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Legion HANDBOOK D10944 1 26/02/2014 15:53 Page iTHEOFFICIAL HANDBOOKOF THELEGION OF MARYPUBLISHED BYCONCILIUM LEGIONIS MARIAEDE MONTFORT HOUSEMORNING STAR AVENUEBRUNSWICK STREETDUBLIN 7, IRELAND
Legion HANDBOOK D10944 1 26/02/2014 15:53 Page iiRevised Edition, 2014Nihil Obstat:Bede McGregor, O.P., M.A., D.D.Censor Theologicus Deputatus.Imprimi potest: Diarmuid MartinArchiep. Dublinen.Hiberniae Primas.Dublin, 11th February 2014ACKNOWLEDGMENTS:Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal 2010, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc.All rights reserved.Translation of The Magnificat by kind permission of A. P. WattLtd. on behalf of The Grail.Extracts from English translations of documents of theMagisterium by kind permission of the Catholic Truth Society(London) and Veritas (Dublin).Quotation on page 305 by kind permission of Sheed and Ward.The official magazine of the Legion of Mary, Maria Legionis,is published quarterlyPresentata House,263 North Circular Road,Dublin 7, Ireland. Copyright 2014Printed in the Republic of Ireland byMahons, 54 Bolton Street, Dublin 1
Legion HANDBOOK D10944 1 26/02/2014 15:53 Page iiiContentsPage. . . .PRELIMINARY NOTEPROFILE OF FRANK DUFF . . .PHOTOGRAPHS: FRANK DUFF .LEGION ALTARVEXILLA. .CHAPTER. . . . . . .V. . . . . . . VIfacing pageVIfacing page 108facing page 1401.2.3.4.5.6.Name and Origin . . . . . . . . . . .Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Spirit of the Legion . . . . . . . . . .Legionary service . . . . . . . . . . .The Devotional Outlook of the LegionThe Duty of Legionaries towards Mary.911121317257.8.9.10.11.12.The Legionary and the Holy Trinity . . . . . .The Legionary and the Eucharist . . . . . . . .The Legionary and the Mystical Body of ChristThe Legion Apostolate . . . . . . . . . . . . .Scheme of the Legion . . . . . . . . . . . . . .The External Aims of the Legion. . . . . . .41455159677213.14.15.16.17.18.Membership . . . . . . . . . . . . .The Praesidium. . . . . . . . . . .The Legionary Promise. . . . . . .Additional Grades of Membership.The Souls of our Departed LegionariesOrder of the Praesidium Meeting . . . 80. 84. 90. 92. 103. 10519.20.21.22.23.24.The Meeting and the Member .The Legion System Invariable .The Mystical Home of NazarethThe Prayers of the Legion . . .The Prayers Invariable . . . . .The Patrons of the Legion . . .11612612813113513625.26.27.28.29.30.The Legion Picture. . .The Tessera. . . . . . .Vexillum Legionis . . . .Government of the LegionLegionary Loyalty. . .Functions . . . . . . . . .145148149152171173III.
Legion HANDBOOK D10944 1 26/02/2014 15:53 Page ivTHE OFFICIAL HANDBOOKIV31.32.33.34.35.36.Extension and Recruiting . . . . . .Objections which may be anticipatedBasic Duties of Legionaries. . . . .Duties of Officers of Praesidia . . . .Funds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Praesidia requiring Special Mention .37.38.39.40.41.Suggestions as to Works . . . . . . . . . . .The Patricians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Cardinal Points of the Legion ApostolateGo Preach the Gospel to the Whole CreationThe Greatest of These is Love . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Page179183191209220222231260273307327Index of Papal References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330Appendix 1: Papal Letters and Messages. . . . . . . . 331Abbreviations of Documents of the MagisteriumIndex of Documents of the Magisterium. . . . 339. . . . . . . . 340Appendix 2: Extracts from the Dogmatic Constitutionon the Church Lumen Gentium of theSecond Vatican Council . . . . . . . . . .Appendix 3: Extracts from the Code of Canon Law onthe Obligations and Rights of the laymembers of Christ’s Faithful . . . . . . .Appendix 4: The Roman Legion . . . . . . . . . . . .Appendix 5: Confraternity of Mary Queen of All HeartsAppendix 6: The Miraculous Medal. . . . . . . . . .Appendix 7: Confraternity of the Most Holy Rosary . .Appendix 8: The Teaching of Christian Doctrine. . .Appendix 9: The Pioneer Total Abstinence Associationof the Sacred Heart . . . . . . . . . . . .Appendix 10: Study of the Faith . . . . . . . . . . . . .Appendix 11: A Marian Synthesis . . . . . . . . . . . .Prayer of St. Bernard341343345347350352353354355358. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 361Abbreviations of Books of the Bible. . . . . . . . . . . 362Index of Biblical References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 363Index of Authors and other Persons of Interest. . . . 365Index of Subjects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 368Note references to our LordPoem of Joseph Mary Plunkett. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 374. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 375
Legion HANDBOOK D10944 1 26/02/2014 15:53 Page vTHE OFFICIAL HANDBOOKVPreliminary NoteThe Legion is a system which can be thrown out ofbalance by suppressing or altering any of its parts. Of it,could the following verse have been written:“Pluck one thread, and the web ye mar;Break but oneOf a thousand keys, and the paining jarThrough all will run.”(Whittier)So, if unprepared to work the system exactly as describedin these pages, please do not start the Legion at all. In thisconnection read carefully chapter 20 “The Legion SystemInvariable”.Without affiliation to the Legion (through one of itsapproved Councils) there is no Legionary membership.If past experience is an indication, no branch of theLegion which is worked faithfully according to rule willfail.
