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Archconfraternity
of St. Stephen
A
brief word about the Guild
The
Archconfraternity of St. Stephen was begun by
Fr. Hamilton MacDonald in May 1905 at
Westminister Cathedral in London, England. |
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In
November 1905, Pope St. Pius X gave his approval
to the Guild (then a confraternity, prima
primaria) and his permanent apostolic
blessing. In 1906, he raised it to an archconfraternity;
this saintly pope also enriched the Guild with
many indulgences.
The
Guild spread very quickly throughout Great
Britain, but World War I saw the death by
military action of
many of its members, thereby nearly causing its
extinction.
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Fr.
Hamilton MacDonald
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It
survived the War though, and afterwards, Fr.
MacDonald labored hard to ensure its successful
re-establishment. In 1925, Cardinal Francis
Bourne established a Central Council for the
Archconfraternity, thereby ensuring its
continuity. In 1933, Fr. MacDonald went to his
eternal reward. Less than a year later in 1934,
Pope Pius XI extended the Archconfraternity to
the entire British Commonwealth; Father had
indeed lived to see his idea firmly
established.
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In
1955, the Archconfraternity of St. Stephen made
a Jubilee Pilgrimage to Rome, during which an
audience was held with Pope Pius XII. The
previous year (only a few short months earlier),
His Holiness had canonized St. Pius X, who had
done so much to forward the Guild's apostolate.
With this fresh in the pontiff's mind, he
suggested during the audience that the
Archconfraternity of St. Stephen adopt St. Pius
X as their secondary patron, which was
done.
click
here to obtain Guild supplies (sspxusa.org/acss)
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Pope
St. Pius X
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Three
Fold Object of the Guild
The object of the Guild is the sanctification of the Altar-Server by teaching him that to serve in the Sanctuary is a great religious privilege, by instructing him the manner of observing the rites and ceremonies of the Church according to the rubrics and decrees of the Sacred Congregation of Rites and the interpretations of the most generally accepted authorities, and by encouraging him to understand the meaning and the purpose of the ceremonies in which he takes part. Paraphrased:
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To sanctify the server.
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To serve according to the Church.
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To learn what the ceremonies mean.
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Four Rules of the Guild
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To serve at the altar reverently, intelligently and punctually.
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To make the short acts of preparation before, and of thanksgiving after, serving Mass.
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To observe silence in the sacristy, and great reverence in the sanctuary.
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To recite daily the Guild prayer.
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Guild
Promise
I
offer myself to God Almighty, to Blessed Mary ever Virgin, and to our Holy Patron,
St. Stephen and I promise to do my best to serve
reverently, intelligently and punctually,
having the glory of God and my own eternal salvation as my object. |
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Explanation
of the Guild's medal
(symbol) and cord |
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Cui Servire Regnare Est
Latin for
“He who serves
reigns” or “To serve is to
reign”. This is the motto of the Guild. It is in imitation of Our Lord, Who did not come to be served, but to serve. Blessed is he who serves the Lord at His holy altar.
Crown
of Martyrdom
One of the
symbols attributed to
the martyrs. It is the
crowning triumph of
giving one's life
completely to Christ.
St. Stephen has the
distinction of being the
Protomartyr, or the
first martyr to shed his
blood and die for Christ
and His Kingdom.
Twin
Set of Palms
The Palm of
Martyrdom is another
symbol attributed to the
martyrs. The palm
symbolizes the triumph
of the spirit over the
flesh in the earthly
battle for eternal
salvation. |
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Click
to enlarge image
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Chi-Rho
An ancient
monogram for the name of
Christ, which combines
the Greek letters X and
P. It was the symbol of
victory that Christ
revealed to Constantine:
“In hoc signo
vinces!” “In
this sign you shall
conquer!”
Red
cord
The red cord
worn with the medal
symbolizes the blood
that St. Stephen shed
for Christ. |
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