▁special ▁comm em oration ▁made ▁by ▁the ▁priest ▁during ▁the ▁E uchar ist . ▁ ▁The ▁z en ith ▁period ▁In ▁the ▁West , ▁these ▁con fr atern ities ▁att ained ▁their ▁greatest ▁prosper ity ▁during ▁the ▁era ▁from ▁Carol ing ian ▁reign s ▁till ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁fe ud al ism . ▁In ▁c . ▁ 1 4 0 0 ▁England , ▁Wy cl if ▁issued ▁the ▁first ▁public ▁opposition ▁to ▁these ▁associations . ▁These ▁brother hood s ▁may ▁be ▁divided ▁into ▁those ▁formed ▁of ▁several ▁monaster ies ▁or ▁churches , ▁or ▁individual ▁b ish ops , ▁pri ests , ▁abb ots ▁and ▁mon ks . ▁However , ▁k ings , ▁princes ▁and ▁other ▁lay men , ▁especially ▁benef act ors , ▁were ▁admitted ▁into ▁these ▁three ▁classes , ▁and ▁even ▁the ▁frequently ▁very ▁numerous ▁sub ordinates ▁of ▁a ▁monaster y . ▁ ▁Es pecially ▁during ▁their ▁peak , ▁con fr atern ities ▁were ▁formed ▁among ▁monaster ies . ▁In ▁the ▁ 9 th ▁century , ▁Reich en au ▁was ▁affili ated ▁with ▁more ▁than ▁a ▁hundred ▁other ▁monaster ies ▁and ▁chap ters ▁in ▁Germany , ▁Switzerland , ▁France ▁and ▁Italy . ▁This ▁affili ation ▁was ▁chief ly ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁reform ▁of ▁the ▁monaster y ▁by ▁St . ▁Bened ict ▁of ▁An iane , ▁and ▁is ▁the ▁largest ▁brother hood ▁known ▁to ▁us . ▁Al cu in ▁worked ▁in ▁the ▁west ▁of ▁the ▁Frank ish ▁Empire , ▁and ▁before ▁him ▁St . ▁Bon if ace ▁had ▁sought ▁with ▁eager ▁ze al