Legion History

With these words, spoken during a novena service from the pulpit of St. Anthony of Padua Church at 832 East 166th Street, the Bronx, Fr. Anthony Rothlauf announced what was to be the first Legion of Mary meeting on New York.

Fourteen persons of varying ages and backgrounds responded to that inviting challenge. Thus, on January 25, 1935, Mother of Divine Grace Praesidium began the first of its many weekly meetings.

Fr. Rothlauf had read an article by Fr. Joseph Donovan, C.M., reprinted in the London Ecclesiastical Review, entitled, 'Is This The Long Looked For Church Society?'

On November 14, 1932 Father Rothlauf wrote to Ireland for information about the Legion and Frank Duff and John Murray responded. In 1934, Father had a chance to meet Mary Duffy, a Legionary from Dublin, Ireland, working on Extension in New England. She encouraged him to work with all available parishioners. His promise to her to start the Legion was kept one year later.

Gertrude Berry and her sister, Mary, were among the fourteen at that first meeting in 1935. Fr. Rothlauf instructed them from a paper-covered Handbook. They met for nine months, and toward the end of 1935, John Murray arrived from Ireland. He encouraged them and instructed them to start visiting homes. They were advised that Christ and Our Lady would help them to know what to say. They were assigned in pairs to visit a section of one and two family homes. They felt nervous at the first door, but took courage and carried out the assignment, finding many non-Church goers and encouraging them to return to the Sacraments. Home visitations continued to be one of their basic work assignments.

Father Maurice McDonald, C.Ss.R., started the first Praesidium in the Brooklyn Diocese, shortly after Msgr. Rothlauf started the one in the Bronx. It held its first meeting on January 31, 1935. The Legion of Mary in Brooklyn has grown and now has twelve attached Curiae and 20 Praesidia.

By 1940, 11 other praesidia had been formed throughout the city.

From 1935 to 1944 there was no Legion Council as such in New York. On September 10th, under the close guidance of John Murray, an Extension Worker from the Concilium, who spent several years in the U.S. doing organization and extension, the Legion Extension Committee was formed. The other Concilium representative who assisted was Mary Duffy. The purpose of the Committee was to organize the work of extending the Legion. Father Rothlauf, who had been the first to start the Legion in New York, became the Spiritual Director and Gertrude Berry was elected as President. The New York Extension Committee began meeting in September, 1940 at St. Anthony's and later at Leo House with 100 or more members from the various praesidia in attendance.

By 1944, about 34 praesidia (5 Junior) had been set up. On November 6, 1944 the Archdiocesan Commission of New York gave permission to start a Curia of the Legion of Mary in New York. John Murray met with Msgr. Rothlauf to plan for that first council. The first meeting of the New York Curia was held in St. Joseph's auditorium on east 87th Street, where Fr. Rothlauf was assigned, on Sunday. November 26, 1944. The meeting took place on the eve of the Feast of the Miraculous Medal. John Murray was again present as he had been at many of the meetings of each praesidium. Gertrude Berry was elected the first president. There was as yet no officially appointed Spiritual Director, although Fr. Rothlauf was acting. There were 13 other Spiritual Directors present. Some of the items discussed were the serious obligation of the praesidium officers to attend the Curia Meeting, and harmony among the members. Permission was asked and given to hold a Junior Officers Meeting. The first Curia meeting lasted just 2 hours and 45 minutes.

At this time Msgr. John Casey was the Director of the Sodality in NY. He was not familiar with the Legion yet and feared that this new society was taking members away from the tried and true Sodality. He complained to Cardinal Spellman and asked him to close down this foreign organization. The Cardinal, who some years later was to send a letter to all the Pastors of the Archdiocese recommending the Legion, told Msgr. Casey that he would appoint him Spiritual Director of the Legion and if he thought it should be closed down, iw would be up to him to do it.

