then they invaded South America, Canada, the Middle East, India, China, Japan and the countries of Africa... wherever the steps of missionaries had trampled down the soil.
        A little later confraternities of adults, reserved especially to the various social classes, saw magistrates, doctors, engineers, workers, merchants, military, and even priests and clergy.
        Most surprising in this spreading at the XIXth century and especially at the XXth, is that in spite of the birth of tens of  modern similar organizations, the mariales confraternities alone saw the average of increase in number (2) to rise from 10 to 100 at the XIXth century then to an average of 426 annually.
Between the years 1904 and 1930 this average rose to 1000 per year. In 1934 the number of 1205 mariales communities existed and in 1935 something like 1277 communities (3). Only in the United States, on December 31, 1947, the reached number was 14828 communities that counted 1 700 000 colleagues... in average 115 persons in every community.
        Throughout the world the number passed the 600 000 mark of which some grouped one thousand persons and more; for example in 1948 the community of the academics of Madrid counted 1000 colleagues; In Guadeloupe in Mexico 1200; in Barcelona in Spain 2000 and in Munich in Germany 5000 colleagues.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(2) I permit myself a remark that you can disregard: Why to omit the apparitions of the Holy Virgin to Saint Catherine Labouré in 1830 as well as the association of the Children of Mary Immaculate bound to these apparitions?
(3) cf.Manual... .page 9 Excerpt of the speech of H.H.Pie XII to the audience which grouped 7000 Children of Mary Immaculate the following day of the beatification of sister Catherine Labouré on the 29/5/1933 ...You recall that the Holy Virgin said that she wanted an association..... Her desire is granted magnificiently since you are here, although so numerous, yet only as the representation of 200 000 Children of Mary Immaculate.
 
3-THE WORKS:
 
        Communities don't have any specialized works. They educate some Christian personalities, who in their turn, undertake the projects adapted to their environment and their century; for example: when the Protestantism came into existence, communities opposed it categorically. Moreover, history confirms that communities took part in the reformatory movement that the Council of Trente had launched, and, in the famous battle of Libania, all chiefs as well as most soldiers were dedicated in communities as it is shown by the memorial sculpture on the walls of the Baude citadel.
Finally, everywhere in the world the confraternities offered the best support to missionaries at the time of their evangelisation.
        H.H. the Pope Pie XII affirmed in an apostolic rescrit published on September 27, 1948 that communities "put all their strength, everywhere in the world, in all apostolic missions, at all social classes especially with the youth and the workers inciting them to adopt a deeper Christian life, as well as with the poor helping them materially and spiritually".
        Indeed, the communities founded several charity works, arranged free schools and colleges for training of professions in order to promote the workers ...forming the van-guard of the Catholic Action.
        On a larger plan, congreganists tried to put laws in agreement with principles of the gospel and social justice, and this through Senates and other elevated posts. For example, the masculine community of Cayenne that mentions among its works: To teach a profession to the young and to find work for the unemployed; to give loans without interests and free medical care to the sick; to present judicial aid to prisoners, to open special stores for the poor, to assure the survival of old men and to teach catechism... 
        Here is another example, the community of Paris that spread its apostolate in the XIXth century by founding associations such as the works of charity for hospitals, tramps, the ... prisoners and still the Good Press, the Defendants of the Faith, Help to the Missionaries... and the Good Studies that were the basis of the famous association of Saint Vincent of Paul.
        Similarly, the example of the workers confraternity of Budapest (Hungary) that exercises its activities on 28 sectors such as: the liturgy, printing, education, missions, vocations, catechism, theater, donations, jails, hospitals, libraries, prayers, music, training of professions, leisures and others....
        And then the example of the communities of Moléne who, on August 15, 1966, inaugurated a hospital specialized in cardiology and furnished it with the most recent equipment. This exploit has been undertaken by physicians affiliated members to the community, to serve their city.
        At last in Rome, a community of nobles, took care of several technical schools, and, in Mexico City one community alone undertakes the Christian formation of more than six thousand children.
        It is necessary to mention, in this domain, men who grew in mariales communities and who served their century temporally and spiritually, of believers coming from different social classes that have evolved in holiness.
        Effectively, more than hundred saints that the church has promoted on altars come of communities. We find some such as:  Pierre Canisius, François de Sales, Alphonse of Liguori. We also find 27 male and 9 female founders that erected 42 orders, such as: Saint vincent de Paul founder of the Fathers Lazarists. Saint Jean Baptist de la Salle founder of the Christian Schools. The Missionaries of Champagne founders of the Marists brothers.
We find still the young Saints such as: Stanislas Kostka, Louis of Conzaque, Jean Berchmans, Bernadette Soubirou, Therese of the child Jesus, Dominique Savio.
* *One community alone in Rome gave 97 cardinals and bishops and this in 100 years only.
* *What deserves to be mentioned, is that 21 of 29 Sovereign Pontiffs that directed the Catholic church were affiliated to communities; the most recent being Popes: Paul VI, Jean XXII, Pie XII, Pie XI, Benoît XV, Léon XIII, Pie IX; that is to say all Popes of this century except Pie X of whom the affiliation to a community could not be proven.
 
4- SOME LEGISLATIVE REMARKS:
 
        The first community had been founded at the start, in answer to a generous educational idea, without law nor ecclesiastical ties and then the other communities that were created, were inspired by it and proposed statutes adapted to their needs; and then asked their canonical approval directly to the Holy See.
        After an experience of 21 years, on January 5, 1584, a rescrit of H.H. Gregoire XIV, confirmed the official existence of the community of the Roman College, designating it as being the Community - Mother to which are affiliated all communities erected in the colleges of the Jesuit Fathers in their universities and their convents.
        In 1587 H.H. Pope Sextus V puts unified rule and allowed communities in convents whereas they were restricted to the colleges.
        During 200 years, these communities only received members of the masculine sex, it is only in September 1751 that H.H. Pope Benoît XIV gave out a decree permitting the affiliation of members of the feminine sex to the Mother Community.
        In 1773 important events took place. Communities were not placed anymore under the patronnage of the Jesuit Fathers  and their modes changed legally and spiritually because H.H. Pope Clément XIV on July 21, annuled the Jesuits order.
        However, on November 14, 1773, he replaced the Roman College and the Mother Community under the patronnage of three cardinals. From then on the communities were renewed in parishes.
        On July 7, 1814, he rehabilitated the order of the Jesuits and gave it back to the Roman College, then allowed its Superior General to join to the Mother Community all communities of the world, this in full agreement with their respective bishopries. The number of communities joined increased, especially the feminine communities in parishes, but the spirit was weakened because of the weakness of their Priests - directors (or chaplains / /) and the prayer took the step on the mission.
        The XXth century brought with it a new rebirth and in 1910 to a legislative evolution. Then for the first time in history in 1922, a Central Office was founded in Rome with a goal to push the spirituality of the adhering communities.
 
5 - THE WORLD FEDERATION
 
        This Central Office encourages the local institution of secretariats, organizes conventions, publishes in 1931 a worldwide magazine of communication, encourages studies and publications, counsels to erect federations in all bishoprics and in countries of the whole world. Finally, it founded THE WORLD FEDERATION OF THE MARIALS ASSOCIATIONS that H.H. the Pope Pie XII confirms by a papal decree.
        The federation is directed by a general council and an excecutive council.
- The general council is composed of members of the excecutive council and of representatives of all countries.
- The excecutive council understands:
    *A General director of the World Federation, superior nominated by The Holy See.
    *A sub director who is at the same time the director of the Central Office.
    * Seven responsibles elected by the General Council for a period of three years, including, among others, a president, a secretary and a treasurer.
        New conquest of communities that during 400 years were leading a solitary life independent, the ones of the others, this, FEDERATION reviews laws and statutes of communities according to the requirements of the century and the influence of the Council Vatican II, on the spiritual, legal and admininstratif plan.
        The general superior of the Jesuit Fathers, in 1967, abandons completely all his special powers, conferred previously, as well as all ties of direction, with communities. Henceforth the legislative power and the direction will be in the hands of THE GENERAL WORLD FEDERATION to which the Holy See grants officially, on March 25, 1968, his solemn approval and his supervision.
 

COMMUNITIES IN THE ORIENT
 
        The apparition of communities in the Orient goes back to the years 1609 at Istamboul, 1631 at Aleppo and 1644 at Sidon (Lebanon) where they were founded  by Jesuits Missionnary Fathers for the French communities.
 
