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

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

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

The new humiliation: a lawsuit, the first in Penitente history.

From Time Magazine Archive

Placido Penitente, although you look more like Placido the Prompter—or the Prompted.

From The Reign of Greed by Derbyshire, Charles E.