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The Legion of Mary ( la, Legio Mariae, postnominal abbreviation L.O.M.) is an international association of members of the Catholic Church who serve it on a voluntary basis. It was founded in Dublin, as a Marian movement by the layman and civil servant Frank Duff. Today, active and auxiliary (praying) members make up a total of over 10 million members worldwide, making it the largest apostolic organization of lay people in the Catholic Church. Membership is highest in South Korea, Philippines, Brazil, Argentina and the Democratic Republic of Congo, which each have between 250,000 and 500,000 members. Membership is open to those who belong to the Catholic Church and believe in its teaching. Its stated mission is for active members to serve God under the banner of Mary by the corporal and spiritual works of Mercy, as mentioned in Chapter 33 of the ''Legion of Mary Handbook''. The main
apostolate An apostolate is a Christian organization "directed to serving and evangelizing the world", most often associated with the Anglican Communion or the Catholic Church. In more general usage, an apostolate is an association of persons dedicated to the ...
of the Legion is activities directed towards Catholics and non-Catholics encouraging them in their faith or inviting them to become Catholic. This is usually done by encouraging them in prayer, attending Mass and learning more about the Catholic faith. The members of the Legion are engaged primarily in the performance of spiritual works of mercy, rather than works of material aid.Peffley, Francis. "Inside the Legion of Mary". Legion of Mary, Arlington Regia.


History

The Legion of Mary was founded by Frank Duff on 7 September 1921 at
Myra House Myra ( grc, Μύρα, ''Mýra'') was a Lycian language, Lycian, then Ancient Greece, ancient Greek, then Greco-Roman, then Byzantine Greek, then Ottoman Empire, Ottoman town in Lycia, which became the small Turkish town of Kale, renamed Demre ...
, Francis Street, in Dublin. His idea was to help Catholic lay people fulfil their baptismal promises to be able to live their dedication to the Church in an organized structure, which would be supported by
fraternity A fraternity (from Latin language, Latin ''wiktionary:frater, frater'': "brother (Christian), brother"; whence, "wiktionary:brotherhood, brotherhood") or fraternal organization is an organization, society, club (organization), club or fraternal ...
and prayer. The Legion draws its inspiration from Louis de Montfort's book '' True Devotion to Mary''. The Legion first started out by visiting women with cancer in hospitals, but it soon became active among the most destitute, notably among Dublin
prostitutes Prostitution is the business or practice of engaging in sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, non-penet ...
. Duff subsequently laid down the system of the Legion in the ''Handbook of the Legion of Mary'' in 1928. The Legion soon spread around the world. At first, it was often met with mistrust because of its then-unusual dedication to lay apostolate. After
Pope Pius XI Pope Pius XI ( it, Pio XI), born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti (; 31 May 1857 – 10 February 1939), was head of the Catholic Church from 6 February 1922 to his death in February 1939. He was the first sovereign of Vatican City fro ...
praised it in 1931, the Legion had its mistrust quelled. Most prominent for spreading the legion was
Edel Quinn Edel Mary Quinn, (14 September 1907 – 12 May 1944) known as Edel Quinn was an Irish-born Roman Catholic lay-missionary and Envoy of the Legion of Mary to East Africa. Life Born in Kanturk, County Cork, Edel Mary Quinn was the eldest child of ...
(1907-1944) for her activities in Africa in the 1930s and the 1940s. Her dedication to the mission of the legion, even in the face of her ill health ( tuberculosis) brought her great admiration inside and outside the legion. A beatification process is currently under way for the legendary Quinn, as well as for Duff and
Alfie Lambe Alphonsus Lambe ( Tullmore, Ireland, 24 June 1932 – Buenos Aires, Argentina, 21 January 1959) known as Alfie Lambe was an Irish-born Roman Catholic lay-missionary and envoy of the Legion of Mary to South America. Background Born at Tullamore ...
(1932–1959), the endearing Legion Envoy to South America. On 27 March 2014, the Secretary of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, Bishop
Josef Clemens Josef Clemens (born 20 June 1947 in Siegen) is a German bishop. He was Secretary of the Pontifical Council for the Laity from November 2003 until it ceased operations on 1 September 2016. He was personal secretary to Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (la ...
, delivered the decree in which the Legion is recognized by the Holy See as International
Association of the Faithful In the Catholic Church, an association of the Christian faithful or simply association of the faithful (Latin: ''consociationes christifidelium'') sometimes called a public association of the faithful, is a group of baptized persons, clerics or la ...
. In 2021, the Legion celebrated the centennial of its founding, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, by hosting virtual
talks Talk may refer to: Communication * Communication, the encoding and decoding of exchanged messages between people * Conversation, interactive communication between two or more people * Lecture, an oral presentation intended to inform or instruct ...
, devotions, and masses. The group also resolved to increase its membership and
engagement An engagement or betrothal is the period of time between the declaration of acceptance of a marriage proposal and the marriage itself (which is typically but not always commenced with a wedding). During this period, a couple is said to be ''fi ...
among young people. Finally, group has continued to pray for the beatification of Servants of God Frank Duff, Alphonsus Lambe, and Venerable Edel Quin.


