It's always a joy to incorporate the symbols of Our Lady in the Third Orders, sodalities, confraternities, and other establishments of Holy Mother Church.
Some time ago, we given the task of creating custom book covers for the Sodality of the Immaculate Conception & St. Rose of Lima at Mary Immaculate Parish in Newton, Massachusetts. Over 30 covers were made and embroidered for every member of the sodality. Each cover featured our Marian Crest design in colors chosen specifically for the sodality- including the use of gold metallic thread. Below, the monogrammed words, "Ad Jesum per Mariam" reminds each member that the surest way to Jesus is through His Mother.
What is the history of a sodality, dedicated to Our Lady?
"From the era of the Middle Ages very many of these pious associations placed themselves under the special protection of the Blessed Virgin, and chose her for patron under the title of some sacred mystery with which she was associated. The main object and duty of these societies were, above all, the practice of piety and works of charity. The decline of ecclesiastical life at the close of the Middle Ages was naturally accompanied by a decline ofreligious associational life, the two being related as cause and effect. However, as soon as the Church rose to renewed prosperity in the course of the sixteenth century, by the aid of the Counter-Reformation and the appearance of the new religious congregations and associations, once more there sprang up numerous confraternities and sodalities which laboured with great success and, in many cases, are still effective."
Catholic Encyclopedia Online
Are you involved with a Sodality or Confraternity? We'd love to hear about it!
