So I'm in the middle of a Fallout 3 replay, as I'm sure a lot of people are, and at around Lvl 23 I decided to hop the ol' paddlewheel to Point Lookout. Now, it had been a while since I visited this fine resort locale and there was much I had forgotten. A little something I was promptly reminded of while taking a short walk west along the beach from the pier was Marcella, a lone missionary for a faction called "The Faith". The first few times I talked to her, I remember not giving her too much thought, she was just some preachy lady come to spread her beliefs to the "heathen Wastelanders". After this current play through however, I've come to see her as perhaps something (potentially) very different; the vanguard of a possible new wasteland faction.

Of course this is all conjecture on my part, but I wouldn't be surprised if there is a faction in Fallout 4 called The Faith, a continuation of organized Christianity (and all that goes along with that, for good or ill). The reasons why I think this are because a.) they gave the lady a backstory, complete with a mysterious "hidden base" and B.) it just struck me as odd that she would even be there if she wasn't a harbinger of things to come. I mean, why give her that backstory if there wasn't going to more to this group? Couple these points with the fact that the first stop on her journey (that was documented on her computer terminal) was The Commonwealth, and we can conclude that the "Hidden Base of The Faith" is close enough to The Commonwealth for them to possibly establish at least an outpost there. The way she described the organization sounds a lot like the Followers of the Apocalypse, if they became all preachy.

I admit, this theory may or may not be plausible, it was just something that occurred to me and seemed odd so I wanted to share with the forum and get other opinions on it. So please, discuss!

I'd be interested in a religious faction. I hope you're right OP, sounds similar to the Children of the Cathedral in Fallout 1.

Marcella is Catholic. The "faith" is Catholicism. She refers to breaking bread with Father Clifford (a Catholic priest) and she comes from a place called the "Abbey of the Road." Which is presumably an actual abbey.

She also recites a Catholic act of contrition verbatim on her deathbed.

That would be pretty cool, actually.

One thought I had was about badass post-nuclear Quakers. Like an East Coast version of the New Canaanites. At any rate, I really like how they handle religious themes in the Fallout universe. It's never really condescending to the religions, but it's never very preachy either.

Given that Marcella states The Abbey is located west of The Commonwealth, I suspect it would be someplace in New York state, possibly Albany given how many religious landmarks it has.

The city has like 11 Catholic churches, and is home to the cathedral of one of the Roman Catholic diocese according to Wikipedia.

Would make for a good spot for a religious location, and possible Fallout 4 DLC.

I will just drop this here from elsewhere

.....

Well, I am not sure this is a theory but since I am to shy to make my own thread.

Church of the Abby making a return ?? ( I don't see followers of the apoc being a faction again could these guys be a stand in).

I well wiki'd Church's in boston and man they have a ton of historic ones. As my religious knowledge is well not great.

The Old north church (2 caps if by land) theres also a ye old historic church every direction.

Trinity Church is one of the top 10 historic sites in america (is this any retaliation to trinity Collage in Dublin by faith or just Irish).

Kings chapel

St pauls church (first Episcopalian church in independent boston)

The African meeting house (also know as the first African baptist church and oldest black church in the states to boot it says)

and centrel Congregational church.

I dont know but it just seems with so many areas ripe for artifact collecting the Abbey of the road would be kind of cool to see. ( to me)

Thats all I have

(if you wiki they say its loosely based on the Canticles of leibowitz which I have sadly not read, But having seen the book of Eli yes please expand on these guys)

Yeah I don't see the Followers schlepping it all the way across a post apocalyptic United States. Considering that, The Faith, Catholic Church, whatever you want to call it, could fill the same role on the East Coast that the Followers do on the West Coast. Also, since "war never changes" they could even show a split between a militant wing and a more moderate wing, each of which could be joinable. They really could do a lot with it.

Liked your Book of Eli mention. I love that movie!

