Our Activities and Beliefs

• Do you want to learn more about the Catholic faith?

• Do you want to enrich your prayer life?
• Do you want to develop close Catholic friendships?
• Do you want to grow closer to Jesus and His Mother?

Then come as a guest to a Legion of Mary meeting!
There's no obligation!

• WHAT SORT OF ORGANIZATION IS IT?

The Legion of Mary is the largest apostolic organization of lay people in the Catholic Church, with well over 3 million active members in almost every country of the world.

It has been active in the United States and Canada since 1931, has been approved by the last 6 Popes, and was endorsed by the Second Vatican Council. The main purpose of the Legion of Mary is to give glory to God through the sanctification of its members.

• WHAT DOES IT DO?

Members become instruments of the Holy Spirit through a balanced program of prayer and service. Works include door-to-door evangelization, parishioner visitation, prison ministry, visitation of the sick or aged, crowd contact, religious education, visiting the newly baptized, Pilgrim Virgin Statue rotations, and meeting the other spiritual needs of the parish community. Legionaries are under the guidance of a spiritual director named by the pastor. The Legion is, in essence, an extension of the heart and hands of the pastor.

ACTIVE members meet weekly (about 1 1/2 hrs.) with their Spiritual Director usually in a parish to pray, to report on and to receive a work assignment. A minimum of two hours work is assigned by the President and approved by the Spiritual Director or pastor. Legionaries are required to preserve absolute secrecy in regard to sensitive matters discussed or learned at the meeting or in their work. Active members recite daily the Catena (the Magnificat, prayers of the Legion). The work of a praesidium varies from place to place but members always go out in pairs to meet people. Newer members are instructed by the master-apprentice method. Ideally, the praesidium will hold evangelization/conversion contacts as its highest priority with conservation of the Faith and consoling works following. A partial list of works includes:

1. Instructing and preparing others to receive the Sacraments

2. Teaching the Catholic faith to children or adults

3. Assisting the pastor with conducting a census of his area

4. Visiting jail inmates, the hospitalized, the homebound sick or elderly, or residents of nursing homes

5. Distributing rosaries, medals, Catholic literature in a crowd contact area

AUXILIARY members, the praying wing of the Legion of Mary, are lay faithful, priests, or religious unable to assume the duties of active membership. They recite daily the prayers of the Tessera, namely: the Invocation and prayers of the Holy Spirit, 5 decades of the Rosary, the Catena, and the prayers described as 'concluding prayers'. Auxiliary members are contacted at least once a year by active members of their attached praesidium. An invitation is extended to Acies, the annual ceremony of re-consecration to Mary, Queen of the Legion, held around March 25th, the Annunciation. Auxiliaries are honored with a special function around September 8th, the birth of Our Blessed Mother.

• HOW DOES IT WORK?

Members meet once a week for prayer, planning and discussion in a family setting. Then they do two hours of definite work each week in pairs and under the guidance of their spiritual director.

• WHO CAN BELONG?

The Legion of Mary is open to all Catholics who:

• Faithfully practice their religion;
• Are animated by the desire to participate in the Church's apostolate through membership in the Legion;
• Are prepared to fulfill each and every duty which active membership in the Legion involves

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• HOW DO I START?

The first step is to be a guest at a meeting of the Legion of Mary. Guests are always welcome and can go on one of the work assignments with an experienced member if they choose. If there is no Legion of Mary in your parish, you can participate in a group in another parish until you can start one of your own with the assistance of other Legionaries and in cooperation with the pastor.

• HERE AT STS. MARTHA AND MARY PARISH

Our praesidium is called Our Lady, Queen of Heaven & Earth and our meetings are held every Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. in a room in our church basement. Come and join us for faith sharing, prayer and great company!

The basic unit of the Legion of Mary is called a praesidium. This Latin word was used to designate a detachment of the Roman Legion performing special duty such as a section of a military line, a fortified post, or a garrison. Each praesidium is named after a title of Our Blessed Lady, for example, Our Lady of Mercy, or from one of her privileges, for example, The Immaculate Conception, or from an event in her life, for example, The Visitation. No praesidium should be established in any parish without the consent of the parish priest or of the Ordinary (Bishop). The members hold a meeting every week under the guidance of a Spiritual Director and each member is assigned a work to be performed during the week.

"Legionary duty requires from each legionary:

First, the punctual and regular attendance at the weekly meetings of the praesidium, and the furnishing there of an adequate and audible report on the work done;

Second, the daily recitation of the Catena;

Third, the performance of a substantial active legionary work, in the spirit of faith, and in union with Mary, in such fashion that in those worked for and in one's fellow-members, the Person of our Lord is once again seen and served by Mary, his Mother;

Fourth, absolute respect for the confidential nature of many matters discussed at the meeting or learned in connection with the legionary work."

• HOW CAN I GET MORE INFORMATION?

For more information, ask any member of the Legion of Mary or contact the parish office to obtain the name and telephone number of a point of contact for the nearest Legion of Mary Praesidium.

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