The Order of the Immaculate Conception (), abbreviated OIC and also known as the Conceptionists, is a

Catholic religious order In the Catholic Church, a religious order is a community of consecrated life with members that profess solemn vows. They are classed as a type of Religious institute (Catholic), religious institute. Subcategories of religious orders are: * can ...

of Pontifical Right for nuns founded by Saint Beatrice of Silva. For some years, they followed the

Poor Clares The Poor Clares, officially the Order of Saint Clare (Latin language, Latin: ''Ordo Sanctae Clarae''), originally referred to as the Order of Poor Ladies, and also known as the Clarisses or Clarissines, the Minoresses, the Franciscan Clarist Or ...

Rule Rule or ruling may refer to: Human activity * The exercise of political or personal control by someone with authority or power * Business rule, a rule pertaining to the structure or behavior internal to a business * School rule, a rule th ...

, but in 1511 they were recognized as a separate

religious order A religious order is a subgroup within a larger confessional community with a distinctive high-religiosity lifestyle and clear membership. Religious orders often trace their lineage from revered teachers, venerate their Organizational founder, ...

, taking a new rule with the name Order of the Immaculate Conception. (In some areas they are still known as the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception.)

Origins

The order was founded in 1484 in Toledo,

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

, by Saint Beatrice of Silva, a noblewoman of

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...

and sister of the Franciscan friar, Blessed Amadeus. On the marriage of Princess Isabel of Portugal with King

John II of Castile John II of Castile (; 6 March 1405 – 20 July 1454) was King of Castile and León from 1406 to 1454. He succeeded his older sister, Maria of Castile, Queen of Aragon, as Prince of Asturias in 1405. Regency John was the son of King Henry ...

, Beatrice had accompanied the future Queen, her cousin, to the court of her new husband. After the marriage, however, her great beauty aroused the jealousy of the queen, for which she was imprisoned.Bihl, Michael. "Conceptionists." The Catholic Encyclopedia
Vol. 4. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1908 During that time of incarceration, Beatrice experienced an apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, telling her that she wanted Beatrice to found a new Order in her honor. Beatrice escaped with difficulty and took refuge in the Dominican convent at Toledo. There, for thirty-seven years, she led a life of holiness, however without becoming a member of that order. In 1484, Beatrice, with some companions, took possession of a

convent A convent is an enclosed community of monks, nuns, friars or religious sisters. Alternatively, ''convent'' means the building used by the community. The term is particularly used in the Catholic Church, Lutheran churches, and the Anglican ...

in Toledo set apart for them by

Isabella I of Castile Isabella I (; 22 April 1451 – 26 November 1504), also called Isabella the Catholic (Spanish: ''Isabel la Católica''), was Queen of Castile and List of Leonese monarchs, León from 1474 until her death in 1504. She was also Queen of Aragon ...

In 1489, by permission of

Pope Innocent VIII Pope Innocent VIII (; ; 1432 – 25 July 1492), born Giovanni Battista Cybo (or Cibo), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 29 August 1484 to his death, in July 1492. Son of the viceroy of Naples, Cybo spent his ea ...

, the nuns adopted the

Cistercian The Cistercians (), officially the Order of Cistercians (, abbreviated as OCist or SOCist), are a Catholic religious order of monks and nuns that branched off from the Benedictines and follow the Rule of Saint Benedict, as well as the contri ...

rule, bound themselves to the daily recitation of the Divine Office, and they were placed under obedience to the ordinary of the

diocese In Ecclesiastical polity, church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided Roman province, prov ...

. In 1501,

Pope Alexander VI Pope Alexander VI (, , ; born Roderic Llançol i de Borja; epithet: ''Valentinus'' ("The Valencian"); – 18 August 1503) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 11 August 1492 until his death in 1503. Born into t ...

united this community with the

Benedictine The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly contemplative monastic order of the Catholic Church for men and for women who follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. Initiated in 529, th ...

community of San Pedro de las Duenas, under the rule of St. Clare, but in 1511 Julius II gave it a rule of its own and put them under the protection of General Minister of Friars Minor, for this reason the nuns were called Franciscan Conceptionist. Special

constitutions A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organization or other type of entity, and commonly determines how that entity is to be governed. When these princ ...

were drawn up for the Order in 1516 by Cardinal Francisco de Quiñones. It was the foundress,

Beatrice of Silva Beatrice of Silva (Campo Maior, Portugal ca. 1424 – Toledo, Spain, Toledo, Crown of Castile, Castile, 16 August 1492), born Beatriz de Menezes da Silva, was a Portuguese people, Portuguese Nobility, noblewoman who became the foundress of the Chr ...

, who chose the white

habit A habit (or wont, as a humorous and formal term) is a routine of behavior that is repeated regularly and tends to occur subconsciously. A 1903 paper in the '' American Journal of Psychology'' defined a "habit, from the standpoint of psychology, ...

, with a white

scapular A scapular () is a Western Christian garment suspended from the shoulders. There are two types of scapulars, the monastic and devotional scapular; both forms may simply be referred to as "scapular". As an object of popular piety, a scapular ...

and blue mantle."Saint of the Month: St Beatrice de Silva", Galway Cathedral
/ref> A second convent was founded in 1507 at Torrigo, from which, in turn, were established seven others. The order soon spread through

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

; Spain's colony of

New Spain New Spain, officially the Viceroyalty of New Spain ( ; Nahuatl: ''Yankwik Kaxtillan Birreiyotl''), originally the Kingdom of New Spain, was an integral territorial entity of the Spanish Empire, established by Habsburg Spain. It was one of several ...

