Our Founder • Do you want to learn more about your HOW DOES IT WORK? Why I Love the Catholic Faith? Members meet together once a week for prayer, • Do you want to deepen your prayer life? planning and discussion in a family setting; they do • Do you want to develop close Catholic a couple of hours of definite work each week in Legion of Mary friendships? pairs and under the guidance of a spiritual director. • Do you want to grow closer to Jesus and His SERVANT OF GOD FRANK DUFF Mother? WHO CAN BELONG? held that with enough faith in God and • Come as a guest to a Legion of Mary meeting. trust in Mary’s mediation, Christ’s followers There’s no obligation. No one – for the first three months! There is an could win the world for Him. easing-in period so you can see how work or family obligations blend with the tried and proven system Frank Duff was born in Dublin, Ireland on June 7, 1889, The LEGION of MARY the eldest of seven children. In 1916, at the age of 27 he of the Legion. Any Catholic, young, not-so-young, published his first pamphlet “Can We Be Saints?”. In it he single, married, retired, who would like to draw expressed one of the strongest convictions of his life, namely, WHAT IS IT? closer to Jesus and His Mother is welcome to give that all without exception are called to be saints and that The largest apostolic organization of lay people in it a try. through our Catholic Faith we have available all the means necessary to attain this. the Catholic Church with well over 3 million active members in most every country of the world. In HOW DO I START? In 1917 he came to know the Treatise of St. Louis Marie de Montfort on the True Devotion of Jesus through Mary, a work 2001 the Legion celebrated its 80th anniversary By being a guest at a meeting. You are invited to which changed his life completely. worldwide. It has been active in the United States come and see the Legion from the inside. And you since 1931, has known continuous Papal approval, On September 7, 1921 Frank Duff founded the Legion of can go as a guest if you wish on one of the work Mary. This is a lay apostolic organisation at the service of and was endorsed by the Second Vatican Council. assignments with an experienced member. You the Church, under ecclesiastical guidance. Its twofold won’t need a lot of talent, or great intelligence or purpose is the spiritual development of its members and WHAT DOES IT DO? even a feeling of being capable! What you will need advancing the reign of Christ through Our Lady. It makes its members better Catholics, first of all, is a willingness to sacrifice a little of your time and The Legion is to be found in almost every country in the through a balanced program of prayer and service in energy for the greatest reason in the world: your world with millions of active and many more auxiliary (praying) members. union with the Holy Spirit as he operates through love of God. Mary, Mother of the Church. Works include door- In 1965 Pope Paul VI invited Frank Duff to attend the Day Time Second Vatican Council as a Lay Auditor (an honor by to-door evangelization, parish visitation projects, which the Pope recognised and affirmed Frank Duff’s youth work and other spiritual needs of the parish enormous contributions to the lay apostolate), where he “You are a movement of lay people who Place and community. It gives Catholics from 8 years up received a standing ovation from all the bishops in propose to make faith the aspiration of your attendance at St Peter’s Basilica in Rome. an opportunity to do something positive for the life up to the achievement of personal sanc- Church while at the same time deepening their On November 7th, 1980, Frank Duff died and is tity.” Pope John Paul II spiritual life and strengthening their Catholic Faith. buried in Glasnevin Cemetery, Dublin. For more information call “You know how much esteem and affection I We’ll be waiting to welcome you! In July, 1996, the Cause of his canonisation was introduced by the Archbishop of Dublin, Dr. have for you. I say you have anticipated the Desmond Connell. Vatican Council — the future apostolate of the Church .” Bishop Fulton Sheen Produced by the Philadelphia Senatus, 5109 N. Broad St., Phila, PA 19141. Phone (215)457-6343 E-mail: [email protected] Father Steve Delacy, Archdiocese of Philadelphia Bishop Herbert Bevard, U.S. Virgin Islands Tinny Ouano, Havertown, PA Our Saintly Members The Legion transforms ordinary I started the Legion one year after arriving