Prokopites
Order of Saint Prokop | |
| Ordo Sancti Procopius (Latin) | |
 Prokop of the Black Forest (1423–1499) featured in a 15th-century illuminated manuscript | |
| Formation | 1488 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Prokop of the Black Forest |
| Founded at | Stonne Monastery |
| Type | Catholic religious order |
| Headquarters | Saint Prokop's Basilica, Collinebourg, Yonderre |
Abbot Primate | Constantin Deseuer |
Parent organization | Catholic Church |
The Prokopites, officially the Order of Saint Prokop (Latin: Ordo Sancti Procopius, abbreviated as OSP), are a monastic Catholic religious order of monks and nuns that follow the Rule of Saint Prokop. The order also oversees a number of churches that follow the Prokopite doctrines. Prokopite monks are sometimes referred to as the Blue Monks, in reference to the colour of the members' religious habits. Despite being called an order, the Prokopites do not operate under a single hierarchy but are instead organised as a collection of independent monastic communities, with each community (monastery, priory or abbey) within the order maintaining its autonomy.
History
The order came to be when canon Prokop of the Black Forest, who had retired to the wilderness as a hermit, had attracted a group of like-minded hermits. Having lived in a cave on the banks of the Spelph River for several years, Prokop contacted Sir Prise de Blaincour, the Baron of Stonne, and suggested the construction of a monastery. The Baron agreed and construction of the first Prokopite monastery began that Summer. The Prokopites initially sought to appease the local Goths by bridging the gap between Catholicism and the local East Gothic faith, reinterpreting local folklore and tales into a Christian view. This caused the Prokopites criticism from the Bishopric of Donne but did not hinder their preachers, and as a result, Stonne and the surrounding lands experienced a much smoother transition to Catholicism than many other regions of Yonderre.
Prokopite teachings soon spread to other regions of Yonderre, although support remained strongest in Donne. Prokop himself was canonized in 1520 following his death in 1499, at which point the Order took its official name as the Order of Saint Prokop. Several monastries of the Prokopite Order sprung up throughout Yonderre during the sixteenth century, often paid for by the local nobles. The Prokopite Order was the largest monastic order in Yonderre by the end of the sixteenth century, although their influence and reach was still limited internationally. Saint Prokop's Basilica, the largest Prokopite church, was built in Collinebourg between 1795-1828.