Confraternities and archconfraternities
Confraternity of the Holy Agony
Archconfraternity of the Holy Agony · Archiconfrerie de la Sainte Agonie · Confraternity of the Agony of Our Lord Jesus Christ
Fr Antoine Nicolle founded itPius IX approved it
Congregation of the Mission (Vincentians, also called Lazarists). The seat is the Vincentian motherhouse at 95 rue de Sevres, Paris, and the head of the archconfraternity is the Vincentian Superior General, working through a sub-director. It is erected mainly in churches and chapels of the Vincentians and the Daughters of Charity. The historic United States director was at St Vincent's House, Emmitsburg, Maryland.
SacramentalsThe Red Scapular of the Passion, worn by many members (encouraged, not required).
The long way round
Not clearly stated. Not published. Historically free, with the certificate and rule provided.
There is no online form for this one, and that is often a good sign: someone enrolls you by hand. The historic route is to have a promoter or the director inscribe your name in the register, which in practice means writing to a Vincentian or Daughters of Charity house, but no current contact point or form for this is published anywhere I could find.
The historic route is to have a promoter or the director inscribe your name in the register, which in practice means writing to a Vincentian or Daughters of Charity house, but no current contact point or form for this is published anywhere I could find.
This confraternity honours the part of the Passion that happened before any blow was struck: Christ's mental anguish in the Garden of Gethsemane. Members pray for two things. First, peace for the Church and the keeping of the faith. Second, and this is the distinctive part, a happy death for hardened sinners who are dying right now, and help for anyone in their final agony. The daily practice is a short prayer printed on the certificate of admission, or simply an Our Father and a Hail Mary. Members are also asked to be the kind of person who makes sure a dying neighbour actually gets a priest.
Where it comes from
Founded as a confraternity in 1862 at Valfleury, France by Fr Antoine Nicolle, C.M. (1817 to 1890), and enriched with indulgences by Pius IX. Made an archconfraternity for all France in 1873, and extended worldwide by Leo XIII in 1894.
What you promise
Have your name inscribed on the register, which is done through a promoter of the devotion or the director. Say daily the short prayer on the certificate of admission, or an Our Father and a Hail Mary instead, for the intentions of the association. Members are recommended, but not obliged, to offer their actions each Friday or another chosen day, to hear Mass once a week, and to offer one Holy Communion a year for the society's intentions. None of these practices is obligatory. Members should be especially zealous in seeing that those in danger of death have a priest and the other helps to die well. Many members also wear the Red Scapular of the Passion.
What the Church attaches
Indulgences granted by Pius IX at the foundation and added to twice by Leo XIII. A share in the prayers of the whole archconfraternity, the monthly meetings and the novena before the feast of the Prayer of Christ, which falls on the Tuesday of Septuagesima week, held at the Paris motherhouse. Because no current official list could be reached, present day grants should not be quoted with confidence.
Enrollment checked 2026-10-22. Details change without notice and parish practice varies. Confirm before relying on this sheet.