What is a Sodality?
A sodality is a supernatural fellowship of persons who promise to pursue some good together within the Church. A sodality experiences a communion of charity not only within its members, but also within the people of the mystical body of Christ and beyond.
What is a Confraternity? Is it similar to a Sodality?
A sodality is very similar to a confraternity. According to an online dictionary, the word confraternity is defined as: “a society devoted especially to a religious or charitable cause.” With that being said, the Church has been blessed with many confraternities and sodalities. To list a few:
- Angelic Warfare Confraternity
- Confraternity of the Holy Guardian Angels
- Confraternity of the Precious Blood
- Confraternity of the Blessed Sacrament
- Sodality of our Lady
- St. Monica Sodality
What are the benefits of joining a Sodality?
Some goals in life are easier to pursue together rather than individually, and thus the reason for forming a sodality or confraternity. It’s simple, by helping others together, you also help yourself. The prayers and good works done by the members of a sodality have a positive effect not only for the individual doing them, but also collectively as a sodality group. In other words, the attitude of the members of a sodality can be summed up by saying, “We’re in this together.”
“You cannot understand Mary without her motherhood; you cannot understand the Church without her motherhood, and you are icons of Mary and of the Church.”
–Pope Francis to Heads of Women’s Religious Communities, May 8, 2013