At a regular meeting of the new Curia, shortly thereafter, Msgr Casey sat in the front row of the body, facing the officers. He was waiting for the end of the meeting, when he would make his announcement closing down the Legion in New York. Towards the end of the meeting a report was given by a Junior praesidium. They described how they had patiently visited a particular family over a long period of time. There were the father and mother and many children, none of whom were Baptized. The Junior Legionaries would visit them together with the Seniors and the family would always agree, but there would always be some excuse. One of the family members would be absent or sick, or they wouldn't have the proper clothes or they had to go out. Finally, one day, the Legionaries arrived and everyone was ready. They proceeded to the Church and all received the Sacrament of Baptism. Afterwards, they all went back to the house and had a great celebration. That night, the Juniors reported, the boiler blew up in the basement and instantly killed all in the house. At these words, a Legionary who was sitting behind Msgr. Casey said that when he heard that report he sat up straight as if hit by lightning. At that moment he was completely converted to the Legion. At the end of that very meeting he told the story to the members assembled there of his intent to close the Legion and his conversion.

Msgr. Casey remained as Spiritual Director of the Curia until his death in 1953. Cardinal Spellman wrote the the then Curia president, saying that the Legion had surely smoothed Msgr. Casey's way into Heaven. On January 12th, 1954, the Cardinal wrote to Father Rothlauf appointing him as Spiritual Director. John Murray, then vice-president of the Concilium, wrote to Father Rothlauf, sending his joyous congratulations.

The first officers of the New York Curia were: President- Gertrude Berry: Vice President- Eleanor Kenny: Secretary- Mary Agnes Keefe: Treasurer- Rita Tiernan.

As the number of Junior praesidia grew, a Junior Curia, covering Praesidia in Manhattan, the Bronx, and Staten Island, was set up in 1945.

The number of praesidia kept growing and so the New York Curia was raised to the status of a Comitium in November 1949.

In 1950, the first Spanish-speaking Praesidium, Our Lady of Guadalupe, was founded.

During this period. Alfie Lambe, new envoy to South America, visited the New York Curia on his way to his assignment. Alfie, whose cause for beatification would be introduced some years later, addressed the New York Legionaries on July 16th, 1953.

In May of 1954, a letter was received from John Murray enclosing a Spiritual Bouquet card sent to Edel Quinn by one of the early Junior Praesidia, Mystical Rose, located at St. John the Evangelist in Manhattan. The card was dated October, 1936, the very month that Edel left for Africa. Bro. Murray said that she had carried the card throughout her travels there and must have treasured it.

At this time, His Eminence, Cardinal Spellman, appointed Msgr. Rothlauf Diocesan Director of the Legion of Mary for the Archdiocese of New York.

On February 11, 1956 Florence Fitzinger wrote to then Msgr Rothlauf saying that the Concilium had elevated the New York Comitium to the status of a Senatus, the territory to include New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The New England states were added later. In the future these areas would become the Philadelphia and Boston Senatus.

Msgr. Rothlauf served as Spiritual Director until 1958. He was succeeded by Msgr. Edward J. Reynolds, who was followed in 1974 by Father Thomas A. Nielson. In December 1976, Cardinal Cooke appointed Father James T. O'Connor to be Spiritual Director. He served until 1994.

Since that time the following priests have also served faithfully as Spiritual Directors for the Senatus: Fr. Larry Paolicelli, Fr. Gerald Murray, J.C.D. and Fr. George Rutler, S.T.D.. Recently Fr. Daniel Kyom has been serving as Senatus Spiritual Director. Other wonderful priests have also helped by filling in at this post and supporting us many other ways, these include: Fr. Thaddeus Murphy, O.P., Fr. William Shelley, Fr. Roger Pageot, S.S.S., Fr. John Graham, C.Ss.R., Fr. Anthony Kelly, S.A.C. and Fr. Raymond Arre.

Throughout the years the Legion of Mary has been blessed to have received wonderful support from our Cardinals, Archbishops, Bishops, Priests, Deacons and Religious.

While the Legion was growing locally it was also extending to the surrounding areas of New York and New Jersey.

Mary Duffy helped organize the first praesidium meeting at St. Patrick's Parish in Albany on February 14, 1944.

Father Thomas Murphy introduced the Legion of Mary into the Paterson Diocese.

