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