The Sodality of the Blessed Virgin Mary was started in 1563 by Father Jean Leunis for his male students at the Roman College of the Society of Jesus. These first Sodalists, with Mary as their guide, agreed to the “Rules” of daily Mass, weekly confession, monthly communion, a daily half-hour of pious works and meditation, as well as service to the poor.

By 1569, the large number of Sodalists called for a division into younger and older groups at the College. Pope Gregory XIII granted many indulgences to the Sodality and named the Roman College the “Prima Primaria.” Other Jesuit colleges and missions started Sodalities, and membership rose to many thousands. In 1587, Pope Sixtus V allowed the Jesuits to start Sodalities outside their schools. Membership soon included priests, merchants, laborers, and soldiers.

In the late 16^th century and through the 17^th century, the Jesuits established Sodalities in Europe, India, and the Americas. The first in Canada was in Quebec in 1657. In Japan, the Jesuits started Confraternities similar to Sodalities to carry out spiritual and corporal works of mercy. The Ursuline School in New Orleans started their Sodality in 1730. In 1789, Georgetown University began the first Sodality in the newly formed United States.

Pope Benedict XIV’s 1748 Gloriosae Dominae (Golden Bull) was a gift to the Sodality to honor the Mother of God. In 1751, he opened Sodalities to married women and girls, leading to a huge growth in membership.

In the late 18^th century, the Society of Jesus was suppressed by Pope Clement XIV. It was then that the Sodalities became “one of the normal works of the universal Church.” Jesuits were reestablished in 1814, and in 1824, Pope Leo XII restored Sodalities to Jesuit leadership. Pope Leo also granted affiliation to Sodalities not under Jesuit direction. By 1854, there were more than 4,000 Sodalities in the world.

In 1948, Pope Pius XII issued Bis Saeculari to mark the 200^th anniversary of the Golden Bull. In it, he praised Sodalities for “numerous and great services to the Church.” Through them, the members are led to that perfection of spiritual life from which they can scale the heights of sanctity.

In the early 20^th century, men’s and women’s Sodalities met separately. Regular meetings were not enough to promote the Rules, so the Jesuits were commissioned to help. Their magazine The Queen’s Work was created to communicate with Sodalists. The Diocesan Union of Sodalities was formed in 1918. They organized Summer Schools for Catholic Action to train Sodality leaders. By 1963, 250,000 had participated in the program.

The World Federation of Sodalities and the National Federation of Sodalities were established to maintain unity among the groups. At the Second Vatican Council, the “Sodality Rules” were changed to “General Principles.” These principles were spiritual, communal, and mission-centered, intended to establish deeper spirituality in everyday life.

In Rome, in 1970, the World Federation voted to change the name from Sodalities to Christian Life Communities. Pope Paul VI approved the changes.

Today, there is no central Sodality organization. Only three Sodality Unions remain — in Baltimore, New York, and Washington, D.C. Most Sodalities are now autonomous women’s organizations.

Since its founding, millions have been Sodalists. These have included famous artists such as Rubens, writers like Corneille, royalty such as Leopold of Austria, and seven Popes. Among the saints who were Sodalists are St. Francis de Sales, St. Alphonsus Liguori, St. Peter Claver, St. Julie Billiart (foundress of the Sisters of Notre Dame), and St. Madeleine Sophie Barat (foundress of the Sisters of the Sacred Heart).

This Spring, the Sodality has made improvements to the Mary’s Garden.  Dead shrubs and weeds have been removed.  Thanks to the efforts of Doug Shultz, facilities manager and the parish landscaper, new shrubs have been planted and the various beds were mulched.  Please, take some time to visit the Garden which is located at the end of the parking lot near the rectory.  If you want to help with the planting of flowers and the watering of the Garden, please contact Lynn Hill at 301-873-0755. 

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The Miraculous Medal is sacramental.  According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, it is one of the many approved signs which bear a resemblance to the sacraments.  Unlike our seven sacraments, which we believe confer the grace of the Holy Spirit on us, sacramentals prepare us to receive grace and dispose us to cooperate with it. 

This sacramental came to us through Catherine Laboure, who had a deep devotion to Our Blessed Mother after her mother died when she was a child.  Determined to be a religious sister, Catherine turned down three marriage proposals.  She joined the Daughters of Charity, an order founded by St. Vincent de Paul and Louise de Marillac.  Soon after she entered the convent, Catherine began having mystical experiences.  She had visions of Jesus and of St. Vincent de Paul’s heart.  Her spiritual director advised her to “forget” such visions, but she could not. 

In visions Mary told her that she had been chosen for a special mission.  On November 27, 1830, the young novice saw Mary standing on a half-globe with a serpent crushed beneath her feet.  In her jeweled hands she held a golden globe with a cross on it.  Bright light shone from some of the jewels.  The golden globe disappeared as she extended her arms.  The light from the jewels extended out from her hands and a semi-circle frame appeared around and over her.  Inscribed on the frame were the words: “O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.” 

