The Blue Scapular Prayer Book

123 Statutes of the Confraternity of the Immaculate Conception of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary of the Congregation of Marian Fathers Introduction Saint Stanislaus of Jesus and Mary Papczyński, the Founder of the Congregation of Marian Fathers, considered spreading devotion to the Immaculate Conception of the B.V.M. as the principal goal of the Order. The holy Father Founder fervently encouraged his spiritual sons to establish Confraternities of the Immaculate Conception at Marian churches. The first decrees of the Order spoke of it as soon as 1694. Members of these confraternities were to strive for Christian perfection and to help Poor Souls in Purgatory, while living as lay persons in the world and drawing upon Marian spirituality. Saint Stanislaus linked devotion to the Immaculate Conception with giving assistance to the faithful departed. Inspired by the idea of holiness of a person as the Mystical Temple of God , he not only desired to personally live free of evil and sin, but also to support the deceased in Purgatory in their purification from the stain of sin.