The Legion of Mary is a lay organisation open to men and women. Frank Duff, a group of young girls and Fr. Toher, met round an altar in Dublin on the 7 th September 1921. (That altar is the same as is used to day.) They met to see how they could put De Monfort’s True Devotion to Jesus and Mary into practice. The object of the Legion is the sanctification of its members and Evangelisation .
The Legion of Mary is the largest organisation of lay people in the Catholic Church, with well over three million active members in almost every country in the world. The Legion of Mary is open to all Catholics who faithfully practice their religion and are prepared to accept the joys and duties involved in membership of the Legion.
There are two types of membership Active and Auxiliary.
• Active members meet every week, and the meeting lasts for an hour and half, work is allocated for the coming week. Members do a minimum of 2 hours apostolic work and say the Magnificat, known to all legionaries as the Catana and is the chain that binds all members to one another.
• Auxiliary Members. These are those who while unable or do not wish to do active work ; nevertheless are willing to join as auxiliary members. They are requested to say daily all the prayers on the Tessera (prayer leaflet).They are the powerhouse of the legion and the active members are very grateful to them and rely on their prayers for the success of their work. Their prayers are given to Our Lady and reach out to the worldwide legion. If they already say the Rosary a second one is not necessary.
The Standard called Vexillium was added later. It is an adapt ion of The Roman Legion Standard. The eagle is replaced by the Dove, to represent the Holy Spirit, beneath is the cross is a bar with the inscription Legio Maria. On either side of the staff is the lily and the rose, attached to an oval frame with the presentation of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception. (as in the Miraculous Medal). The staff is set on the globe, which stands on a square base for the table model. The whole conveys the Holy Spirit working through Our Lady on the world.
