ON THE LEGION OF MARY
This article was written based on a few conversations I had with fellow Cathsoc members after my talk On Mary and the Church Today. I welcome any comments and questions on the subject matter. Also, research for this article is mainly from the Legion of Mary Handbook and www.catholicpamphlets.com.
FORMATION AND EARLY DAYS
The Legion of Mary is a Catholic Lay Apostolate which serves under the auspices of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It was borne out of the devoted meetings of the Pioneer Total Abstinence (PTAA) in Dublin, Ireland who met initially to discuss apostolic activity, religious doctrinal subjects and pray the rosary amongst other prayers. The transition from the PTAA to the Legion of Mary was pioneered by Francis Duff- an Irish civil servant- and Fr. Toher who was the spiritual director of the fold. It is important to note that “The true Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary” by St. Louis-Marie de Montfont was a crucial piece that introduced the idea of the Legion to its earliest members. The book was said to be deeply interesting and caught the captivation of members of the PTAA and propelled that transition into being the Legion of Mary. The first meeting of the Legion of Mary was on September 7, 1921 and was attended by 15 ladies with Bro. Francis Duff and Fr. Toher at Myra House. (Myra House used to be the meeting place for the PTAA).
THE ORGANISATION OF THE LEGION OF MARY
Over the years since its inception, the Legion of Mary has spread to various countries across the world under a variety of circumstances. The organisation is structured to enkindle the zeal of its members and uses it’s to effective service. This is done by encouraging the spirit of humility and obedience in service to others whilst creating the forum for the individual to share initiatives that may help to serve God better.
To apply to apostolic work, the business-like method is employed in the system. This is resonated through the structure of the society which is modelled after the ancient Roman Legion. The salient features of the government of the Legion of Mary are summarised below.
THE GOVERNMENT OF THE LEGION OF MARY
Throughout the world, the Legion of Mary is governed by a series of diocesan, provincial and national councils. A priest is appointed as the spiritual director to each of these by the appropriate ecclesiastical authority. He has decisive authority in moral and religious questions at council meetings and a suspensive veto on all matters. The hierarchy of the Legion of Mary is as follows:
i) The Concilium Legionis: It is the supreme governing body (also called the world council) which is based in Dublin. Its main role is to interpret and maintain the role and spirit of the Legion with the aim of spreading throughout the world.
ii) The Senatus: It is the national or regional council by appointment of the Concillium over a particular country or particular area of land. It consists of officers of every legionary body directly linked to it.
iii) Curia: This is a Legion Council that governs a group of presidia in any city, or diocese. It maintains the spirit of the Legion in the area and works hard to extend the Legion and its work within its area. In addition to its primary roles, it also cares for other curia (e.g. a higher Curia aka a “Commitium”).
iv) Presidium: This is the primary unitary place of meeting for any group of Legionaries. It is considered as an output on active service, fighting for the Faith of Christ under the patronage of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It typically consists of a resident, vice president, secretary, treasurer, spiritual director amongst other members in the group. Presidia hold weekly meetings where the following events occurs in sequential order:
· Invocation of the Holy Spirit (Come, O Holy Spirit)
· Five decades of the rosary
· Secretary reads the minutes of the last meeting.
· A report of work is given by every member on what they did the previous week.
· An excerpt from the True devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary is read.
· Midway into the meeting, the Magnificat is recited and a prayer from the Feast of Mary, Mediatrix of All Graces is prayed. Together, both prayers are called the “Catena”.
· The Allucutio is read. This is extracted from the handbook of the Legion of Mary and is directed at the spiritual formation of the Legionaries.
· A secret-bag collection is passed to finance the organisation (local presidium).
· Allocation of work for the forthcoming week.
· General business; other important information to the local presidium may be discussed here.
· Concluding prayers with the Confer and the priest’s blessing.
MEMBERSHIP
All Catholics are welcome to join the Legion of Mary who are prepared to fulfil every duty Legion membership involves. Active members are required to attend meetings regularly and punctually, performance of active Legionary work, daily recitation of the Catena and observance of absolute secrecy regarding matters discussed in the meeting.
Auxiliary members are those who are unable or unwilling to assume active membership. They are required to pray 5 decades of the rosary and other prayers daily for the intentions of Mary.
DOCTRINAL BASIS OF THE LEGION
The doctrinal basis of the Legion is Mary’s mediation as Mother of the Mystical Body of Christ. The Mystical Body of Christ represents the core of the Christian faith which is the redemption of our souls to God. The redemption is based on the fact that the merits of the Passion belong to the Church; and together with Christ forms a Mystical Person. Hence, Christ is the Saviour of His Body.
As the priest says in Church, “Christ became human so that we may become divine”. By doing so, He became the first-born among many brothers and sisters. This makes Mary the mother of the redeemed mankind as she cannot be Mother of the Head without being Mother of the Body. St Augustine says that it is only in Mary that “the God-Man was formed without losing feature, so to speak, of His God-Head; and it is in her alone that man can be properly and in a life-like way formed into God…” Thus, Mary is the indispensable Mother of the Christian Soul.”
This explains why the True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary by St. Louis-Marie de Montfont is the basic book for all Legion doctrine. Mary’s privileges in the Divine Economy far exceed our comprehension that simply appreciating of her is thought to be romantic excess. It is important to know here that it was God who first proposed/ foretold of Mary and her unique destiny as Mother of both Christ and the Church.
Also, Mary is defined as the Mediatrix of all Graces. This is typified in Jesus’ message to her and St. John the Beloved. He tells St. John to “Behold thy mother” and to Mary that she “Behold thy son”. This fully launches Mary to be identified as the mother of redeemed mankind. Mary is the mother of the Church as we are members of Christ’s body (Eph. 4:13). Such is the doctrinal and devotional basis of the Legion of Mary. It is an inspiring doctrine. The Legion of Mary is ordered towards inculcating this doctrine and to make it a common-place throughout the Church.
THE SPIRIT OF THE LEGION OF MARY IN THE INDIVIDUAL
The Legionary begins his/her membership by seeking to be filled with the Holy Spirit through Mary, and to be used as an instrument to renew the face of the earth. His/her first duty is to advance in holiness by developing a strong relationship with Jesus and Mary. This relationship develops the external habits traits of the legionary as well as understanding the continuity of the life of grace with the life of heaven (i.e. the exemplar Christian life). The second duty of the legionary is to participate fully in public homage paid through the Liturgy to God by the Mystical Body. This is often done in daily recitation of the Legion prayers, daily Mass with Holy Communion, and daily recitation of some form of Office approved by the Church (e.g. the Breviary prayers).
THE SPIRIT OF THE LEGION IN THE APOSTOLATE
For the Legionary, the apostolate consists in bringing Mary to the world that every soul may be bound up in Christ. The Apostolate draws up grace mainly from the Sacraments and Mass and its aim is to bring divinely-appointed nourishment to the multitudes, the sick and the dying. Mary is a vessel that delivers nourishment to the apostolate through the Holy Spirit operating in her. Hence, the Legion aims to bring Mary to the world as the infallible means of winning the world to Jesus.
As a soldier of Christ, the Legionary swears allegiance to the army with Mary as its head. (Mary is the one who is to use the heel of her feet to crush the head of crush the head of the serpent devil; Led by Mary, the Legion wages war on the devil). Her army will advance until the reign of Mary has arrived. That reign will arrive, for Mary, the battle of life over, most present to her Divine Son, when He comes again in glory, His Mystical Body with each member matured and developed.
God bless you.
Emmanuel Igwe.