11. A Pious Exercise in Honor of the Holy Trinity

Unión de tres personas piadosas en honra de la santísima trinidad / Decreto de la ciudad y del orbe de la audiencia del santísimo en el día 15 de mayo de 1784. México: Impr. en la oficina de Valdés, 1832 / la oficina de Abadiano, 1839. (Broadside, 31cm x 21cm)

This unique religious exercise involves three people coming together to pray three times daily, symbolizing the unity of the Holy Trinity.  Each day in the morning, noon, and evening, all three people, individually or together, are required to pray the Gloria Patri seven times, followed by an Ave Maria.  Besides the unusual requirement that three people join together in completing this task, another interesting aspect of this pious exercise is the intention for it to continue forever, for the description stipulates that if the trio loses a person, he or she is to be replaced by another “in order that there always remains the constant number of three.”  This exercise was originally created by Archbishop of Paris Christophe de Beaumont du Repaire, and the concession of indulgences for its performance was decreed in 1784, guaranteeing 100 days of indulgence for each day it is performed.  Yet by his decree in 1839, the bishop of Tenagra increased the amount to 240 days of indulgence for each Gloria Patri and each Ave Maria, as well as 240 days to each person who promotes the exercise.

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