Penitente

American  

[pen-i-ten-tey, -tee] / ˌpɛn ɪˈtɛn teɪ, -ti /

noun

1. a member of a confraternity, chiefly in Spanish American communities in New Mexico, known for their practice of self-flagellation, especially during Holy Week.

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Etymology

Origin of Penitente

First recorded in 1830–40; from Spanish, literally, “penitent,” singular of Penitentes, short for Los Hermanos Penitentes “the penitent brothers”

Example Sentences

The Santuario was built by Don Bernardo Abeyta, a member of the Penitente Brothers, a Catholic lay order once known for extreme acts of penance including self-flagellation.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2023

Lacking enough priests to serve the far-flung outposts, the Penitente Brothers helped fill the gap.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2023

On Thursday, Penitente Brothers from the nearby village of Cordova knelt near the altar and recited the rosary for an hour in Spanish.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2023

In the Graham years he danced male leads in such works as Letter to the World and Appalachian Spring and was the Christ figure in El Penitente.

From Time Magazine Archive

Look now, I’ll write your name plainly so that the professor will read it, you see—Placido Penitente, three pesos.

From The Reign of Greed by Derbyshire, Charles E.