The vision rotated showing an M with a cross on it and surrounded by 12 stars.  The cross was on a horizontal bar.  On the M were two Hearts engulfed in flames, one surrounded by thorns, the other pierced by a sword. 

Mary explained to Catherine that the vision showed that she is the Queen of Heaven and Earth, crushing a helpless Satan beneath her feet.  The rays of light represent graces she obtains from her Son for those who ask for them.  The dark jewels, not full of light, show graces that people do not receive because they do not ask for them. 

The prayer inscription refers to Mary’s freedom from original sin from the moment of her conception. 

The 12 stars on the back are for the 12 apostles who represent the whole Church.  The M is for Mary, the cross is the symbol of our redemption, and the horizontal bar is the Earth.  The placement of the cross and the bar on and in the M show us Mary’s participation in Christ’s redemption of the world.  The hearts of Jesus and Mary show their love for all. 

Mary told Catherine to have a medal made showing the images she had seen.  She said that those wearing the medal, especially around the neck, would receive many graces. 

In 1832 the first 20,000 Medals of the Immaculate Conception were made.  Soon there were reports of miracles of mind, heart, body, and soul and this “miraculous medal” was in great demand. 

One of the most famous conversion stories involved Alphonse Ratisbonne, a Jewish atheist who hated the Catholic Church.  He was angry that his brother, Theodor had become a Catholic priest.  A friend, Baron de Brussieres, dared Ratisbonne to wear a Miraculous Medal and recite the Memorarae daily.  In January 1842, the two men went to a Church where the Baron had business.  When he returned, he found Ratisbonne weeping and kissing his medal.  He had seen Mary as she appears on the medal.  He converted to Catholicism and was ordained a priest.  He and his brother founded Our Lady of Sion congregation to pray for the conversion of Jews. 

Since 1832 millions of Miraculous Medals have been distributed around the world.  Maximilian Kolbe, who started the Militia Immaculata, called the medal the “silver bullet.”  Frank Duff, founder of the Legion of Mary, gave them to all members.  Mother Teresa deeply loved the Blessed Mother and her Missionaries of Charity distribute millions of these medals every year. 

In 1895 the Miraculous Medal received liturgical approbation (special recognition and approval for public prayer) from the Sacred Congregation of Rites.  The only other sacramentals so honored are the rosary and the brown scapular. 

Our Blessed Mother promised that graces would abound for persons who wear the medal with confidence.  Sodalists wear the Miraculous Medal because of our devotion to Mary. 

The rosary is a spiritual weapon forged by the Word of God and entrusted to Our Blessed Mother.  It took centuries to get to us in its present form, but St. Dominic is credited as its founder.  The antecedents of the rosary are the Hail Mary, the Our Father, prayer beads, and the Marian Psalter.

“Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you” is the Angelic Salutation from the angel Gabriel.  The 6^th century addition of Elizabeth’s Evangelic Salutation made this a beautiful prayer of praise for Mary.  “Now and at the hour of our death” was added during the Middle Ages when the Black Death killed one third of the people in Europe.

The Our Father was taught to the disciples to show them how to pray.  Pope Leo XIII said, “There is no language so fit to lead us to the majesty of God as the Lord’s Prayer.”

For many years, Christians used small pebbles or beads to keep track of how many prayers they said.  An Egyptian hermit, Paul of Thebes carried 300 stones to count his daily penitential prayers.  Fortunately for everyone, this cumbersome method was replaced by a string of beads.  Biblical scholar St. Jerome and many other Christians used their prayer beads daily.

Before the 13^th century, the prayer most often said on the beads was the Paternoster (Our Father).  Some penitential books from that time called for 50 Paternosters as penance for certain sins.  Monks and Knights Templars recited this prayer for deceased brethren.  Many Christians, including Lady Godiva, who rode nude to protest taxation of the poor, were buried with their beads.

Paintings from the time of the Crusades (1096-1099) show monks and priests wearing prayer beads.  The wearing of the beads on the left side of the belt, where one would wear a sword, reinforced the idea of them as a spiritual weapon.  By the 12^th century, it was a popular practice to wear prayer beads.

The Breviary (Liturgy of the Hours) traces its roots to the tradition of monks chanting the 150 psalms.  Many at that time were illiterate.  Therefore, as early as the 9^th century, those who could not read the psalms were allowed to recite 150 Paternosters.  By the 11^th century, this practice was quite common.

The use of Paternoster beads flourished, and they became known as the “poor man’s Breviary.”  People also realized that it was easier to wear 50 beads than 150.  These beads were so popular that there was a Paternoster Row in London and three Paternoster Guilds in Paris.

At that time, the Hail Mary also was growing in popular devotion.  The use of the world chaplet began to be used for a set of 50 prayers.  Two Cistercian monks, St. Bernard of Clairvoux and Blessed Isaac of Stella interpreted the Old Testament in a Marion way.  Mary was said to be the “dove of beauty” from the Song of Songs and the “seat of wisdom” from Proverbs. 

