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This Confraternity was founded in the
Church of the Gesù, in Rome, by Father
Vincent Caraffa, Seventh General of
the Society of Jesus. It was approved
by Sovereign Pontiffs Innocent X and
Alexander VII. In 1729, it was raised
to an Archconfraternity and enriched
with numerous indulgences by Pope
Benedict XIII. In 1827, Pope Leo XII
gave the power to the Director General
to erect branches of the Confraternity
and share the privileges and indulgence
of the Archconfraternity with all. The
object of the Association is to prepare
its members by a well-regulated life to
die in peace with God.
The longer title for this Association,
Confraternity of Our Lord Jesus
Christ dying on the Cross, and of
the most Blessed Virgin Mary, His
sorrowful Mother, expresses the chief
means to attain that end: Devotion to
the Passion of Christ and to the Sorrows
of Mary. There is no formal reception
ceremony into the Association, but the
following practices are recommended:
Daily, three Our Fathers and three
Hail Marys in honor of the three
hours’ agony of Christ crucified, to
assist at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass
as often as possible, practice works of
mercy, visit the sick, to keep in one’s
room a Crucifix and representation of
the Mother of Sorrows, to have special
devotion to St. Joseph; finally, by one’s
whole life to honor the sufferings of
Jesus and Mary on Calvary and, thus,
obtain a happy death for the living
and a speedy release from Purgatory
for the faithful departed.
St. John Bosco established this Society
among his youth at Boys’ Town, because
those who die in the Grace of God are
assured of eternal bliss. The Day of
Baptism and Day of Death are the two
most important days in the life of a
Christian. Death is the moment on which
man’s most vital interests depend; it
separates us from everything in time
and decides our eternity. Whoever dies
well will be eternally happy; whoever
has the misfortune of dying in mortal
sin will be eternally lost.
Now is the time to prepare for a holy
death. Death can surprise us at any
moment; it will come like a thief unbeknown
to us, even at a time when
we least look for it. If we care about
our eternal destination, it is right that
we prepare ourselves for death and,
while there is time, devote ourselves
to practice everything that will help
us at the hour of our death. Making
one fatal mistake means we will be
lost from God forever.
It is good to develop the solid practice
of dying well. It is suggested that one
dedicate a day each month for the
exercise. On this day, we dispose our
spiritual and temporal affairs as if
we were really on the point of death.