I imagine the Abbey of the Road to be a monastic order. One dedicated to the preservation of pre-war relics, texts, and religious artifacts. And of course missionary actions related to spreading the catholic faith, such as in the case of Marcella. Perhaps the abbey runs a hospital of sorts for the downtrodden as well.

With the canonization of St. Monica, there's also the interesting possibility of a wider church hierarchy existing on the East Coast. Perhaps with a New Vatican located somewhere like in A Canticle for Leibowitz.

Would be interesting if they had an attached military order as well. Warrior-monks akin to the Knights of St. John and Templars.

Certainly a lot of potential in the faction IMO.

Exactly! I thought so too!

I kinda would like the Idea (since we had mormanism is that a word) just sort of a catch all group like the fellows at the end of Eli saving it all up for when the world gets better. So mosque, church, synagogue, temple whatever just trying to save the scriptures and holy relics.

Uhh heheh if you look up "Wizards religion" on you tube and your not thinned skinned you might find that take pretty dang funny should be about a 3 minute short, good cartoon movie by the way. (its after man has pretty much war'ed himself out of existence and the fairy races return, Think uhh Heavy metal cartoon the first one)

Let's not forget the brewers!

would be funny tie it in with a Samuel Adams beer reference. Hey, this is Boston!

Coming from someone who spends most of his time putting theories together, this is actually a brilliant find! And very well thought out to boot

EDIT: I can genuinely see this ending up as an in-game faction.

how can they be catholic knowing that there is no succsesor to saint peter(pope)? ...or is there one? if yes is he still located in rome and how can they as a church interact from such a long distance?

Agree (well, except for that IMBECILES who pray for a bomb)

In F2 we have a cool faction composed of monks who try to preserve the books. (Abbey - cut content). And Father Tully is a drunk priest who lives in a city full of sins.

In F3 Marcela is a cool NPC and we also have the Santa Monica′s Church in Rivet City.

And the Mormons in NV.

I hope we have a religious faction in F4 (not necessarily based on the real world, if well written of course)

but isnt it necessary for the pope to be in rome though? since this is where peter&paul were martyred. the historical/biblical context of the roman empire and israel of the gospels and the roman empire kind of being the succsesor to israel with rome as the capital of operation to bring the gospel to all gentiles.

The pope was a short time in Avignon... As long as he is 'Bishop of Rome' he can be whoever he want. There was even a short time split in the church were two popes existed. One in Avignon, the other in Rome. And shortly there was even a third pope in Pisa.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Schism

yeah but necessarely being and calling themselves "bishops of rome" then officially residing in america for generations(?) seems more than idiotic. unless theyve setteled around a new town somewhere on the east coast called "rome"

Why? As I said... the pope in Avignon also called himself Bishop of Rome. And this era was around 100 years. You know about https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titular_see? You doN't need to be in a city to be the bishop of this city.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avignon_Papacy

But we also have Romes in the USA...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rome,_New_York

for exemple.

That would be so awesome!!

well if you call yourself "king of scotland" then its much more credible to reside in scotland and not in australia for example. good find with the rome in usa perhaps this is where the american catholic movement hierarchy is based, makes more sense this way.

http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P27.HTM

Of course they can be catholic. However, they don't have to know that they are catholic. I mean normal people. After the Great War there may not be any form of hierarchy.

It would be nice to see something like the Followers in Boston

the hierarchy is actually part of what entails to be a biblically consistant church. but perhaps youre right and this new catholicism has evolved to a rethought community. yeah i always thought that the followers were idioligally similar to christian hospitality/oraganizations especially since they were using a cross to symbolize their group.

I'm hoping for a church in Diamond City whose iconography and statuary are augmented by repurposed Red Sox memorabilia.

But the popes in Avignon do it and had no problems Of course you can say it makes no sense... but it did happen. It's not forced for the pope to be in Rome.

The Latin patriarch of Alexandria for exemple had his seat in Rome... and not in Alexandria, Egypt