at The Legion has been my ‘Way of Venerable Edel Quinn Catholics into soldiers-evangelizers for St. Athanasius in West Oak Lane, and Life’. The love of the Legion is the She spent seven years and seven months Mary. Devoting all to Mary, God’s grace immediately sent the legionaries out visiting love I have for Mary and the Blessed promoting the Legion in ten vast dioceses is fully engaged. This empowers the door to door to every house within the parish Trinity. I have placed my trust in her of East Africa and the island of Mauritius, disciple to undertake this essential work. boundaries. With the help of the Legion, the and on many occasions she has helped and died in Kenya in 1944. Her heroic Just as Christ’s flesh was formed in parish grew in numbers and in faith. The me as well as the people I contact. As life and labors have been narrated in a Mary’s womb, the Legion forms believers Legion also helped bring about the large the saying goes: ‘find time for Mary vibrant biography by Cardinal Suenens. into living images of Christ. Our Lord number of converts we had every year, and she in turn will find time for you She exemplified the missionary spirit of directed me to the Legion to make my including forty in 1998. a hundredfold’. the Legion at its best. In 1994, Pope John priesthood more fruitful. Paul II declared her Venerable. Katie Keil, Philadelphia, PA Gilda Shade, Glenmore, PA Mary Bell, Philadelphia, PA Servant of God Alfie Lambe The Legion of Mary provides a structured The Legion is the best thing that has ever My assignments each week are acts of Christian way of life and prayer which happened to me! It has changed and has perseverance, faith, and patience. Alfie Lambe died in Buenos Aires in enables one to be a beacon of service to formed my life, and has given me an What a blessing it has been to have 1959 after almost six years of apostolic others. In recruiting new members, I opportunity to be an apostle and a our Blessed Mother at my side as I go labors in South America. “If the Legion of always tell them that the Blessed Mother missionary: an apostle every week as I fulfill forth each week. Visits to hospitals Mary did nothing else but produce a man does not choose the capable but makes my spiritual work obligation; a missionary and nursing homes have taught me of the caliber of Alfonso Lambe, it is surely capable the one she chooses, and what we who has helped the Church and Legion grow much about humility. blessed by God,” Archbishop Tavella of do as Legion members is for the glory and in Iceland, western Canada and northern Salta, Argentina, declared. Alfie Lambe’s honor of God and Blessed Mother. Pennsylvania. cause of Beatification was introduced by the Archbishop of Buenos Aires in 1971. Joe & Eleanor Lang, Ocean City, NJ Steve & Edel Lukens, Bridgeport, PA Frank & Daisy Fernandez, Havertown, PA By our Baptism we are called to do The Legion is the foundation of our married Today, more than ever, there is a something for JESUS. We have a life. We met in the Legion and began our great need to battle against the Servant of God Fr John McKniff, OSA precious Faith to share and working for married life by renewing our True Devotion forces of evil that scourge the world. Born in Media, PA in 1905, Fr McKniff others can give a new meaning in your Consecration to Jesus through Mary at our There is no evangelization method worked tirelessly as a missionary among life. The Legion for 85 years has taken to wedding . It has given us a structure for our more effective and successful than the poor most of his priestly life. In heart what Jesus and the popes have been spiritual life, while helping us to grow both the Legion of Mary, a world-wide Cuba and Peru, he started hundreds of urging—we must go out to all souls. We individually and as a couple. Our time spent organization begun in 1921 under Legion groups and attracted thousands have experienced the great joy of helping doing Legion work together is among our ecclesiastical auspices, and the of men and women to become people come back to Church after 20, 30 most precious hours as a couple. guidance of the Mother of God. legionaries. He visited families with his and 40 years. legionaries, going door to door on the streets of Peru. Don & Joan Taggart, Norristown, PA Rev. Peter Welsh, Spiritual Director, Phila Spanish Curia Rev. Francis Lendacky, Spiritual Director, Phila Senatus Fr Aedan McGrath, SSC The Legion of Mary is a most reliable We met in the Legion.