Structure
The Director of the Order of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus Christ (and, by definition, simultaneously serves as the Director of the Society of the Most Precious Blood) must be a Priest properly ordained within an identified Anglican Church in Apostolic Succession.
The Director of the Order shall be appointed by the Bishop Overseer to the Order.
The first appointed and subsequent appointed Director of the Order of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus Christ shall serve from the time of his appointment by the Bishop Overseer of the Order until resignation, disability, death, retirement or removal from office as determined by the Bishop Overseer at that time.
The Director shall govern the order with love, patience, humility and justice. The Director must lead the members using the example set by our Lord Jesus Christ by seeking, through prayer and meditation, the guidance of the Holy Ghost. They shall also seek constantly the counsel of the Bishop Overseer.
The Director shall serve as chair of all meetings of the Order.
The Director, in consultation with the Bishop Overseer, shall have the final voice on admissions, receptions, professions and separations of any member.
The Director may appoint Provincials as assistants with the agreement of the Bishop Overseer. The Provincials shall be Professed and will have such jurisdiction as given them by the Director.
The Director shall appoint personnel to assist them in the operation of their offices. The officials defined herewith shall serve at the Director’s pleasure. They are not limited to any specific number.
The specific officials designated for the operation of the Community identified and appointed as needed are:
The Administrative Coordinator, who serves immediately under the supervision of the Director and can only issue orders at the direction of the Director.
The Secretary, who bears the responsibility for the minutes of the Chapter, as well as all requirements of the Director for correspondence, preparation of documents along with their incorporation into the records of the Community.
The Provincials may be either Brothers or Sisters in good standing and are subject directly to the Director. Provincials serve for a term of three years and may be re-appointed for succeeding terms. One of the principal duties of the Provincials is to act as a mentor to all members in their jurisdiction. They are required to make visits to them or to have them gather for study, etc.
All the Provinces of this Community will be under the rule of obedience. Thus, Provincials will act under the direction of Director. Provincials will be members of the Advisory Council. If at any time a Provincial indicates a need to resign, he/she must notify the Director in writing, giving as much notice as he/she can provide, but not less than thirty days.
Chapter shall meet each year at a time and place designated by the Director. Professed members of the Order may be dispensed from attending only under severe extenuating circumstances and only with the consent of the Director of the Order.
Rules on voting in Chapter are:
There shall be a house of professed members of the Order and a house of ‘active’ members of the Society.
A quorum shall consist of two-thirds of the voting members within each house, either present, or voting by proxy, letter or telephone.
“Majority” means an absolute majority of votes (greater than 50%) cast within each house and will apply to all business other than the Rule, Constitution or Customary of the Order. Where a fractional majority is required, the majority shall be considered the nearest whole number of possible votes (e.g. a two-third majority of fourteen votes is nine votes).
With any amendments to the Rule or Constitution, only the house of professed members of the Order – Brothers/Sisters must vote. Any recommended changes/amendments to the Rule, Constitution or Customary of the Order shall require a super-majority (greater than 60%).
In all Chapter decisions, absent Brothers/Sisters and absent members of the Society may vote by proxy within their house.
Duties of Chapter are: To RECOMMEND to the Director and the Bishop Overseer amendments to the Rule, Constitution and Customary of the Community.
Retreat
A Retreat shall be held periodically, but not more than two years apart, at a time and place designated by the Director. Attendance is mandatory for professed members of the Order and members may be dispensed from attending only under severe extenuating circumstances and only with the consent of the Director.
Eligibility and membership
Any baptized and confirmed communicant (member is good standing) of a Church in Apostolic Succession is eligible for membership in the Order or the Society, provided he/she is at least eighteen years of age and has the conviction that he/she is called to the Religious Life.
The right to admit candidates belongs to the Director with the advice and consent of the Bishop Overseer.
Mindful of their responsibility to the Church and to the Community, the Director should, after examination and prayerful consideration, admit only those candidates who exhibit the character and maturity necessary for entering the Religious Life. The character and maturity of applicants should be examined by those having the education and expertise in that field. Recent converts should not be admitted until their constancy has been firmly established.
In accordance with the above requirements, and any others that may from time to time be deemed necessary, the following shall be required of all applicants:
Names of three references; pastoral, parochial and personal.
A complete resume or biography, including information concerning association with any other Order.
