Conceptionists
Encyclopedia
The Order of the Immaculate Conception
(Ordo Inmaculatae Conceptionis), also known as the Conceptionists, are a contemplative Order of nuns. For five hundred years, they followed the Poor Clare Rule, but were recognized as a separate Order, .
Founded in 1484 at Toledo
, Spain
, by Saint Beatrice of Silva, sister of the Blessed
Franciscan friar, Amadeus of Portugal. On the marriage of Princess Isabel with King John II of Castile
, Beatrice had accompanied the future Queen, her cousin, to the court of her new husband. After the marriage, however, her great beauty aroused the jealousy of the Queen, for which she was imprisoned. During that time of incarceration
, Beatrice experienced an apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary
, telling her that the Blessed Mother wanted her to found a new Order in her honor.
Beatrice escaped with difficulty and took refuge in the Dominican
Second Order monastery at Toledo. There, for forty years, she led a life of holiness, however without becoming a member of that Order. In 1484, Beatrice, with some companions, took possession of a monastery in Toledo (now the Monastery of the Order of the Immaculate Conception) set apart for them by Queen Isabel .
In 1489, by permission of Pope Innocent VIII
, the nuns adopted the Cistercian Rule, bound themselves to the daily recitation of the Divine Office
of the Immaculate Conception, and were placed under obedience to the Ordinary
of the diocese
. In 1501, Pope Alexander VI
united this community with the Benedictine community of San Pedro de las Duenas, under the Rule of St. Clare, but in 1511 Julius II gave it a Rule of its own. Special constitutions were drawn up for the Order in 1616 by Cardinal Francis Quiñones
.
A second monastery was founded in 1507 at Torrigo, from which, in turn, were established seven others. The congregation soon spread through Portugal
, Spain
, Italy
, and France
, as well as in Portugal's colony of Brazil
. (That community, however, later separated from the monastic Order to become a religious congregation of missionary Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis
.) The foundress determined on the habit, which was white, with a white scapular
and blue mantle
.
The foundress, Beatrice Meneses da Silva was canonized by Pope Paul VI
in 1976. Her feast day is 1st September.
had instructed all religious Institutes to go back to the inspirations and goals of their founders and to make sure that their current orientation and lifestyles of the communities were in keeping with these.
Through the the studies done by Mother Mercedes de Jesús Egido y Izquierdo (1935-2004), a new direction was developed and tried on an experimental basis at her monastery. After a trial of two years, new Constitutions were drawn up out the experience, which were submitted to Rome and approved by the Holy See
in 1996 for this Order, removing from it the noticeable Franciscan influence imposed upon it by the papacy. Mother Mercedes successfully argued that the Foundress' vision was that of a life lived in imitation of the virtues of the Blessed Virgin Mary. She has become seen as a second foundress through her efforts.
The process for seeking Mother Mercedes' canonization was formally opened at the Monastery of the Immaculate Conception and St. Beatrice in Toledo on November 8, 2011.
Immaculate Conception
The Immaculate Conception of Mary is a dogma of the Roman Catholic Church, according to which the Virgin Mary was conceived without any stain of original sin. It is one of the four dogmata in Roman Catholic Mariology...
(Ordo Inmaculatae Conceptionis), also known as the Conceptionists, are a contemplative Order of nuns. For five hundred years, they followed the Poor Clare Rule, but were recognized as a separate Order, .
Founded in 1484 at Toledo
Toledo, Spain
Toledo's Alcázar became renowned in the 19th and 20th centuries as a military academy. At the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in 1936 its garrison was famously besieged by Republican forces.-Economy:...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, by Saint Beatrice of Silva, sister of the Blessed
Beatification
Beatification is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a dead person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in his or her name . Beatification is the third of the four steps in the canonization process...
Franciscan friar, Amadeus of Portugal. On the marriage of Princess Isabel with King John II of Castile
John II of Castile
John II was King of Castile from 1406 to 1454.He was the son of Henry III of Castile and his wife Catherine of Lancaster, daughter of John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster by Constance of Castile, daughter of King Peter of Castile.-Regency:He succeeded his father on 25 December 1406, at the age of...
, Beatrice had accompanied the future Queen, her cousin, to the court of her new husband. After the marriage, however, her great beauty aroused the jealousy of the Queen, for which she was imprisoned. During that time of incarceration
Incarceration
Incarceration is the detention of a person in prison, typically as punishment for a crime .People are most commonly incarcerated upon suspicion or conviction of committing a crime, and different jurisdictions have differing laws governing the function of incarceration within a larger system of...
, Beatrice experienced an apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Blessed Virgin Mary (Roman Catholic)
Roman Catholic veneration of the Blessed Virgin Mary is based on Holy Scripture: In the fullness of time, God sent his son, born of a virgin. The mystery of the incarnation of the Son of God through Mary thus signifies her honour as Mother of God...
, telling her that the Blessed Mother wanted her to found a new Order in her honor.
Beatrice escaped with difficulty and took refuge in the Dominican
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
Second Order monastery at Toledo. There, for forty years, she led a life of holiness, however without becoming a member of that Order. In 1484, Beatrice, with some companions, took possession of a monastery in Toledo (now the Monastery of the Order of the Immaculate Conception) set apart for them by Queen Isabel .
In 1489, by permission of Pope Innocent VIII
Pope Innocent VIII
Pope Innocent VIII , born Giovanni Battista Cybo , was Pope from 1484 until his death.-Early years:Giovanni Battista Cybo was born at Genoa of Greek extraction...
, the nuns adopted the Cistercian Rule, bound themselves to the daily recitation of the Divine Office
Divine Office
Divine Office may refer to:* Liturgy of the Hours, the recitation of certain Christian prayers at fixed hours according to the discipline of the Roman Catholic Church* Canonical hours, the recitation of such prayers in Christianity more generally...
of the Immaculate Conception, and were placed under obedience to the Ordinary
Ordinary
In those hierarchically organised churches of Western Christianity which have an ecclesiastical law system, an ordinary is an officer of the church who by reason of office has ordinary power to execute the church's laws...
of the diocese
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
. In 1501, Pope Alexander VI
Pope Alexander VI
Pope Alexander VI , born Roderic Llançol i Borja was Pope from 1492 until his death on 18 August 1503. He is one of the most controversial of the Renaissance popes, and his Italianized surname—Borgia—became a byword for the debased standards of the Papacy of that era, most notoriously the Banquet...
united this community with the Benedictine community of San Pedro de las Duenas, under the Rule of St. Clare, but in 1511 Julius II gave it a Rule of its own. Special constitutions were drawn up for the Order in 1616 by Cardinal Francis Quiñones
Francis Quiñones
Francisco de Quiñones was a Spanish cardinal who was responsible for some reforms in the church.-Biography:...
.
A second monastery was founded in 1507 at Torrigo, from which, in turn, were established seven others. The congregation soon spread through Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, as well as in Portugal's colony of Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. (That community, however, later separated from the monastic Order to become a religious congregation of missionary Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis
Third Order of St. Francis
The Third Order of St. Francis is a third order within the Franciscan movement of the Roman Catholic Church. It includes both congregations of vowed men and women and fraternities of men and women living standard lives in the world, usually married...
.) The foundress determined on the habit, which was white, with a white scapular
Scapular
The term scapular as used today refers to two specific, yet related, Christian Sacramentals, namely the monastic and devotional scapulars, although both forms may simply be referred to as "scapular"....
and blue mantle
Mantle (clothing)
A mantle is a type of loose garment usually worn over indoor clothing to serve the same purpose as an overcoat...
.
The foundress, Beatrice Meneses da Silva was canonized by Pope Paul VI
Pope Paul VI
Paul VI , born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church from 21 June 1963 until his death on 6 August 1978. Succeeding Pope John XXIII, who had convened the Second Vatican Council, he decided to continue it...
in 1976. Her feast day is 1st September.
Going back to the roots
A major change in the interior life and spiritual orientation of the Order developed at the end of the 20th century. The Second Vatican CouncilSecond Vatican Council
The Second Vatican Council addressed relations between the Roman Catholic Church and the modern world. It was the twenty-first Ecumenical Council of the Catholic Church and the second to be held at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. It opened under Pope John XXIII on 11 October 1962 and closed...
had instructed all religious Institutes to go back to the inspirations and goals of their founders and to make sure that their current orientation and lifestyles of the communities were in keeping with these.
Through the the studies done by Mother Mercedes de Jesús Egido y Izquierdo (1935-2004), a new direction was developed and tried on an experimental basis at her monastery. After a trial of two years, new Constitutions were drawn up out the experience, which were submitted to Rome and approved by the Holy See
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
in 1996 for this Order, removing from it the noticeable Franciscan influence imposed upon it by the papacy. Mother Mercedes successfully argued that the Foundress' vision was that of a life lived in imitation of the virtues of the Blessed Virgin Mary. She has become seen as a second foundress through her efforts.
The process for seeking Mother Mercedes' canonization was formally opened at the Monastery of the Immaculate Conception and St. Beatrice in Toledo on November 8, 2011.
External sources
- Website of the Conceptionist nuns of the Monastery of Alcázar de San Juan, Spain http://www.monjasconcepcionistasdealcazar.com