Everything about The Oratory Of Saint Philip Neri totally explained
The
Oratory of Saint Philip Neri is a
congregation of
Roman Catholic priests and
lay-brothers who live together in a community bound together by no formal vows but only with the bond of charity. They are commonly referred to as
Oratorians.
The Congregation was founded by St.
Philip Neri (1515-1595) in the city of
Rome. Today it has spread around the world, with over 70 Oratories and some 500 priests.
The
post-nominal initials commonly used to identify members of the order are "C.O.". The abbreviation "Cong. Orat." is also used.
Daily Life
Oratorians have what is called 'stability' which means they're committed to a particular Oratory, though a member may move if there's a serious enough reason. Unlike the members of a religious order, Oratorians are not bound by a rule to pray in common, though this is something that Oratorians consider important, and they commit themselves to praying together twice each day, and having one communal meal which is usually dinner. Oratorians normally have a set time each day for praying together in silent meditation, this ends classically with the recitation of a litany. Although some oratories may have a dominant mission (for example London which runs a school), in general the members of the Oratory spend the day involved in various ministries: teaching, parish work, spiritual direction, campus ministry, administration or maintaining the fabric of the community house.
Governance
Three documents govern the Oratory. The first is the "General Statutes" of the Congregation, which are guidelines to be followed throughout the world; these may be changed or modified when representatives from each oratory gather every six years in a meeting called a "congresso". The second is the "Particular Statutes", which outline how an individual oratory is to be conducted; these must be approved by Rome. The third documents is the "Constitutions", which establish general norms, and outline the relationship between the Congregation and the
Holy See. As the Oratory is a confederation, there's no central authority such as is found within the Dominicans, Franciscans, or Jesuits. Technically, each oratory is established by the Pope, and thus it has appeal to the Holy See in serious matters.
For organisational purposes, the confederative Congregation elects one of its own to represent the interests of the Congregation to the Holy See; this is done through the Congregation for Religious and Institutes of Apostolic Life. This person, known as Procurator General, resides in Rome at the Chiesa Nuova, which was home to the first followers of
St. Philip Neri.
The Habit
As Oratorians are
secular priests, they wear roughly the same dress as
parish priests. However, the black cassock is fastened with a set a buttons curved from the top to the righthand side. In addition there's a distinctive Oratorian clerical collar; white cloth that folds over the collar all around the neck, with a number of folds in, indicating from which particular Oratory a priest originates. The cassock is bound by a
sash, called a
fascia. The habit is given at formal reception into the community which comes after a few months of living together to see if the candidate fits in well. Members often, but don't necessarily, wear the cassock whilst engaged in their respective ministries, as this may be deemed unsuitable. In some countries (such as Spain) the distinctive Oratorian cassock and collar was never adopted and there's no way to tell Oratorians from other secular priests. On such occasions, members of the Oratory would wear the normal street clothes of a cleric, for example, dark suit, but with the Oratorian collar.
Oratories around the world
United Kingdom
Cardinal
John Henry Newman founded the first Oratory in the
English speaking world when he founded the
Birmingham Oratory in the city of
Birmingham on 2nd February 1848. This was initially located at Old Oscott, which he renamed Maryvale (after the Oratory church in Rome, 'Santa Maria in Vallicella'). After a couple of moves this community eventually settled at their present site in
Edgbaston. Attached to the Birmingham Oratory was the famous
Oratory School now at
Woodcote,
Oxfordshire, near
Reading.
English houses also exist in
London (the
London Oratory) and
Oxford (the
Oxford Oratory), and there's an 'Oratory in Formation' in
Manchester at the
Church of the Holy Name of Jesus.
North America
The first Oratory in the
United States was founded in
Rock Hill, South Carolina, in 1934. Seven more U.S. houses have been established in
Monterey, California;
Pharr, Texas;
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania;
Brooklyn, New York;
New Brunswick, New Jersey;
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and
Sparkill, New York. Efforts are being made to found houses in several other cities
Further Information
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