A personal interview with the Director of the Order or a Vocational Director appointed by the Director of the Order either in person or telephonically.
A person shall have been invalidly accepted and will be subject to immediate dismissal if any information given by him/her on his/her application or interview is proven to be false or misleading.
An applicant duly accepted by the Director shall be so informed and shall become a Postulant until Investiture/Acceptance.
An individual may be released at his/her own request or be dismissed at any time for just cause by the Director.
Separation from the Community ~ Departure leave of absence or exclaustration.
An Oblate, or Brother / Sister under vows ~ either annual or life, may, at the discretion of the Director be granted a temporary dispensation not to exceed one year.
During the period of dispensation, the Oblate, Brother or Sister remains subject to the authority of the Director and to the requirements of his/her sacred bond, but is dispensed from the remainder of the Rule, He/She loses his/her voice and vote and may not wear the cross or clericals (if a member of the Order).
While dispensation is normally granted for such reasons as the need to re-examine vocation, serious illness which impairs the ability to live the Rule, etc., it is also within the jurisdiction of the Director to enforce departure as a means of discipline for very serious reasons. In this instance, the Director, with the advice of the Bishop Overseer, may require observance to such portion of the Rule that would normally be dispensed.
Upon completion of the specified period of dispensation, the Oblate, Brother or Sister either returns to the Community or asks the Director for a request for dismissal. The period of dispensation is not fixed, and the Oblate, Brother or Sister may be recalled, or he/she may apply for return at any time.
Dismissal automatically abolishes Religious Vows thereby returning the Brother or Sister to the secular state. Proceedings for dismissal may be initiated by the Director or by the Brother or Sister. In the latter case, the Brother or Sister submits his/her request, in writing, and the Director responds, in writing, within one week of receipt of the Brother or Sister’s request made in writing. If a writ of dismissal is refused, the Brother or Sister may appeal to the Bishop Overseer.
Cause or reason for dismissal may include, but is not limited to:
- Request by the member
- Disobedience, or refusal of direction by the Director.
- The public profession of apostasy, and or heresy.
- Being the cause of scandal to the Community.
Temporal Possessions and Dissolution
In the event of dissolution of the Order of Most Precious Blood of Jesus Christ, or if it may cease to exist, the following formula would apply: All property would be sold and monies realized from such sale, together with monies held in trust or bank accounts, would be concentrated into a single fund. After the settlement of any and all outstanding debts, the total residue would then be given to the Anglican Province of America or its Successor.
Of the habit
Professed male brothers of the order who are either properly ordained Priests or Deacons or lay members of recognized parishes of Churches within Apostolic Succession as defined by the Bishop Overseer may wear the Anglican red cassock and the ‘Jerusalem Cross’ as designated by the Order through the Director of the Order. Clergy will continue to be addressed as ‘Father,’ if an ordained priest, as ‘Deacon’ or ‘Reverend Mister’ if an ordained Deacon. Lay brothers and sisters will be addressed as ‘Brother,’ or ‘Sister.’
Professed Female sisters may wear the Anglican red headpiece or ‘Coif’ and the ‘Jerusalem Cross’ as designated by the Order through the Director of the Order.
Oblates, members of the Society of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus Christ, both male and female, may wear the designated ‘Jerusalem Cross’ as specified by the Order through the Director of the Order.
The Cross of the Order of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus Christ, the Jerusalem Cross, also known as the Crusaders cross and Five-Fold Cross, shall serve as the insignia of the Order and the Society.
The Jerusalem Cross dates to the First Crusade in the 11th Century. Crusaders saw the Jerusalem Cross as a symbol of salvation and a call to spread the word of God from the central location of the Christian Faith, Jerusalem.
The Jerusalem cross is comprised of a cross surrounded by four smaller “crosslets”. These smaller crosses represent the four evangelists who wrote the gospels and helped spread the word of Jesus Christ in all directions.
Perhaps the most compelling symbolism found in the Jerusalem Cross is that of the five wounds Jesus Christ suffered during the passion. Wounds to Christ’s hands and feet are represented in the small crosses and the large center cross represents the wound to Jesus’ side.
Today, the Jerusalem Cross calls Christians everywhere to continue to spread the word of our Lord, Jesus Christ in all four corners of the world and stands for our complete dedication to the Sanctity of Life through the Precious Blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ which was spilt for our salvation and for the loss of all innocents throughout history.
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