The Confraternity of the Immaculate Conception is a private association of the faithful who, living in the world and participating in the spirituality, apostolate, and mission of the Congregation of Marian Fathers, particularly spread devotion to the Immaculate Conception of the Mother of God and pray for the deceased, while striving for Christian perfection.  

To learn more about the Confraternity of the Immaculate Conception and its obligations, visit the  What is the Confraternity? page.

Membership Questions

Who can become a member?
To become a member of the Confraternity, you must be a Catholic 18 years old or older and in good standing (ie: in full communion) with the Catholic Church. The Confraternity is open to all Catholic lay members, priests, deacons, vowed religious, or members of other lay associations as long as they are able to fulfill the requirements for membership in the Confraternity. 

Who can Invest new Confraternity Members?
Members are invested by a Marian or Marian delegated priest or deacon, and the vesting must be performed by someone other than the new member themselves.

How do I Join the Confraternity?  
If You are a Catholic in good standing, 18 or older, and have prayerfully considered the obligations and graces of the confraternity, you may join. You will need a Priest or Deacon who is willing to be delegated or has been delegated by the Marians (or a Marian Priest) and your date of baptism. 

USA & Canada: Fill out the enrollment form, and a packet will be sent to you with a copy of the admission rite, the delegation letter for your priest or deacon, a blue scapular to use in your enrollment, and a return form to be signed, dated, and returned after your enrollment so we can add you to the register of the Confraternity. 

After you have been added to the register, we will send you a certificate of enrollment. 

International requests: 
Upon filling out the enrollment form, you will be either sent a link to a local confraternity branch if one exists, or will be sent a digital registration packet. 

Please return a scanned or photographed of your signed enrollment form from the packet so we can add you to the book of members, and we will send a digital certificate of enrollment.

May children become Confraternity members? Is there a homeschoolers’ program to help them grow in their devotion to the Immaculate Conception?
No, the Confraternity is open for Catholics 18 and older. However, children may be invested into the Blue Scapular to foster a devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, so that they may strive to imitate Our Lady Immaculately Conceived.

Can a member of this Confraternity join another Lay Association of the Faithful such as the Secular Franciscans, Dominicans, Carmelites, Oblates, etc?
Yes, as long as the member is able to fulfill the membership requirements of the Confraternity of the Immaculate Conception and the other Lay Association of the Faithful they may wish to join.

What indulgences do I receive if I become a member of the Confraternity?
Those who wear the Blue Scapular of the Immaculate Conception can receive a plenary indulgence under the usual conditions (receiving the Sacraments of Reconciliation and the Holy Eucharist; offering a prayer for the intentions of the Holy Father) on the following days:

• the day of their investiture with the Blue Scapular
• the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary (Dec. 8)
• the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord (Feb. 2)
• the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary (Aug. 15)
• Christmas Day (Dec. 25)
• Easter Sunday
• the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord
• the liturgical commemoration of St. Stanislaus Papczyński, Founder of the Marians (May 18)
• the Feast of St. Cajetan of Thiene, the founder of the Theatine Order (Aug. 7).
   

May my group be received into the Confraternity together on a specific date?
Yes, it is possible for a group to be received into the Confraternity on the same date as long as each candidate follows the standard procedures listed above.  The admission rite has both single and group options.

Can Confraternity members take a saint’s name?
Confraternity members do not take a patron saint’s name.

Will I have time to be a member of the Confraternity? I have a very busy life already.
The confraternity is not for everyone and should be prayerfully considered. If you feel the obligations exceed your time constraints or abilities, then we encourage you to freely take up some of the confraternity practices such as praying for Holy souls or getting involved in your parish life without being a member.

How can I participate in the Confraternity if I am bedridden, homebound, or too far away from other members?
Never underestimate how God can use a soul!

As faith-filled persons involved in the life of the Church, Confraternity members participate in the life of their parish community and support the priests in the work of evangelization in their own parish in many ways, only some of which require members to be physically present. For example,

• You can pray for the intentions of your pastor and/or parishioners.
• You can call or reach out through electronic means to parishioners who could use a reminder that someone cares about them.
• You can assist the pastor or parish secretary with office tasks like mailings and collation projects that could be brought to your home.
• You may request to be a remote intercessor for our prayer line ministry based at the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy in Stockbridge, MA.

If I am invested into the Confraternity of the Immaculate Conception, will I also be a member of the Archconfraternity of the Theatine Fathers?
No, however, members of the Confraternity run by the Marian Fathers share in the spiritual benefits of the Archconfraternity of the Immaculate Conception of the Most B.V.M. located in the Basilica of St. Andrea della Valle in Rome, which is under the care of the Theatine Fathers.

Delegation
Can any priest or deacon receive me into the Confraternity?
The vesting priest or deacon must belong to the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception or be delegated by them. 

If a priest has been delegated by the Marian Fathers to confer the Blue Scapular onto an individual, do they have to reapply for permission with each new candidate?
No. The delegation is given to them without any time limit.

If a priest has been delegated by the Marian Fathers to confer the Blue Scapular on an individual, can he also receive the individual and others into the Confraternity of the Immaculate Conception?
Yes, because the delegation covers both investiture with the Blue Scapular and reception into the Confraternity.

