{"id":17,"date":"2018-02-13T13:15:40","date_gmt":"2018-02-13T12:15:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/padrimariani.org\/en\/bractwo-niepokalanego-poczecia-nmp\/"},"modified":"2025-06-19T21:32:01","modified_gmt":"2025-06-19T19:32:01","slug":"confraternity-immaculate-conception","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/padrimariani.org\/en\/confraternity-immaculate-conception\/","title":{"rendered":"The Confraternity of the Immaculate Conception of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Confraternity of the Immaculate Conception of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary<\/h1><\/div>
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The Confraternity of the Immaculate Conception of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary that exists with the Congregation of Marian Fathers has existed since the 18th century to promote the devotion to the Immaculate Conception of our Immaculate Mother so her motherly love might strengthen, comfort, and fill hearts with joy, the source of which is her Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior. The external sign of belonging to the Confraternity is the Blue Scapular.<\/p>\n

Confraternities were established in the Middle Ages when many lay people wished to participate in some way in the spiritual life of religious orders. Often investing the faithful with a scapular proper to the respective religious Order outwardly manifested the admittance to such a spiritual community.<\/p>\n

Saint Stanislaus of Jesus and Mary Papczy\u0144ski, Founder of the Congregation of Marian Fathers, considered spreading of devotion to the Immaculate Conception as one of the main goals of his Order. The Blessed Marian Founder fervently encouraged his spiritual sons to establish confraternities of the Immaculate Conception at Marian churches. The first laws of the Order of 1694-1698 speak of this already. Those confraternities were meant to provide help for Poor Souls in Purgatory. Saint Stanislaus associated devotion to the Immaculate Conception with assistance to the faithful departed. Excited by the idea of giving himself into Mary\u2019s bondage, he wished not only to live free of evil and sin, but to provide assistance in purification from the stain of sin to all those who were suffering in Purgatory.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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The Venerable Servant of God, Father Casimir of St.\u00a0Joseph Wyszy\u0144ski\u00a0(1700-1755) was the first Marian who approached the Theatine Fathers in Rome in\u00a01733, asking for permission to bless and invest the faithful with the Blue Scapular. This permission was granted. Father Wyszy\u0144ski probably wished to make the Blue Scapular and associated practices as one of the elements of devotion of the named confraternity. Since that time, members of the confraternity were registered in the Book of Confraternity maintained by many Marian churches. In time, confraternities of the Immaculate Conception existing at the Marian churches began to be known as \u201cScapular Confraternities.\u201d Preserved Marian historical documents first mention an installation of the Confraternity of the Immaculate Conception on June\u00a026,\u00a01734. They speak of the official introduction of the Confraternity at the Marian church in Puszcza Maria\u0144ska \u2013 the Order\u2019s cradle.<\/p>\n

Over the years, the Theatine Fathers several times renewed the privilege originally granted to Fr.\u00a0Wyszy\u0144ski in the first half of the 18th\u00a0century. The Renovator and Reformer of the Marian Order, Blessed Archbishop George Matulaitis-Matulewicz, also petitioned the Theatines in Rome for a privilege of blessing and conferring the Blue Scapular, which was granted on December\u00a01,\u00a01911.<\/p>\n

On June\u00a03,\u00a01992, Father Donald Petraitis,\u00a0MIC, then the Superior General of the Marians, obtained for himself and his successors from the Superior General of the Theatine Order a perpetual permission to bless and confer the Scapular of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This permission was reaffirmed on March\u00a019,\u00a02005, and on July\u00a01,\u00a02008.<\/p>\n

Thus, according to their centuries-long tradition, the Marians promote among the faithful the wearing of the Blue Scapular, which is an outward mark of devotion and veneration of the Immaculate Conception of the B.V.M., by establishing numerous confraternities, which have been associated with the Congregation of Marian Fathers almost since the beginning of its history. Guiding the confraternities of the Immaculate Conception is one of the important ministries through which the Congregation spreads devotion to the Immaculate Conception of the Mother of God and supports the souls in Purgatory, of whom the Immaculate Mother of Christ is a particular advocate.<\/p>\n

Learn more about the history and spirituality of the Blue Scapular and Marian Confraternity of the Immaculate Conception:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2022 History<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2022 Theology<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2022 Apostolic Blessing from Pope John Paul II<\/a> for all members of The Confraternity of the Immaculate Conception\u00a0that exists with the Congregation of Marian Fathers<\/p>\n

\u2022 Statutes of the Confraternity (Polish\/English\/Portuguese\/Spanish\/French) PDF<\/a> \/ Flipbook<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2022 Admission to the Confraternity<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2022 Tracks of Formation for the Confraternity Members – Proposed Themes (Bibliographical Guide) (English PDF)<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2022 The Blue Scapular: Prayer Book to Accompany the Scapular of the Immaculate Conception (English PDF<\/a>) \u2022 (English Flipbook<\/a>)<\/p>\n

\u2022 Let Our Lady’s Blue Scapular Protect You<\/a>
\nAdam Boniecki, MIC<\/em><\/p>\n

Please read the meditations in our series on the Mother of God for the members of the Confraternity:<\/p>\n