Company of Mary
COMPANY OF MARY
Official Catholic Directory #0700; Abbreviation: ODN; Founded in 1608 by St. Jeanne de lestonnac (1556–1640), the order was dedicated to the education of youth and was intended to complement the work of the Society of Jesus. From its initial foundation in Bordeaux, France, the order spread rapidly through western Europe. After a long existence in this area, tentative foundations were made in Cuba and Mexico; and finally, in 1926, the first U.S. foundation was established in Douglas, Ariz. The rule of the community was originally adapted from that of the Jesuits; and when papal approval was granted for its foundation, it was affiliated with the Order of St. Benedict. The sisters are under papal jurisdiction. The generalate is located in Rome.
Bibliography: p. hoesl, In the Service of Youth, tr. j. carr (London 1951). i. de azcarate ristori, El origen de las órdenes femeninas de enseñanza y La Compañía de María (San Sebastián, Spain 1963). r. a. ruble, A Woman in Love (Albuquerque 1961)
[r. a. ruble/eds.]