Structure

The basic unit of the Legion is called a
Praesidium A presidium or praesidium is a council of executive officers in some political assemblies that collectively administers its business, either alongside an individual president or in place of one. Communist states In Communist states the presidi ...
, which is normally based in a parish. The Praesidium, usually a group of 3–20 members, meets weekly in its parish. The Curia is the next level, each supervising several Praesidia. The next level is the Comitium, which is in charge of several Curiae, usually over an area like a medium city or a part of a province. The next level is the Regia, which is in charge of larger territories like a province or state. The
Senatus The Senate was the governing and advisory assembly of the aristocracy in the ancient Roman Republic. It was not an elected body, but one whose members were appointed by the Roman consul, consuls, and later by the Roman censor, censors. After a Ro ...
is the next level, and it generally has control over the Regiae in a very large area, usually a country or a very large territory for example
Senatus of Uganda The Senatus of Uganda is the highest governing Council of Legion of Mary (Latin: ''Legio Mariae'', postnominal abbreviation L.O.M.) in Uganda that reports to Concilium Legionis Mariae. Legion of Mary is a voluntary organisation whose membership ...
takes over the whole of Uganda. The Concilium is the highest level and has its seat in Dublin. It has control over the whole Legion."The Official Handbook of the Legion of Mary"
. Concilium Legionis Mariae. Dublin. 2005.
Each level of the Legion has the same officers: the President, the Vice-President, the Secretary, the Treasurer, and the Spiritual Director. The last is always in the clergy, but all other offices are held by the laity. All positions regardless of responsibility are voluntary and the Legion has no paid workers.


Membership


Entering and leaving

Membership is open to all baptized
Catholics The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
. After visiting a Praesidium a few times, one can join the legion as a probationary member for three months. Then, a decision is made on whether to join the legion as an active member permanently. During the probationary period, probationary members learn about the legion system by reading the '' Handbook of the Legion of Mary'' and its active works by listening to reports of active works undertaken by fellow legionaries. At the end of probationary period, members say an oath of "Legion promise", a pledge of allegiance to the
Holy Spirit In Judaism, the Holy Spirit is the divine force, quality, and influence of God over the Universe or over his creatures. In Nicene Christianity, the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost is the third person of the Trinity. In Islam, the Holy Spirit acts as ...
and to Mary, and become a permanent active members. Membership in the Legion of Mary is essentially based on discipline and commitment. Members devote their time and prayer for the intentions of Mary, Mother of God. Members can withdraw from the Legion by informing the president of his or her praesidium.


