Community of the Lamb
The Community of the Lamb is the name of a young Roman Catholic religious institute. It consists of two branches, the Little Sisters of the Lamb and the Little Brothers of the Lamb. They are a branch of the Dominican order. Since 1996, Cardinal Christoph Schönborn OP, Archbishop of Vienna, Austria has been the bishop responsible for the Community.
History
The Little Sisters of the Lamb were founded in Southern France. They were recognized by Jean Chabbert, Archbishop of Perpignan, on February 6th, 1983. The Little Brothers were founded on August 8th, 1990. The Community of the Lamb currently has little monasteries in France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Austria, Poland, Argentina, Chile, and the United States.[1]
Activities and Spirituality
The community is shaped both by the Dominican and Franciscan spirituality, uniting the proclamation of the Gospel through preaching with commitment to the poor. The motto of the community is: "Wounded, I will never cease to love."[2]
The liturgy is center of the life of the community. It is centered on the Gospel, composed of Scripture-based hymns, Psalms, readings from both the Old and New Testaments, and the Church Fathers. The members of the community participate in active door-to-door mission by begging for their food. They also share their table with the poor and destitute, especially with the homeless. They live together in small, informal communities.
Habit
The members wear an ankle-length light-blue tunic with a scapular of the same color, a brown leather belt and a wooden, 15-decade rosary. Professed members also wear a wooden medallion depicting a cross and a lamb. The sisters also wear a dark-blue veil that is bound at the back of the neck in the style of a headscarf.
References
- ^ "The Community of the Lamb". The Community of the Lamb.
- ^ "The Community of the Lamb". The Community of the Lamb.