In the Newark Archdiocese, Father Patrick McGrath was the Spiritual Director of the first praesidium founded at Blessed Sacrament Church on February 25. 1954.

Today the New York Regional Senatus is made up of Legionaries from New York State and northern New Jersey, forming six Comitia, fourteen Curiae and twenty one Praesidia - all directly attached to the Senatus.

The Legion of Mary holds meetings in English, Spanish, Korean, Haitian, Italian, Vietnamese and Chinese throughout the area.

In the Senatus area there are 5,600 active members in 649 praesidia (groups) and 436 active junior members in 50 junior praesidia in 512 parishes. Active members meet weekly in their own parish and perform a minimum of two hours of apostolic work each week. Junior members (under the age of 18) perform at least one hour of apostolic work. Within the New York Archdiocese proper, there are 1,485 active members in 187 praesidia and 90 active junior members in 17 junior praesidia in 148 parishes.

Also, we have 35,888 auxiliary members who do not attend meetings but who support the work by their daily prayers, which include the Rosary.

Many members take on Praetorian or Adjutorian membership, which involves, in addition to the regular obligations, daily Mass and Holy Communion and the recitation of some form of Office approved by the Church.

All Legion works are done under the supervision and with the permission of the pastor.

The Legion apostolate consists of direct personal contact and its priorities are:

Conversion - Legionaries speak with people of other religions or no religion about the fullness of our Faith. Some ask for instruction and are referred to the priest who may ask the members to help with this. Results include hundreds of conversions.

Conservation - Catholics are invited to go one step higher in their spiritual life, including more frequent reception of the sacraments, those who have been away from the sacraments are encouraged to return and parishioners are asked to take a more active part in the life of their parish as Lectors, Eucharistic Ministers, etc. Results include many returns to the sacraments, marriages validated and adults and children receiving the sacraments of Baptism, Holy Communion and Confirmation.

Consolation - When visiting people in hospitals and nursing homes – while holding someone’s hand, Legionaries pray with them and ask Catholics if they need to see a priest, resulting in many returns to the Sacraments. They also visit non-Catholics and some of them have received the grace of conversion.
Members often serve in their parishes as CCD teachers and as Eucharistic Ministers in hospitals and nursing homes.

Legionaries visit thousands of homes door-to-door, inviting people to, and back to Church. Some visits lead to Enthronement of the Sacred Heart or Pilgrim Virgin (a program of prayer with the family including the Rosary). Visits to one family resulted in a child being instructed in the Faith and his father, a Muslim being converted.

A 'bookbarrow', a portable pamphlet rack, staffed by legionaries is set up in a public area and literature on the Catholic Church, Confession and the Mass is displayed along with schedules of Masses and Confessions in nearby parishes. A Jewish lady who stopped at a bookbarrow was nurtured by the Legionaries. She asked for instructions in our Faith, became a Catholic and later entered religious life.

Some results come after follow-ups over months and even years and some are only known to God.
The Legion of Mary also sponsors retreats and days of recollection in parishes.

Many Legionaries have entered the priesthood and the religious life and many serve as deacons. The Legion also promotes vocations to the priesthood and the religious life by means of its weekly cable TV program.

The Legion has three persons whose causes for canonization have been introduced – the founder of the Legion, Servant of God Frank Duff, Venerable Edel Quinn and Servant of God Alfie Lambe.

The purpose of the Legion is to give glory to God through the sanctification of the members who become instruments of the Holy Spirit through frequent reception of the Sacraments and a balanced program of prayer and apostolic service under the guidance of a priest. Membership does not require specific skills or advanced spirituality. Any practicing Catholic, even a youngster, with the willingness to follow the Legion system and through the spirituality of the meeting and experience of the apostolic work, can become a true lay apostle.

We hope that we will be able to continue to be of service to Our Blessed Lord through His dear Mother and to His Church in the New York Archdiocese. Please keep us in your prayers and be assured of ours always.

We thank God our Father, His Blessed Son our Lord, the Holy Spirit and our Blessed Mother Mary for the privilege of being Legionaries. May they continue to protect us and help us to be true to their trust.