Types of membership

The Legion of Mary consists of two totally different memberships: the active and the auxiliary members. Both are essential to the Legion: "Just as a bird cannot fly without one wing, so also the Legion cannot exist without any of the other members," said Ráinel Lobo of Mumbai, India. Active members regularly attend the weekly sessions of their ''Praesidium'' and pray daily the prayer of the Legion, the ''Catena Legionis'', which consists essentially of the Magnificat and some shorter prayers. Their main role lies in active apostolate for the legion and the church. Active members under 18 are not allowed to give the "Legion promise" until that age. They are considered Juniors and may hold any office except President in their ''Praesidium''. Above the level of the ''Praesidium'', no Junior may serve as an officer. Auxiliary members support the legion through their prayer. They pray the whole booklet of Legion prayers, the "Tessera", every day. The ''Tessera'' consists of the Invocation, prayers to the Holy Spirit, the
Rosary The Rosary (; la, , in the sense of "crown of roses" or "garland of roses"), also known as the Dominican Rosary, or simply the Rosary, refers to a set of prayers used primarily in the Catholic Church, and to the physical string of knots or b ...
, the Catena, and the concluding prayers of the ''Tessera''. Praetorians, a higher grade of active membership, pray, in addition to their duties as active members, the Rosary, the
Divine Office Divine Office may refer to: * Liturgy of the Hours, the recitation of certain Christian prayers at fixed hours according to the discipline of the Roman Catholic Church * Canonical hours In the practice of Christianity, canonical hours mark t ...
and go to Holy Mass daily. Adjutorians, a higher grade of auxiliary membership, additionally pray the
Divine Office Divine Office may refer to: * Liturgy of the Hours, the recitation of certain Christian prayers at fixed hours according to the discipline of the Roman Catholic Church * Canonical hours In the practice of Christianity, canonical hours mark t ...
and go to Holy Mass daily. Praetorians and Adjutors do not have higher status or higher rank inside the legion system. The meaning of the grades is only a desire for a more devotional life, not for higher status. Entering the grade is done by registering with a list of Praetorians/Adjutors and by subsequently observing their duties.


Meetings

The Praesidia normally meet weekly; larger entities normally monthly or more rarely. For all sessions, the Altar of the Legion is set up. It has a statue of the Virgin Mary (represented standing on a globe, her arms extended, crushing the
serpent Serpent or The Serpent may refer to: * Snake, a carnivorous reptile of the suborder Serpentes Mythology and religion * Sea serpent, a monstrous ocean creature * Serpent (symbolism), the snake in religious rites and mythological contexts * Serp ...
with her foot), which is placed on a white tablecloth, which has "Legio Mariae" written on it. On the two sides of the statue are placed two vases with flowers, often
roses A rose is either a woody perennial flowering plant of the genus ''Rosa'' (), in the family Rosaceae (), or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred species and tens of thousands of cultivars. They form a group of plants that can be e ...
(the flower connected with Mary). On the front ends of the cloth are two candlesticks with burning candles. On the right side of Mary, the Vexillum Legionis is placed. During meetings, all the prayers of the Tessera are said. The sessions start out with the introductory prayers to the Holy Spirit and to Mary. They include five decades of the Rosary. The next part of the session includes a spiritual reading and administrative matters. The members tell briefly how they fulfilled their tasks assigned to them at the previous session. They also discuss and/or read a chapter from the ''Handbook of the Legion''. Then, the ''Catena Legionis'' is prayed, and the Spiritual Director or, if absent, the President holds a short sermon about spiritual matters (''allocutio''). Finally, the new tasks for the legionaries are distributed. Each meeting ends with the concluding prayers of the ''Tessera'' and a prayer for Duff's beatification.


Vexillium Legionis

The ''Vexillum Legionis'' (English:the standard of the legion) is placed. The vexillum is made out of metal and onyx and shows the
Holy Spirit In Judaism, the Holy Spirit is the divine force, quality, and influence of God over the Universe or over his creatures. In Nicene Christianity, the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost is the third person of the Trinity. In Islam, the Holy Spirit acts as ...
in the form of a dove as well as the
Miraculous Medal The Miraculous Medal (french: Médaille miraculeuse), also known as the Medal of Our Lady of Graces, is a devotional medal, the design of which was originated by Catherine Labouré following her apparitions of the Blessed Virgin MaryAnn Ball, 20 ...
.