Can a priest or deacon invest me in the Blue Scapular now while I discern membership in the Confraternity?
Yes, you are most welcome and encouraged to be invested in the Blue Scapular at any time while you further discern membership in the Confraternity of the Immaculate Conception.

Can a priest admit himself into the Confraternity or invest himself with the Blue Scapular?
No a priest cannot admit himself into the Confraternity or invest himself with the Blue Scapular.

Spiritual Advisor
Who serves as the spiritual advisor to the Confraternity?
Each local promoter of the Confraternity should serve in the capacity of spiritual advisor.

May I ask him/her some questions about spiritual formation and daily spiritual practices?
We would strongly encourage you to use the resource materials provided on this site to foster a deeper relationship with Our Lady and to gain further knowledge of the Marian Fathers' spirituality and mission.

If you have general questions of a theological nature, please direct them to your parish priest.

If you have questions regarding the Marians' history and spirituality, we encourage you first to check out the dozens of resource materials available on padrimariani.org.

If you are unable to find what you're looking for there, please contact the Marian Fathers at the National Shrine of The Divine Mercy by emailing your question to [email protected].

Prison Ministry
Can a prisoner be invested into the Blue Scapular and received into the Confraternity?
The prisoner would need to obtain permission from the chaplain or prison official and then follow the standard procedures as much as possible.

Who would determine whether a prisoner was a Catholic in good standing?
A Catholic priest would have to determine whether the person was a Catholic in good standing. If a priest is not available, then a non-ordained Catholic chaplain would suffice.

International Questions

If I live outside of the U.S., how can I become a member of the Confraternity?
It depends on where you live and which language you speak. English speaking candidates may contact [email protected] to receive the paperwork to begin the process. Once a member, you would be encouraged to use our resources available on the Confraternity webpage to spiritually nourish your new lifetime commitment. Those requesting membership speaking other languages or residing in other countries would be directed to contact the Marian Fathers' Confraternity closest to them.

Is there an investiture or enrollment formula in Italian or, at least, in Latin?

You can find the Latin Investiture here.

If You would like to be invested with our Blue Scapular or admitted to the Confraternity by one of our Italian-speaking Marian Fathers in Rome, then I would suggest contacting:

Curia Generalizia dei Chierici Mariani
Via Corsica, 1
00198 Roma, Italia
Tel.: (39-06) 853-703-1
[email protected]

Blue Scapular Questions

Can I be invested with the Blue Scapular and NOT be a member of the Confraternity of the Immaculate Conception?
Yes. Everyone who receives the Blue Scapular belongs to the broadly understood family of the Theatine Fathers and has a share in the spiritual benefits of the Archconfraternity of the Immaculate Conception of the Most B.V.M. located in the Basilica of St. Andrea della Valle in Rome, which is under the care of the Theatine Fathers. (Insert link for new Blue Scapular leaflet.)

What are the requirements for being invested into the Blue Scapular?
You should have a desire to:

• Wear the Blue Scapular day and night
• Live a life of chastity according to your station in life
• Show special devotion to the Most Holy Virgin Mary in the mystery of her Immaculate Conception
• Pray for the conversion of sinners and for God's mercy on the whole world.

How can I obtain the special graces and indulgences attached to the Blue Scapular?

• By wearing the Blue Scapular day and night
• Living a life of chastity according to the duties of his or her station in life
• Showing special devotion to the Most Holy Virgin Mary in the mystery of her Immaculate Conception
• Praying for the conversion of sinners and for God’s mercy on the whole world.

May I be invested with the Blue Scapular and then wear any medal daily?
You may wear either the medal version or the cloth version of the Blue Scapular; however any medal used as a substitute for the cloth scapular must show Jesus and His Sacred Heart on the front and the Most Blessed Virgin Mary on the back. For Confraternity members, the image on the back must be that of Mary Immaculate.

Can I wear the Five-Fold Scapular instead of the Blue Scapular and be admitted into the Confraternity? Or can I wear both scapulars and/or medals?
Yes, however several of the various types of scapulars correspond to the different institutes of consecrated life with which they are associated, and each have their own means of investiture or obligations to follow.

May I wear the Blue Scapular without it being blessed?
Yes, see above for how to receive the spiritual benefits associated with the Blue Scapular, or consider going a step further and joining the Confraternity of the Immaculate Conception.

Where did the Blue Scapular originate?
Explore the history of the Scapular of the Immaculate Conception, otherwise known as the Blue Scapular on Padrimariani.org.

I already wear the Brown Scapular. Is it beneficial to switch from brown to blue, or wear them both?
You may wear both scapulars as long as you embrace both requirements associated with each scapular.

Do you sell the Blue Scapular in bulk?
No, but you may purchase the Blue Scapular on Shopmercy.org

If I want to make Blue Scapulars and distribute them, are there specific requirements for the fabric and bands needed? And would I need permission from a religious institute to make them?
There should be two pieces of blue cloth with the image of the Immaculate Mother of God on one side. The Congregation of Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception use red ribbon to connect the two blue pieces of cloth; however, this is not required or standard.