Gratiam per Servitium

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Gratiam per Servitium
Gratiam per Servitium Seal.png
Seal of the Servitium: "a dark world crowned by the Cross and the dawn of holiness"
Formation8 August 1924; 100 years ago (1924-08-08)
TypePersonal prelature
PurposeSecuring God's grace for all humanity through labour and ordinary life
HeadquartersVia dell'Assunta, 102-104, Solaria, Etruria
Region served
Worldwide
Membership
Increase 102,699 (2020)
Founders
Giuseppe Aurelio Chiarini and Jean-Paul François
Helio Corriero Costa
Main organ
Central Authority
General Advisory
Parent organization
Catholic Church
AffiliationsSee below
Endowment$3.1bn (2019)
Websiteservitium.org

Gratiam per Servitium (Grace through Service), officially known as the Prelature of Grace through Service (Solarian: Praelatura Gratiam per Servitium), is a personal prelature and institution of the Solarian Catholic Church.

The Service was established in 1924 by the Etrurian Giuseppe Aurelio Chiarini and Gaullican Jean-Paul François, two prominent priests and theorists of the early 20th century. Though established by members of the Catholic priesthood, the majority of its membership has and remains lay people and secular priests. The Service operates as a personal prelature, of which the prelate is elected by the Service's Central Authority and appointed by the Pope.

The Servitium was established by Chiarini and François, two priests who collaborated in theorising economic models and labour-related policies to counteract the rise of the far-left across Euclea. This in turn led to the two writing the thesis "Santità nel Lavoro" (Holiness in Labour), which argued that physical labour was a purifying expeirence and that by offering labour to those in need and vulnerable, would spread the grace of God to those who answered the universal call to holiness. As a result, the Servitium established close ties with various Catholic trade unions, workers' social clubs. The two founding priests also argued that the workplace could serve as the best location from which to spread holiness and promote observance of Church teaching and the gospel.

As of 2020, the Servitium had 102,699 members, of whom 98,587 were lay persons and 4,112 priests, including female ordinaries. Servitium has members in over 20 countries across Euclea, Coius, Asteria Superior and Asteria Minor. The Servitium provides accomodation for members at various Houses of Service; it is estimated 35% of Servitium members reside in these homes, where it is common for members to practice celibacy, while the remainder living in private homes with secular careers. Membership does not include those of affiliated organisations or entities, however, due to its close ties to trade unions, professional organisations, schools, hospitals and universities, affiliated membership possibly runs into the tens of millions.