Legion of Mary Brings the Love of Our Blessed Mother into the World

From hosting our annual parish tradition of the Blessing of St. Joseph’s Table, to promoting Marian devotion in beautiful ways, the Legion of Mary members emanate the love and goodness of Our Lady.

“The Legion is such a blessing to me and to everyone else who is connected with it,” says Lillie Petrie, who currently serves as President of the Legion of Mary. “It is a loving, forgiving influence in my life. The Legion sees itself, in truth, as a Legion of Mary, united to her mission and guaranteed her victory. Its members become living images of Mary. The Legion brings Mary to the world, and she gives light to the world and sets it all ablaze.”

According to their website at legionofmary.ie “The Legion of Mary is a lay apostolic association of Catholics who, with the sanction of the Church and under the powerful leadership of Mary Immaculate, Mediatrix of All Graces, serve the Church and their neighbor on a voluntary basis in about 170 countries... With the approval and support of the Popes and a great many Bishops, Priests and Religious, as well as the prayers and efforts of legionaries, the Legion, by the grace of God, has grown into a worldwide organization with several million members.”

The object of the Legion of Mary is the glory of God through the holiness of its members developed by prayer and active cooperation in Mary’s and the Church’s work. The Legion sees as its priority the spiritual welfare of each individual. Each unit of the Legion of Mary is called a praesidium. In addition to Lillie, the officers of our parish’s praesidium are Vice President Pat Kern, Treasurer Joseph Jannetta and Secretary Christie Brown. It currently has seven active members and 108 auxiliary members. It meets every Wednesday from 10:30 to 12 p.m. year-round, in Room 1B in the church basement. During their meetings, members pray the Rosary, discuss prior and proposed apostolic works, do spiritual reading, and study the Legion of Mary handbook.

The spirituality of the Legion of Mary is based on the Blessed Virgin Mary herself and all her attributes, as well as the precepts of St. Louis-Marie de Montfort’s True Devotion to Mary.

“The legionary, lost in the depth of Mary’s soul, shares her faith, her humility, and her Immaculate Heart — hence the potency of her prayer — and swiftly is transformed into Christ, which is the object of all life,” Lillie says. “In and through her legionary, Mary participates in every duty and mother’s souls, so that in each of those worked for — not only is a person of Our Lord seen and served, but seen and served by Mary, with the same exquisite love and nurturing care which she gave to the actual body of her Divine Son.”

As far as their apostolic works, its members participate in the life of our parish in a rich variety of ways — visiting the sick and the homebound; collaborating in apostolic and missionary undertakings sponsored by the parish; making rosaries to distribute to various groups within the church community and beyond; assisting and facilitating in Eucharistic Adoration; promoting and participating in the Pilgrim Rosary, Patriotic Rosary, and Rosaries offered at funerals; assisting with the Bereavement Ministry; attending Right to Life rallies as “prayer warriors”; and actively promoting the extension of the Legion of Mary.

This September, active and auxiliary members will gather for the 100th Anniversary of the Legion of Mary. All parish members are also invited. For more information about this wonderful ministry, please contact Lillie Petrie at 803-225-0407.

During their meetings, Legion of Mary members pray the Rosary, discuss prior and proposed apostolic works, do spiritual reading, and study the Legion of Mary handbook.