A story circulated about a hermit, Albert, who daily recited 150 Hail Marys, while genuflecting or prostrating himself.  Imitating this practice, the Cistercian monks began saying 150 Hail Mary’s on their beads.  Soon 15 Our Fathers were added to break the prayers into decades on their Marian Psalter.  The Carthusian monks also used the Psalter to say Hail Marys interspersed with antiphons.  Their prayers were beautiful, but they were not methods of preaching or spiritual weapons.

At the beginning of the 13^th century, the Church was experiencing violent opposition from the Albigensians , a heretical and radically puritanical sect.  It taught that only spiritual realities were good and everything material was evil.  They believed that a person’s soul is trapped in an evil body.  They rejected the mysteries of the Incarnation, Passion, and Redemption of Jesus.

Spanish Father Dominic Guzman began a dynamic preaching campaign to proclaim the truths of Christianity and combat this heresy.  After some struggles, Dominic retreated to the forests of southern France and prayed for divine help.  Mary appeared to him saying, “in this kind of warfare, the battering ram has always been the Angelic Salutation; therefore, preach my Psalter.”

The Psalter of 150 Hail Marys was a wonderful way to honor God and Mary.  Mary instructed Dominic to combine the Our Father and the Hail Mary with meditation on the sacred mysteries of the Life, Death, and Resurrection of her Son.  She specified the mysteries to be known as Joyful, Sorrowful, and Glorious.

Dominic became one of the best preachers of his time.  The Albigensian heresy was defeated.  Dominic later established the Order of Preachers (Dominicans), who would continue spreading a love for Jesus.

It took centuries for the Marian Psalter to be referred to as a rosary, but it was often regarded as a crown of roses for Mary.  St. Maximillan Kolbe told his friars this story:  A young man loved to crown an image of Mary with roses.  When he joined a monastery, he no longer had that opportunity.  Mary appeared to him and said, “Recite devoutly my psalter and adorn me with the most beautiful flowers.”  As he prayed, Mary took a beautiful rose from his mouth for each Hail Mary and wove these into a garland for herself.  For each Our Father she added a lily.

Several additions have been made to the rosary since the death of St. Dominic (1221).  Dominicans added the Glory Be, which had been in use since the 6^th century after each decade.  Our Lady of Fatima taught the children a new prayer to say at the end of each decade:  “O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fire of hell, and lead all souls to heaven, especially those most in need of our mercy.”  We now start each rosary with the sign of the Cross, the Apostles Creed, an Our Father, and the Hail Marys for faith, hope, and charity.  At the end of the rosary, we say the Hail Holy Queen prayer.  In 2002, St John Paul II added the Luminous Mysteries, which had first been proposed by St. George Preca in 1957. 

Many Popes have been devoted to the Blessed Mother and have championed her rosary.  Pope Pius V, a Dominican, said, “By the rosary the darkness of heresy has been dispelled and the light of the Catholic Faith shines out in all its brilliancy.”  Pope Leo XIII wrote 13 encyclicals on the rosary, teaching that “the rosary is the most excellent form of prayer and the most efficacious means of attaining eternal life.”  Pope Pius XI, who greatly loved Sodalities, reminded, “The Virgin Mary has insistently recommended the rosary.”  Pope John XXIII, who prayed the entire rosary every day, promoted rosary crusades and the family rosary.  He wrote an encyclical on the rosary and a series of meditations on the rosary mysteries. 

Pope John Paul II’s favorite prayer was the rosary.  While he was pontiff, rarely a year went by that he didn’t do something monumental to promote the rosary.  He handed out rosaries at all of his papal audiences.  A statue in Krakow, Poland, shows him holding a rosary.  Pope Benedict XVI often walked the Vatican Gardens, praying the rosary.  Pope Francis adopted St. John Paul II’s practice of saying the rosary on his knees every day.

St. John Paul II said, “It would be impossible to name all the many saints who discovered in the rosary a genuine path to growth in holiness.  St. Louis de Montfort wrote “The Secret of the Rosary” about the greatest weapon against evil to come from heaven.  St. Alphonsus Liguori, a great theologian, Doctor of the Church, and author of “the Glories of Mary” said, “If we want to help the souls in purgatory, we should pray the rosary.”  St. Bernadette of Lourdes and the three children of Fatima were told by Our Lady to pray the rosary devotedly and often.  As a knight of the Immaculata, St. Maximilian Kolbe taught his friars about the power of the rosary.  When he was in Auschwitz, he led other prisoners in praying the rosary.  The day before St. Padre Pio died, he advised everyone to love Mary and pray the rosary.  St. Teresa of Calcutta and her Missionaries of Charity honor Mary by praying the rosary with love and devotion and by radiating her humility, kindness, and thoughtfulness towards others.

Pray the rosary!