Legion HANDBOOK D10944 1 26/02/2014 15:53 Page viTHE OFFICIAL HANDBOOKVIFRANK DUFFFounder of the Legion of MaryFrank Duff was born in Dublin, Ireland, on June 7, 1889. He entered the Civil Service at the age of 18 and had a distinguished career.His free time he at first dedicated to sporting activities, but at the ageof 24 he joined the Society of St. Vincent de Paul where he was led toa deeper commitment to his Catholic faith and at the same time heacquired a great sensi tiv ity to the needs of the poor andunderprivileged.Along with a group of Catholic women and Fr. Michael Toher, apriest of the Dublin Archdiocese, he formed the first branch of whatwas to become the first praesidium of the Legion of Mary onSeptember 7, 1921. From that date until his death, November 7, 1980,he guided the world-wide extension of the Legion with heroicdedication. He attended the Second Vatican Council as a lay observer.He died on the evening of November 7, 1980 aged 91 years. His Causefor Beatification was introduced by His Eminence Desmond CardinalConnell, the then Archbishop of Dublin, in June 1996.His profound insights into the role of the Holy Spirit and the BlessedVirgin Mary in the plan of Redemption, and the role of the lay faithfulin the mission of the Church, are reflected in this Handbook which isalmost entirely his composition.Prayer for the Beatification of the Servant of God,Frank DuffGod our Father,You inspired your servant Frank Duff with a profound insight intothe mystery of your Church, the Body of Christ, and of the place ofMary the Mother of Jesus in this mystery.In his immense desire to share this insight with others and in filialdependance on Mary, he formed her Legion to be a sign of hermaternal love for the world and a means of enlisting all her childrenin the Church’s evangelising work.We thank you Father for the graces conferred on him and for thebenefits accruing to the Church from his courageous and shining faith.With confidence we beg you that through his intercession, yougrant the petition we lay before you .We ask too that if it be in accordance with your will, the holiness ofhis life may be acknowledged by the Church for the glory of yourName.Through Christ Our Lord, Amen
Legion HANDBOOK D10944 1 26/02/2014 15:53 Page viiFRANK DUFF
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Legion HANDBOOK D10944 1 26/02/2014 15:53 Page 9THE LEGION OF MARYWho is she that comes forth as the morning rising, fair as the moon,bright as the sun, terrible as an army set in battle array? (Song 6:10)“The Virgin’s name was Mary.” (Lk 1: 27)“The Legion of Mary! What a perfectly chosen name!” (Pope Pius XI)1NAME AND ORIGINThe Legion of Mary is an Association of Catholics who,with the sanction of the Church and under the powerfulleadership of Mary Immaculate, Mediatrix of all Graces (whois fair as the moon, bright as the sun, and — to Satan and hislegionaries — terrible as an army set in battle array), haveformed themselves into a Legion for service in the warfarewhich is perpetually waged by the Church against the worldand its evil powers.“The whole life of men, both individual and social, showsitself to be a struggle, and a dramatic one, between good andevil, between light and darkness.” (GS 13)The legionaries hope to render themselves worthy of theirgreat heavenly Queen by their loyalty, their virtues, and theircourage. The Legion of Mary is therefore organised on themodel of an army, principally on that of the army of ancientRome, the terminology of which is adopted also. But the armyand the arms of legionaries of Mary are not of this world.This army, now so considerable, had the most humble ofbeginnings. It was not a thought-out organisation. It sprangup spontaneously. There was no premeditation in regard torules and practices. A suggestion was simply thrown out. Anevening was fixed, and a little group came together, unawarethat they were to be the instruments of most loving Providence.9