I - AT ALEPPO:
 
        The Jesuits arrived at Aleppo in the beginning of the month of August 1625, they were persecuted and expelled, they came back later and set up there.
        On July 13, 1631 they founded for the French community living in Aleppo, the community of "Our Lady of the Assumption"; it is mentioned that the consul of France attended its meetings and that one of its members entered in the order of the Capucins.
        Next, they founded at the maronite church a second masculine community "The Immaculate Conception" which date of foundation, is unknown but on manuscripts preserved of that epoch is written down the date of its stop because of persecutions and of the closing of the churches and the one of its restoration under the direction of the Father Kyros on August 15, 1635.
        We also know that the Father Amieux translated in 1639, the rule of communities and the Small Office of the Immaculate Conception; and that in 1650, he erected a community to the young and another to the Armenian Catholics.
        These communities were during 100 years in trouble, because of persecutions and of the continuous difficulties, sometimes they  stopped all activity; other times, they met in secret, at the Khan of the French. Thus until 1752 date at which the father Cuisset animated them with a new spirit. The first communities that benefitted were the one of the Maronites and the one of the Armenians, they got an official decree from Rome on May 26, 1757.
        Registers of the Armenian community mention six communities either founded or renewed at Aleppo in 1752 at the maronites, the Armenians, the melkites and the Syrian Catholics. Some of these communities changed, alone the community of the "Armenian Immaculate Conception" and the one of "The Annunciation" of the Catholics remained the same and celebrated  together their bicentennial of the 6 to the 21 May 1952. At this opportunity the bishops of Aleppo published a parochial letter on February 25, 1952 of which here is an excerpt:
         "From Aleppo the expansion of marials communities was made along the years. Not a church was built without its community, this being the most perfect shape of worship in that time. So communities reigned on all Christian vital centers and seemed to be the ideal phenomenon of the religion in the world.
        Without doubt the history of these marials communities writes one of the most beautiful pages of modern Christian Alepine history and one can say that the life of the Christians during the last two generations was always impregnated of the soufism marial seal.
 
II - COMMUNITIES IN LEBANON
 
        The Jesuit Fathers, coming from Syria in Lebanon settled at Sidon in 1644, at Tripoli in 1645 and at Aïntoura - kesrouan in 1953.
        The first community was founded at Sidon, at Khan el Franj (of the Europeans ...) by the good cares of Father Ricordie who arrived at the date above mentioned to Sidon, he erected it for tradesmen and the French community under the name of the Immaculate Conception. We know that it produced exeptional fruits and that it was reputed for the holiness of its members as well as their charitable actions. One of its first members and clever tradesman, François Lambert, after several journeys and adventures in Persia and in India, went in the order of the Jesuits and it is he that founded the community of Aïntoura.
        We know that the Jesuit Fathers took these bases as points of departure for an extension toward the inshore and mountain villages: from Sidon to the chouf and Beirut; from Tripoli to Akkar, Lattakieh, Bcharré and Batroun; from Aïntoura to the inshore regions and until the tops of the Metn and the Kesrouan.
        In their tours, they made sermons, enlivened recollections, taught the catechism to children and always tried to erect communities. At the time of its meeting, the Lebanese synod of 1736 carried all its attention to the communities and dedicated to them the chapter 4 of the fourth part of its works where it bound intimately the raising and the official existence of communities  to the Patriarch's powers, and again, members of the council had to be elected every year: the same person could in no case assume the same function two consecutive years except on special permission granted by the bishop. In the same way each community had to have a place for its meetings and its prayers, a chaplain nominated by Mgr. the bishop and everything that follows as legislation and concrete statutes proving so the immensity of the expansion of these communities. The Patriarch Doueihi (1670 -1704) the greatest maronite patriarch was affiliated to a community. But consecutive wars in Lebanon with fires, destructions and displacements of population that came with them, destroyed the registers and the dates of the first foundations of communities.
 
