subject: Good Friday processions in Sorrento - III [print this page] Good Friday processions in Sorrento - III
When You rent an apartment in Sorrento, during Your stay in Sorrento, You'll realize how beautiful and magic this town is.
Venerable Confraternity of Death, San Catello and Congregation of the Servants of Mary.
Among the confraternities that still exist in the Sorrento peninsula, this one seems to be the oldest. Some believe that it was founded in 1380 (but there are no documents proving such a case) with the name of "Brotherhood of St Catello, and that it was aggregated to 'Confraternity of Santa Maria dell'Orazione and Death in Rome in 1586; and in this occasion the confraternity added to its old name the "Death" extension. Since that date begins the actual activities of the Company of Death and Prayer that both have developed in the peninsula. Its headquarters changed over the centuries: in 1568 it passed from 'current refectory of Santa Maria of Grace to the church of S. Marco, and in 1865, just the church of the Congregation of the Servants of Mary (built in 1717) became the headquarters of the Brotherhood of St. Catello and Death, and three years later, in 1868 were incorporated into the two religious societies. The habit which is worn by the brothers varies, depending on whether they represent the Congregation of the Servants of Mary, or the 'Confraternity of Death. In the first case it is white with blue cord. In the second case, the habit is completely black, with a string of the same color.
Venerable Confraternity of Santa Monica (dei Cinturati)
More uncertain are the origins of this ancient congregation, given the lack of historical documents have been lost after the sack of Sorrento at the hands of Turkey in 1558. Also known as "dei Cinturati" it is part of the Augustinian current of the brotherhoods, the belt (la cintura) was in fact given by Our Lady of Consolation to Santa Monica, the mother of St. Augustine. It is sure the presence of the Augustinian friars hermits in the temple that houses the Confraternity of the Annunciation, at least since 1324. In 1879 the Archbishop Ruggiero after a pastoral visit to Sorrento assumed two probable dates for the foundation of the brotherhood: the 1227 and 1439, but it seems the latter date to have the much stronger historical foundation.
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