From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Society of the Atonement
Society of the Atonement
Atonement,
The Society of the Atonement also known as the Friars third Bishop of Delaware, was chosen as Episcopal Visi-
and Sisters of the Atonement or Graymoor Friars and Sis- tor.
ters is a Franciscan religious congregation in the Latin The Society preached the primacy of the Roman pon-
Rite branch of the Catholic Church. The friars and sisters tiff, while keeping its Episcopal allegiance, as they
were founded in 1898 as a religious community in the worked to realize a corporate reunion between the two
Episcopal Church. bodies. Due to this, the founders and their small number
of disciples came to find themselves not only criticised
Episcopalian establishment but ostracised by their co-religionists, who saw them as
walking an impossible tightrope between the two bodies.
In late 1895, Lurana White, then a novice in a religious
community of women known as The Episcopal Sisters of
the Holy Child Jesus, made contact with the Rev. Lewis
Reception into the Catholic
Wattson, the superior of a small community of Episcopal Church
priests. Both were part of the Anglo-Catholic Movement,
also known as the Oxford Movement, which had devel- In 1909 both the men’s and women’s societies chose to
oped in the Church of England in the early 19th century. seek union with the Holy See and full membership in the
Miss White asked Father Wattson’s help in finding an Catholic Church. In October 1909, the Vatican took the
Episcopal community of religious which practised corpo- unprecedented step of accepting the members of the So-
rate poverty in the Catholic Franciscan tradition. Father ciety as a corporate body, allowing the Friars and Sisters
Wattson was unaware of any such community, but began to remain in their established way of life.
corresponding with her regarding his desire to see the Now in union with the Bishop of Rome, the Friars of
Anglican and Catholic Churches reunited under the lead- the Atonement continued their work of advocating the
ership of the Bishop of Rome. reconciliation and eventual reunion of the various Chris-
In October 1898, White and Wattson met and made tian denominations with the Pope as spiritual leader,
a spiritual covenant to form a new religious community known as ecumenism. A major part of this effort was the
with the aim of re-establishing Franciscan life in the Octave of Christian Unity, an eight-day period of prayer
Anglican Communion. The name of the new community for the various segments of Christianity. The Octave runs
was inspired by a passage in the Epistle to the Romans January 18–25, starting on the date that—at the
(Romans 5:11), which, in the King James Version of the time—marked the Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter in An-
Bible, speaks of the atonement Christians have received tioch, and ending on the Feast of the Conversion of Saint
through Jesus. Wattson chose to interpret the word Paul. This period is now known as the Week of Prayer for
"atonement" in the literal sense of "at-one-ment," out of Christian Unity and is celebrated by many Christian de-
his vision that his new community should have the aim nominations.
of leading all Christians to unity (oneness) with one an-
other. Present-day activities
On December 15, 1898, Miss White and two compan-
The friars continue their focus on ecumenical work. In
ions took up residence in the area of Garrison, New York,
this many serve as resource people to dioceses through-
at a farmhouse known as Graymoor, near the abandoned
out the world. Their motherhouse continues to be Gray-
chapel of St. John’s-in-the-Wilderness. Father Wattson
moor in the United States, but they have houses in Brazil,
joined them in the spring of 1899. With the formal es-
Canada, Italy and the United Kingdom. As well as running
tablishment of the Society of the Atonement, they em-
parishes in the United States, the Friars are engaged in
braced religious life in the Episcopal Church. In taking re-
ministry to those in prison, in hospital and in nursing
ligious vows, Miss White became known as Mother Lu-
homes. [1]
rana, while Father Wattson took the name of Father Paul
The Franciscan Sisters of the Atonement have estab-
James Francis. Mother Lurana became head of the Fran-
lished catechetical and daycare centers all over North
ciscan Sisters of the Atonement, the women’s branch of
America, serving rural communities throughout the
the society; Father Paul became superior of the Francis-
western United States and Canada, as well as inner city
can Friars of the Atonement. Frederick Joseph Kinsman,
locales, such as Harlem in New York City. Several accom-
panied the Japanese-American communities they served
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Society of the Atonement
into the forced resettlement conducted during World
War II. Today, the Sisters serve in the United States,
External links
Canada, Italy, Japan, and Brazil. • Website of the Franciscan Sisters of the Atonement
In England the Friars used to run the Catholic Central • Website of the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement
Library (now known as the Catholic National Library), sit- • Website of the Catholic National Library
uated in the vicinities of Westminster Cathedral London, • Paul of Graymoor: Founder of the Society of the
before its move to the small town of Farnborough, Hamp- Atonement and Father of the Church Unity Octave.
shire, southwest of London. Article at Catholic.org
• Mother Lurana, Foundress of the Sisters of the
Atonement. Article at Catholic.org
References
[1] Atonement Website: Parishes
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Categories:
• Religious organizations established in 1897
• Anglican orders and communities
• Catholic ecumenical and interfaith relations
• Roman Catholic religious orders established in the 19th century
• Men's congregations of the Third Order Regular Franciscans
• Congregations of Franciscan sisters
• Christian religious orders established in the 19th century
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