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The Sodality of Our Lady, an association formed by the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) and approved by the Holy See, was a religious body which aimed at fostering in its members an ardent devotion, reverence and filial love towards the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Sodality of the Blessed Virgin Mary & St Patrick was canonically erected in the Church of St Francis Xavier, Upper Gardiner Street on 1st May, 1853. Members of a sodality would attend devotions in the evening time or at weekends.

The material documents the creation of sodalities in Ireland from 1863 to 1960. This is known as ‘aggregation to the Primae Primariae’ and sodalities were formed in many colleges, convents, hospitals, parishes, and schools. Sodality booklets and newsletters provide background and history to the work of sodalities in Ireland.

File relating to Retreat promoters and programmes at Rathfarnham Castle, the golden jubilee year of the retreat house (1972) and the Layman’s Retreat Association.

Material on retreats and the retreat house at Rathfarnham Castle, Dublin (removed from ledger folder). Includes:

• list of retreatants at Rathfarnham Castle and notice of opening of retreat house (1922);
• Honorary Secretary's Reports (November 1947-March 1949);
• list of house renovations (August 1949-August 1950);
• costings and receipts for work on the retreat house which includes glass, grotto, kneelers, lamp, radiators, roof, statutes and tabernacle (1949-1962);
• ‘History of Our Lady's Grotto, erected by D.U.T. Co. Employees 1925’ by Thomas Scally, ex-Superintendent. Includes references to the Jesuit school, St Francis Xavier, Lower Dorset Street, better known as Father Gaffney's school (1 April 1950);
• income and expenditure for Laymen's Retreat Association (1948-1953);
• newsletter of the Laymen's Retreat Association, Rathfarnham Castle entitled the Week End Echo (vol. 1-5, 7), (Christmas 1953-September 1955);
• handicap sweepstakes results for Laymen's Retreat Association at Rathfarnham Castle (1954-55)
• order of time for retreats for Chinese students at Rathfarnham Castle (4 April 1955);
• correspondence from Michael Scott, Architect, for drawings of the retreat house, Rathfarnham Castle (1955-57);
• income for retreat house at Rathfarnham Castle (1958-59);
• schedule of estimates for proposed decoration at Rathfarnham Castle (1958-1961);
• drawings, correspondence and accounts from James A. Doyle Architect, for works at the retreat house, Rathfarnham Castle (1959-1960);
• newspaper report of ‘Restoration of grotto erected in 1924 by D.U.T.C. men’ from Nuacht CIE (23 October 1964);
• notes on Laymen’s Retreat Association at Rathfarnham Castle, Christian Life Communities (CLC) seminar (21 April 1974);
• Guidelines for the constitution for the Laymen's Retreat Association & Christian Life Communities (CLC) (1977);
• notice of the restoration work done by the Association of Retreat Promotors for the Laymen’s Retreat Association (nd.);
• postcard with order of time on reverse of weekend retreats at Rathfarnham Castle and notice of non-attendance (nd.);

Hardback loose leaf binder containing documents related to Madonna Sodality Prints. List and details readings for Sundays of the year, Sundays of Lent and Easter, social enquiries and preliminary articles.

Diploma of membership of the Laymen's Retreat Association (CLC).