The Confraternity of the Most Holy Names of God and Jesus (Holy Name Society) promotes reverence for the Sacred Names of God and Jesus Christ and the personal sanctification of its members by acts of love and devotion to the most Holy Name of Jesus. Wherever possible they suppress blasphemy and profanity. The spirited life of its members is a perpetual act of reverence and love.

“That in the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
of those that are in heaven, on earth, and under the earth:”
Phillipians 2:10

Members of the Holy Name Society sit together for Mass on the second Sunday of each month

The Holy Name Society (HNS), is an indulgenced confraternity for Catholic men and was formed as a result of the Council of Lyons in 1274, which prescribed (mainly in reparation for the blasphemies committed by the heretical Albigensians) that the faithful should strive to ensure that proper reverence was given civilly to the Holy Name of Jesus, a forerunner of the modern struggle for the Social Reign of Christ the King. Through the zealous efforts of the Dominicans, particularly of Blessed John Vercelli (who is regarded as the HNS’ founder and secondary patron, the primary being St. Dominic), combined with the eager support of the faithful, the confraternity spread rapidly throughout Europe.

In 1571, Pope St. Pius V restricted the canonical erection of the HNS to the Dominican Order, and so “letters patent” were required from the Dominican master general to establish new chapters (originally numbering one to a city or town).

Towards the end of the 19th century, mainly through the efforts of the “apostle of the HNS,” Fr. Hyancinth [McKenna], OP, the HNS was established in this country, with the “patent letters” being issued from the HNS’ national office in New York (via a Roman indult). Subsequently, for nearly a century, the HNS was well organized in the States, with a national council overseeing diocesan unions, each chaired by the local bishop and a committee made up of Dominican and diocesan priests, a situation which still exists to some degree in the Novus Ordo.

Considering the apostolic work that the HNS has been involved in for centuries, it was only natural that such an apostolate would have been adopted by the men in the SSPX’s chapels, which hopefully will continue the HNS’ efforts to effect the reestablishment of the Social Reign of Christ the King.

For more information:

Articles: www.newadvent.org/cathen/07420b.htm

             www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Society_of_the_Holy_Name

Contact information:

Holy Name members are the canopy bearers for this procession of the Blessed Sacrament