Spirituality

The spirituality of the Legion of Mary is essentially based on the approach of Louis de Montfort, as put forward in his '' True Devotion to Mary''.Grignion de Montfort, St. Louis-Marie. ''True Devotion to Mary''. translated by Mark L. Jacobson, Aventine Press, 2007 The book promotes a "total dedication" to Christ through devotion to the
Blessed Virgin Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother o ...
, which later influenced popes such as John Paul II, who mentions it in an apostolic letter, '' Rosarium Virginis Mariae''. Another important element that shapes its spirituality is Duff's devotion to the
Holy Spirit In Judaism, the Holy Spirit is the divine force, quality, and influence of God over the Universe or over his creatures. In Nicene Christianity, the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost is the third person of the Trinity. In Islam, the Holy Spirit acts as ...
. He promoted the adoration of the third person of the Trinity, which he considered neglected. He saw the Virgin Mary as the "visible image" of the Spirit; the Legion's introductory prayers and legion promise are directed to the Holy Spirit. The Legion's ''vexillium legionis'' bears the Holy Spirit's image in the form of a dove. The essential aim of the Legion of Mary is the sanctification of its members through prayer, the
sacraments A sacrament is a Christian rite that is recognized as being particularly important and significant. There are various views on the existence and meaning of such rites. Many Christians consider the sacraments to be a visible symbol of the real ...
and devotion to Mary and the Trinity, and of the whole world through the apostolate of the Legion. The idea of a
Catholic lay apostolate The lay apostolate is made up of Laity, laypersons, who are neither Consecrated life (Catholic Church), consecrated religious nor in Holy Orders, who exercise a ministry within the Catholic Church. Lay apostolate organizations operate under the gen ...
organization where ordinary laypeople in all situations of life would work for their own sanctification and for the conversion of the world was the first of its kind. After the Second Vatican Council (1962–65) promoted such ideas in its conciliar documents, this approach gain wider acceptance in the Catholic Church.


See also

* Frank Duff *
Alfie Lambe Alphonsus Lambe ( Tullmore, Ireland, 24 June 1932 – Buenos Aires, Argentina, 21 January 1959) known as Alfie Lambe was an Irish-born Roman Catholic lay-missionary and envoy of the Legion of Mary to South America. Background Born at Tullamore ...
*
Edel Quinn Edel Mary Quinn, (14 September 1907 – 12 May 1944) known as Edel Quinn was an Irish-born Roman Catholic lay-missionary and Envoy of the Legion of Mary to East Africa. Life Born in Kanturk, County Cork, Edel Mary Quinn was the eldest child of ...
*
Laureana Franco Laureana Franco (4 July 1936 – 7 October 2011) known as Ka Luring Franco was a Filipino Roman Catholic catechist and member of the Legion of Mary who devoted her life to serving her local diocese and its poor. She is a candidate for beatific ...
*
Blue Army of Our Lady of Fátima The Blue Army of Our Lady of Fátima, now mostly known as the World Apostolate of Fátima, is a public international association of the Christian faithful that has as its general purpose "the promotion of the authentic teaching of the Catholic ...


References


External links


Concilium of the Legion of Mary, official site

Map of Legion of Mary in the United States

Brazilian site of the Legion of Mary

Legion of Mary, USA

Phoenix, AZ Diocese Comitium site

Spanish Legion of Mary site

Legion of Mary, Mexico

Legion of Mary, Ottawa, Canada

Legion of Mary, Uganda, Africa


Note

* Learn about the development of the Legion of Mary in the Ottawa Archdioces
HERE
{{Authority control 1921 establishments in Ireland International associations of the faithful Catholic organizations established in the 20th century Christian organizations established in 1921