   1 - The first Lebanese community
 
        Among communities already quoted we especially mention the one of Aïntoura - Kesrouan founded in 1635, not only because it is the most ancient community still existing since 325 years, but because it is the first and the mother of all the Lebanese communities, those of Sidon 1644 and Tripoli 1645 being to the Europeans.
        There is also the community of Deir El Kamar at Haret El Khandak that, according to a manuscript preserved at one of its members, has been founded on December 8, 1777 and was considered for a long time as being the most ancient existing confraternity until the day where we discovered the history of the community of Aïntoura - Kesrouan.
        The remainder of the ancient communities still existing up again to the XIXth century; we mention those of: Batroun 1800, Baskenta 1820,  Rechmaya 1830, Byblos 1831, Zahlé (The Cathedral) 1832, Ghazir 1833, Bikfaya 1837, Maad 1840, Zahlé,. Jesuits 1848, Bkaakafra, Asnoun, and Bchehlé 1850 (1), Kanat and Sahel Alma 1851, Hasroun, Bcharré, and Ghazir. Jesuits 1853, Rmeich and Zghorta 1854 (this last has been founded by the Lebanese hero Youssef Bey Karam) (2). More the time passed, more they constantly increased in number.
 
2 - Three Remarks related to the Lebanese Communities
 
        On going back in history we find Deir el Kamar whose community possessed a special premises, before which a yard spread all around with a bench made of stone far from the looks of the curious, and where the Christian notables met in order to discuss their important business. From this respectable community branched out the community of Haret el Delghaneh in 1868, then a third, special for girls in 1870. There, it is important to underline that:
1 - The feminine communities in our country are relatively recent as for their foundations and rare to find before the one of Deir el Kamar.
2 - All these communities, feminine or masculine, have been founded under the name of the Immaculate Conception, current appellation with the maronites, to such a point that some spoke of communities of the Immaculate Conception as if they were a particular section of the marials associations .
3 - Communities, especially in the XXth century, in spite of the emigration of its men and its personalities or their displacement toward the cities and the inshore regions.... In spite of the particular devotion wave as the worship "of the Sacred Heart," the devotion to the "Good Death" or Saint Rita... that was called also community so that concepts were confused.
        In spite of the modern associations competition...
        In spite of the independence of communities one from the other in our countries...
        In spite of all this communities flourished and increased in number until they reached in the years sixties the number of 100
with a matter of 50 000 members to their asset and they were to be in spite of all their little faith, virtue and spiritual light, enterprising social works of unequalled charity.
 
3 - The Creation of the Federation of Communities in Lebanon
 
        I was the chaplain of the community of Bikfaya between 1946 and 1948; After an absence of two years, i.e the morning of Sunday 1 January 1951, the superior father of the convent as well as the president of the community Mr. Youssef Bou Hayla and his council came to ask my opinion on the manner to celebrate their centenary, I answered them: Do you want a fire of straw or a ceremony of foundation? and when they  asked me what I insinuated by that, I explained: A fire of straw is a ceremony of speeches, of outside marks of hospitality and final point; while a ceremony of foundation, and there you must remember surely our visits to the communities full of life to Zahlé, Zghorta, Deir el Kamar and others ...what do you think if with them you try to join, and with all communities of Lebanon, within a federation that will sustain you all together and will bloom the faith? They were enthusiastic saying: "Exellent idea, we are ready to execute it"! .
 
4 - A Spiritual Front
 
        And like a man worthy of this name holds his promises, they enlisted and carried the idea in their heart to all regions of Lebanon, sacrificing their rests during several consecutive Sundays: they visited the bishops and patriarchs.., they visited the big communities; and on March 3 they presented a petition saying:
        It exists in most of the Lebanese villages as well as in all cities, marial communities or others, that, if they joined together and met in one federation, will be able all to be vivified and start to the foundation of new communities in the remainder of the villages, and would be able as well, to form the largest Spiritual Front capable to stimulate the ardor of Christian souls façe to  destructive currents, and to radiate the faith around them.
        The Communities welcomed the idea with joy, prelates gave their approval and the federation was erected under the patronage of  the ecclesiastical authority. It undertook statistical figures, it visited all communities, and in the beginning of the year 1952, it founded a monthly magazine illustrated that continues to be published until today.
 
