www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Parish Life & Evangelization Societies In Eastern Catholic Churches

Just wondering how many exist. All I know of are Knights Of Columbus, Holy Name Society and the St Mary's Society.

Also the GCU (Greek Catholic Union), tho' its parish role I know not; in some ways it looks comparable to the KofC.

At least one EC parish has involvement with the St. Vincent DePaul society. I've seen references to the Legion of Mary in Ruthenian parishes.

Keep in mind, tho': some, like the GCU, KofC, HNS, and Legion of Mary are widespread; others are limited to a single diocese or metropolia.

And also, a number of Latin Rite societies have helped out EC parishes over the years.

There is a Division of the Blue Army of Our Lady of Fatima and a Serra Club in the Archeparchy of Pittsburgh.

In the early 20th century Greek Catholic Church in America,there were a number of fraternal, benevolent Societies like the GCU, most of them were initially intended to provide a burial fund in the likely untimely death of the wage earner in the family as miners and mill workers had high mortality at that time. They weren't necessarily religious in nature. Many parishes had their own independent clubs and lodges as well. For example, well into the 1960's our parish had a 'St. Peter and Paul Society' that had a death benefit - the Society survived the split in the parish and finally died out in the late 70's. In the larger Ruthenian/Rusyn parishes there would have typically been a 'Men's Club'(often called the Russian Club even though there were no Russians!) and a Ladies Guild or Altar Society that may or may not have included a burial allowance. During that time frame there were also Sokol lodges across the Northeast which provided athletic outlets for the immigrants and their families. Rosary societies were common as well and many of them survived as their members went 'across' the street so to speak during the battles within the Church in the 1930's. Those have died out over the years with the last of those 'babas' among those who left the Eastern Catholic Church.

In my region the First Catholic Slovak Union had lodges, similar to the Greek Catholic Union. Like many of the fraternals it is dying off.

Probably 50 years ago the Russian Brotherhood had a lodge locally.