Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary

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Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Christian religious order for women, founded by Mary Ward (1585–1645) in 1611. She believed that the vocation of women cannot be confined to enclosed orders, and she therefore adopted the constitutions of the Jesuits (Society of Jesus) as the basis for her Institute. It was known also as the Institute of the English Ladies, les Dames anglaises, or more dismissively as the Galloping Girls. They were strongly opposed by the papacy and were eventually suppressed. They did not receive papal approval until 1877.

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Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary

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    Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary