an ▁syn ods ▁all ▁the ▁cler gy ▁of ▁a ▁dioc ese ▁with ▁their ▁bishop ▁formed ▁themselves ▁into ▁brother hood s , ▁and ▁frequently ▁pri ests ▁of ▁still ▁smaller ▁districts ▁( r ural ▁chap ters ) ▁formed ▁less er ▁associations ▁of ▁prayer ▁to ▁which ▁the ▁la ity ▁were ▁also ▁admitted . ▁Ind ividual s ▁of ▁every ▁station , ▁rank , ▁and ▁sex ▁eager ly ▁joined ▁these ▁associations , ▁while ▁numerous ▁rich ▁persons ▁fund ed ▁monaster ies ▁to ▁ins ure ▁a ▁special ▁share ▁in ▁their ▁suff rage ▁after ▁death . ▁English ▁k ings , ▁b ish ops , ▁abb ots ▁and ▁Carol ing ian ▁k ings ▁gave ▁them ▁an ▁excellent ▁example , ▁as ▁did ▁St . ▁Bon if ace ▁and ▁Al cu in . ▁Even ▁the ▁la ity ▁of ▁the ▁lower ▁classes ▁joined ▁the ▁brother hood s ▁of ▁St . ▁Gall ▁and ▁Reich en au . ▁The ▁commun ion ▁of ▁spiritual ▁goods ▁and ▁indul gen ces , ▁granted ▁by ▁monaster ies ▁in ▁the ▁last ▁centuries ▁to ▁another ▁monaster y , ▁to ▁benef act ors ▁and ▁friends ▁outside ▁the ▁clo ister , ▁or ▁to ▁other ▁con fr atern ities , ▁is ▁more ▁than ▁a ▁mem orial ▁of ▁the ▁old ▁brother hood s , ▁since ▁in ▁these ▁gr ants ▁( communic ation es ) ▁the ▁promise ▁of ▁spiritual ▁help ▁for ▁the ▁dece ased ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁chief ▁features . ▁ ▁The ▁evolution ▁of ▁modern ▁associations ▁Al ong ▁with ▁these ▁brother hood s , ▁there ▁appeared ▁Con fr atern itat ies ▁more ▁closely ▁res emb ling ▁the