Immaculate Conception Sodality

[Br. Paul Chu, SDB]

The whole of Dominic's life can be said to be an act of love for Mary most holy. He never let slip any occasion of pleasing and honouring her. The dogma of the Immaculate Conception was solemnly defined in 1854. Dominic had a very great desire to leave behind him at the school some lasting reminder of this great event. He said: "I would like very much to do something in honour of my Mother Mary; but I will have to do it quickly, as I do not think I have much time left”.

Spurred on by his present desire to help his companions, he asked some of those whom he knew well and relied upon to join him in forming the Sodality of Mary Immaculate. The aim was to obtain the special protection of the Mother of God in life, and especially at the hour of death. Dominic proposed two means to this end: to honour, and to bring others to honour, Mary by different means, and to encourage frequent Communion. In agreement with his friends and after much careful thought, he drew up a set of rules. On June 8th, nine months before he died, he went with his friends before the altar of Our Lady and they read it over together. I give these rules here so that they may be an inspiration and guide to others.

We, Dominic Savio, etc. (the names of the others follow), after receiving the sacraments of Confession and Communion, this day, June 8th, give ourselves completely to Mary Immaculate and promise to work unceasingly for her and with her: to help ourselves to do this and to maintain our love for her we, here before her altar, solemnly promise, in agreement with our spiritual director, to follow in Louis Comollo's1 footsteps to the best of our ability. Here we bind ourselves as follows:

To carry out with the greatest exactness the rules of the school.
To help and encourage our companions: helping them by pointing out in a friendly way whatever needs correcting; encouraging them by being first in doing the right thing and supporting their own efforts.
To be always busy with something useful.
To make it possible to be faithful to these obligations and to help us to persevere in them, we submit the following rules to our Rector.

1.We will be very exact in carrying out what we are expected to do and have great confidence in those over us.
2.The carrying out of our own duties will be our first and special concern.
3.A true spirit of charity will unite the members of the group in genuine friendship among themselves and also with their companions. We will not hesitate to correct anyone when so doing in a friendly way would help.
4.We will meet each week for half an hour and after a prayer to the Holy Spirit and a short spiritual reading we will consider how the Sodality is getting on in its work for Jesus and Mary.
5.We will help each other to get rid of any faults or wrong habits which we have. This we will do privately.
6.We will try hard to be even-tempered and good-humoured, being patient with each other, and with those who are awkward and troublesome.
7.There are no special prayers to be said; whatever time is left over after having carried out our own duties should be devoted to whatever will be most useful for our souls.
8.However, we do take upon ourselves these few practices:
We will go as often as possible to the sacraments.
We will receive Holy Communion every Sunday, holydays of obligation, the novenas and feast-days of Our Lady and our patrons.
We will also receive Holy Communion on Thursday, unless we are prevented by some necessary obligation.
9.Every day, especially in the Holy Rosary, we will ask Our Lady to bless our Sodality, and give us the grace to persevere.
10.Saturdays will be kept in honour of Our Lady and on that day we will offer her some special act done in honour of the Immaculate Conception.
11.When praying and at the services in church, during lessons and at study time, we will try to make our exterior behaviour and manner such as to edify others.
12.We will treasure the word of God and we will go over again together the talks we have heard.
13.We will carefully avoid any wasting time, to safeguard ourselves from the temptations which come so easily and so strongly at times of idleness.
14.Therefore whatever time remains after the discharge of our own duties will be spent in useful and good reading or in prayer.
15.Recreation times are best or at least allowed after meals and after lesson time and study time.
16.We will make known to our superiors whatever will help our spiritual progress.
17.We will not abuse the goodness of those over us by constantly asking for those permissions which in their goodness they are willing to give. The exact observance of the school rules to which we have pledged ourselves should help us to avoid this abuse of too many exceptions.
18.We will not grumble about food and we will try to prevent others from doing so.
19.Those who want to join our society must first of all make a good Confession and receive Holy Communion, spend a week on trial, read these rules carefully, and promise Jesus and Mary Immaculate to be faithful to them.
20.On the occasion of anyone being received into the Sodality, the others will assist at Mass and receive Holy Communion, praying that God will give their new companion and the grace of perseverance, obedience and real love of God.
21.Our Sodality is placed under the care of Mary Immaculate whose name we bear and whose medal we always carry with us. A sincere, filial and limitless confidence in Mary, a constant devotion and loving affection for her, will make us overcome all obstacles, clinging tenaciously to our resolutions, be firm with ourselves, gentle and kindly towards others, exact in everything. The members are urged to write the holy names of Jesus and Mary first of all in their hearts and minds and then on their books and similar objects, so that they can be easily reminded of them. Our Rector is asked to go over these rules and if necessary change them according as he thinks best. We accept completely whatever he decides in the matter.

And you, O Mary, bless our efforts, since the idea of the Sodality is all yours. Smile on our hopes, accept our promises, and thus under your mantle and made strong by your loving care, we will come safely through the storm-tossed sea of this world and be victorious over the temptations of the devil. So too will we be able to help our companions by what we do, give joy to those over us, and in all things be your loving sons. And if God gives us the grace of becoming priests, we promise you to give all our energies and powers to this work, distrusting ourselves, trusting completely in God; and so after our exile on this earth we trust that, consoled by Mary at our side, we shall safely receive the eternal reward that God reserves for those who serve him in spirit and truth.

The Rector at the Oratory read the rules very carefully and gave it his approval under the following conditions:
1.That the promises have not the force of vows.
2.None of them bind in any way under pain of sin.
3.Some external act of service or help should be undertaken by each one at the weekly meeting.
4.The week will be arranged so as to have some members go to Communion every day.
5.No special religious practice may be added without the express permission of the Rector.
6.The principal aim of the Sodality will be to further devotion to Mary Immaculate and Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.
7.Everyone before being accepted must read the life of Louis Comollo.

Taken from Chapter 17 of Life of Dominic Savio by St. John Bosco
The full book can be find here: http://www.bosconet.aust.com/Salesianity/3livesfinal.zip

[mary margaret kujawa]

this is profound in one so young as dear st. dominin savio. may he help us today to be pleasing to our heavenly father and our lady. is this sodality in existence today?