(Mexico), starting in 1540 and as well as in Portugal's colony of

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

. (That community, however, later separated to become a

religious congregation A religious congregation is a type of Religious institute (Catholic), religious institute in the Catholic Church. They are legally distinguished from Religious order (Catholic), religious orders – the other major type of religious institute – i ...

of missionary sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis.). At its height there were some 2,000 convents of the order throughout the world. As of 2020, there were about 1,400 members in 127 houses. The foundress, Beatrice of Silva, was

canonized Canonization is the declaration of a deceased person as an officially recognized saint, specifically, the official act of a Christian communion declaring a person worthy of public veneration and entering their name in the canon catalogue of sa ...

Pope Paul VI Pope Paul VI (born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini; 26 September 18976 August 1978) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 21 June 1963 until his death on 6 August 1978. Succeeding John XXII ...

in 1976. In 2019,

Pope Francis Pope Francis (born Jorge Mario Bergoglio; 17 December 1936 – 21 April 2025) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 13 March 2013 until Death and funeral of Pope Francis, his death in 2025. He was the fi ...

gave his approval to the declaration of the martyrdom of Maria del Carmen and 13 companions, all Conceptionists, who were killed in Madrid in 1936 during the Spanish Civil War.

Going back to the roots

The

Second Vatican Council The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, commonly known as the or , was the 21st and most recent ecumenical council of the Catholic Church. The council met each autumn from 1962 to 1965 in St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City for session ...

had instructed all religious institutes to go back to the inspirations and goals of their founders and to make sure that their current orientation and lifestyles of the communities were in keeping with these."Saint of the Month: St Beatrice de Silva", Galway Cathedral
/ref> Through the studies done by Mercedes de Jesús Egido y Izquierdo (1935–2004), a new direction was developed and tried on an experimental basis at her convent. After a trial of two years, new

were drawn up out of the experience, which were submitted to Rome and approved by the

Holy See The Holy See (, ; ), also called the See of Rome, the Petrine See or the Apostolic See, is the central governing body of the Catholic Church and Vatican City. It encompasses the office of the pope as the Bishops in the Catholic Church, bishop ...

in 1996 for this order, removing from it the noticeable Franciscan influence imposed upon it. Egido successfully argued that the foundress' vision was that of a life lived in imitation of the virtues of the Blessed Virgin Mary. She has become seen as a second foundress through her efforts. The process for seeking Egido's canonization was formally opened at the Monastery of the Immaculate Conception and St. Beatrice in Toledo on 8 November 2011.

Saints, Blesseds, and other holy people

Saints * Beatriz de Meneses da Silva (c. 1424 – 16 August 1492), founder of the Order, canonized on 3 October 1976 Blesseds * María Isabel Lacaba Andia and 13 Companions (died between 22 August to 8 November 1936), Martyrs of the Spanish Civil War, beatified on 22 June 2019 Venerables * María (of Jesus) Tomelín del Campo (21 February 1579 - 11 June 1637), Mexican professed religious, declared Venerable on 3 July 1785 Servants of God * Mariana Francisca (of Jesus) Torres Berriochoa (c. 1563 - 16 January 1635), professed religious, declared as a Servant of God on 22 March 1986 * María (of Jesus) Coronel y de Arana; 2 April 1602 – 24 May 1665), abbess and spiritual writer, declared as a Servant of God on 28 January 1673 * Custódia do Couto Ribeiro (Custódia Maria of the Blessed Sacrament) (17 June 1706 - 22 June 1739), Portuguese professed religious * María Josefa (of the Sorrows and the Patronage) Quiroga Capopardo (27 April 1811 - 27 January 1891), mystic * Jacinta María Romero Balmaseda (Teresa of Jesus) (9 October 1861 - 12 May 1910), professed religious, declared as a Servant of God in 2011 * Florencia Sorazu Aizpurúa (María of the Angels) (22 February 1873 - 28 August 1921), professed religious, declared as a Servant of God on 24 February 1988 * Maria Joanna Laselva (Maria de Lourdes of Saint Rose) (26 October 1910 - 19 November 1974), professed religious, declared as a Servant of God in 2008 * María (Ana) de la Concepción Cruz Alberdi Echezarreta (3 May 1912 - 27 November 1998), professed religious, declared as a Servant of God on 29 October 2007 * María del Rosario Egido Izquierdo (Mercedes de Jesús) (29 March 1935 - 3 August 2004), professed religious, declared as a Servant of God on 26 January 2011

References

External links

www.concepcionistas.info

Website
of the Conceptionist nuns of the Monastery of Toledo, Spain
Website
of the Conceptionist nuns of the Monastery of Alcázar de San Juan, Spain
Website
of the Conceptionist nuns of the Monastery of Mahón, Spain
Website
of the Federation of the Conceptionist nuns of Castille, Spain {{Authority control Catholic female orders and societies 1484 establishments in Europe Poor Clares Christian religious orders established in the 15th century

Origins

Going back to the roots

Saints, Blesseds, and other holy people

See also

References

External links