 5 - Knights of the Virgin
 
        In 1958, the federation carried its attention on the juvenile strengths, it erected for them an educator movement in the aim to illuminate their minds and to educate their piety starting from the Gospel and the Liturgy, which it named Knights of the Virgin. In 1964, it published for them a special magazine.
        Today we can count more than ten thousand members spread in all the Lebanon, under the good cares and the supervision of 700 responsible young men and young girls.
        We can say that the so flourishing movement of the Knights of the Virgin is may be the greatest apostolic work undertaken by the Federation of Communities.
 
6 - The Van - Guards of the Virgin
 
        In 1979, the elders of the Knights of Mary between 15 and 22 years, of the classes of the Brevet, to the Terminals and the university met and founded the Vanguards of the Virgin that are A Christian movement for an elite of young wanting to deepen the understanding of their Christian faith in order to live it with conviction and boldness.
         They put A PROGRAM adapted to this stage of their age and that educates in them a deep Christian personality; where they have introduced the New Testament entirely, texts of Councils and Synods, of conferences concerning the most important problems, which preoccupies the conscience of the young of today, of the apostolic, social, sports, theatrical activities, and in short of yearly retirements, all this according to the needs of the sphere and the possibilities of each one.
         This movement, with its rules and its statutes, is today the expression the most advanced of the needs of our Lebanese youth.
            "Knights" and "Van-guards" are from the family of communities and are represented in their committees, even though every section has its own laws and its own direction that takes them in charge.
 
7 - Community the Youth of the Virgin

        In 1994, the elders of the vanguards of the Virgin in Lebanon, having finished the five years dedicated to programs of human formation, religious and apostolic formation, adapted especially to their age, met in convention in order to organize communities of youth consistently to the article 7 (page 10) of the manual "Our methods and regulations" that say: A length of 5 years is fixed for the Before Guards of Marie, they will be able to thereafter, to join a section organized for the youth.
        Effectively, following this convention, a central committee of the young was formed and more then 150 sections as well as four regional committees were founded. A logo has especially been conceived for communities of the Youth of Mary by the administrative committee; this logo symbolizes its goals, its spirituality and its mission within the Church and the society. In the same way uniform and a badge have been created, lastly a hymn is in course of preparation.
        The goal of the organization of this section was to assure a continuity and to find a solution to the problem of the emptiness, at the level of the passage of the Vanguards to the Communities of youth in a natural way.
   
III - UNIFIED LEGISLATION
 
        The various Lebanese communities were in need of a unified legislation that can put in concrete form the essence of the Christian spirit and the noble Lebanese tradition, while being ahead with the evolution of their sphere and the needs of the century.
It was given them in a regulation approved solemnly by the bishops and confirmed by the Patriarch Méouchi on the 2/5/1970, and definitely, after experience on the 12/10/1974. This regulation, that gives briefings to every community as well as the statutes of the federation authorized by the ecclesiastical powers. It distributes communities geographically in districts.
        The respective persons responsible of communities of a district constitute the regional council that gives birth to a regional committee. The presidents of these regional committees form the central council, the symbol of union of the federation and its supreme legislative body from where takes its source, the ministerial body which is not other than the administrative committee.
 
IV - PROJECTS OF THE FEDERATION
 
        In addition to the spiritual and social projects that communities undertake in their parishes....
In addition to their devotion during the war to help disaster victims directly or by the help of the worldwide organizations....
Put apart its magazines, its Van -guards and its Knights of the Virgin....
They founded a social service Office in 1977 to find work to the unemployed and to permit some free judicial and medical consultations...
And again, having felt the needs of the century as for a religious education, and according to the reccomandations of the Assembly of Catholic Patriarchs and Bishops on 2/4/1977 (art.3) the Federation executed the project of the "religious book" in the goal to help communities and the Christian people in all villages, to deepen their faith.
        We implore the Lord, through the intercession of the Virgin Mary our Mother, so that our communities be an efficient instrument to enliven the spirit of piety in the soul of generations of future believers so that they can present them a motive to maintain the famous morals of religious tradition, heritage that our fathers and our ancestors confided us and that we must preserve at the price of our hearts and of our bodies. And that in short congreganists be in their sphere the useful salt, the active leaven and the restful light. (number of confirmation, Bkerké the 12/10/1974).
----------------------------------------
(1) Beit Mery 1850
(2) Baabdat 1864 and Aïn Saadé 1866
 
 
Joseph WAKIM
President

Father Maroun ABOU ZEID
National Chaplain