The Rule of the Missionaries of the Company of Mary
This original rule of the Company of Mary was probably written about 1710, maybe even before any priests had yet joined St Louis Marie in his work. It is fairly typical of the sort of rule which was common for Religious Congregations about this time, except for some interesting details. For example, St Louis Marie speaks of only two vows, those of poverty and obedience, instead of the normal trilogy of poverty, chastity and obedience.
It may be presumed that, as he expected any priests who joined the Company of Mary to be already ordained, they would already be bound to chastity; but it is probable that he insisted on poverty and obedience as being essential for the freedom and availability of which he speaks in the Burning Prayer for Missionaries. For the same reason, he insists that the members of the Company of Mary must hold no benefices, must not be "installed" in parishes, must have only two houses in France, etc. Their task was to travel to bring the good news to the poor, and a great part of the Rule is concerned with the Directives to be Followed during their Missions, Their Timetable during Missions and Rules for Catechetical Instruction.
This Rule, together with the Burning Prayer for Missionaries and the Letter to the Members of the Company of Mary, forms a triptych which has been accepted by the Holy See as part of the official Rule and Constitutions of the Company of Mary today, in the sense of their being the source of the modern Rule.
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