Legion HANDBOOK D10944 1 26/02/2014 15:53 Page 1010NAME AND ORIGINCHAPTER 1To look at that meeting, it was identical with what would beseen to-day were one to attend a Legion meeting anywhere inthe world. The table around which they met bore a simplealtar, of which the centre was a statue of the ImmaculateConception (of the miraculous medal model). It stood on awhite cloth, and was flanked by two vases with flowers, andtwo candlesticks with lighted candles. This setting, so rich inatmosphere, was the inspired notion of one of the earliestcomers. It crystallised everything for which the Legion ofMary stands. The Legion is an army. Well, their Queen wasthere before they assembled. She stood waiting to receive theenrolments of those whom she knew were coming to her.They did not adopt her. She adopted them; and since thenthey have marched and fought with her, knowing that theywould succeed and persevere just to the extent that they wereunited to her.The first corporate act of those legionaries was to go ontheir knees. The earnest young heads were bent down. Theinvocation and prayer of the Holy Spirit were said; and thenthrough the fingers which had, during the day, beentoilsomely employed, slipped the beads of the simplest of alldevotions. When the final invocations died away, they sat up,and under the auspices of Mary (as represented by her statue),they set themselves to the consideration of how they couldbest please God and make him loved in his world. From thatdiscussion came forth the Legion of Mary, as it is today, in allits features.What a wonder! Who, contemplating those inconspicuouspersons — so simply engaged — could in his wildest momentsimagine what a destiny waited just a little along the road?Who among them could think that they were inaugurating asystem which was to be a new world-force, possessing — iffaithfully and forcefully administered — the power, in Mary,of imparting life and sweetness and hope to the nations? Yetso it was to be.That first enrolment of legionaries of Mary took place atMyra House, Francis Street, Dublin, Ireland, at 8 p.m. on 7September, 1921, the eve of the feast of Our Lady’s Nativity.From the title of the parent branch, that is, Our Lady of Mercy,the organisation was for a time known as “The Association ofOur Lady of Mercy.”
Legion HANDBOOK D10944 1 26/02/2014 15:53 Page 11CHAPTER 2OBJECT11Circumstances which one would regard as accidentaldetermined this date, which seemed at the time lessappropriate than the following day would have been. In afteryears only—when countless proofs of a truly maternal lovehad made one reflect—was it realised that not the leastexquisite touch of Mary’s hand had been shown in themoment of the Legion’s birth. Of the evening and themorning was the first day made (Gen 1:5), and surely the first,and not the last fragrances of the feast which honours herown Nativity were appropriate to the first moments of anorganisation, whose first and constant aim has been toreproduce in itself the likeness of Mary, thus best to magnifythe Lord and bring him to men.“Mary is the Mother of all the members of the Saviour, because byher charity she has co-operated in the birth of the faithful in theChurch. Mary is the living mould of God, that is to say, it is in heralone that the God Man was naturally formed without losing afeature, so to speak, of His Godhead; and it is in her alone that mancan be properly and in a life-like way formed into God, so far ashuman nature is capable of this by the grace of Jesus Christ.” (St.Augustine)“What a beautiful work of mercy and so appropriate to makeknown to many people who do not understand it, the true face of theCatholic Church.” (Bl. John XXIII)2OBJECTThe object of the Legion of Mary is the glory of Godthrough the holiness of its members developed by prayer andactive co-operation, under ecclesiastical guidance, in Mary’sand the Church’s work of crushing the head of the serpentand advancing the reign of Christ.Subject to the approval of the Concilium, and to therestrictions specified in the official handbook of the Legion,the Legion of Mary is at the disposal of the bishop of the
Legion HANDBOOK D10944 1 26/02/2014 15:53 Page 1212SPIRIT OF THE LEGIONCHAPTER 3diocese and the parish priest for any and every form of s
Virgin Mary in the plan of Redemption, and the role of the lay faithful in the mission of the Church, are reflected in this Handbook which is almost entirely his composition. Prayer for the Beatification of the Servant of God, Frank Duff God our Father, You inspired your servant Frank Duff with a profound insight into the mystery of your Church, the Body of Christ, and of the place of Mary the .
