Legion of Mary celebrates 100 years internationally

By Christine Bordelon
Clarion Herald

On Dec. 4, members of the lay apostolate of the state’s Legion of Mary marked the international organization’s 100th birthday with a Mass celebrated by Archbishop Gregory Aymond at St. Christopher the Martyr Church in Metairie.

The Legion, now with 10 million active and auxiliary (praying) members in 170 countries, is the largest apostolic lay organization in the Catholic Church. There are 2,500 members in Louisiana alone.

“It was God’s dream that became a reality through Frank Duff,” said Archbishop Aymond of the organization’s founder. “God lit a fire in him, and that fire spread throughout the world. He gave it leadership for 59 years.”

The Legion of Mary’s first meeting was in Dublin, Ireland, on Sept. 7, 1921, when Duff invited people to start an active apostolate devoted to Mary, the Blessed Mother, where members would develop their spirituality by performing works of mercy, rather than material aid, in cooperation with Our Lady.

Their mission as disciples was to bring Christ to others through prayers and actions.

“His dream was to gather people together, particularly the lay faithful,” Archbishop Aymond said. “And, in so doing, he asked them to not only care for the poor, but to do it in honor of Mary and to see Mary leading them, guiding them and inspiring them. “

Today’s evangelizers
Archbishop Aymond said the Legion of Mary is a way of life based on the values of the Gospel.

Those values include being “a people of prayer (who) pray not only for ourselves but also for others and for the salvation of the whole world,” the archbishop said.

“That prayer must become action,” he said. “That action takes on corporal works of mercy like visiting the sick at home or in the hospital, caring for those in hospice, reaching out to those in prison, recognizing the poor and being able to love them, pray for them and serve them.”

Legion of Mary members also reach out to those who are lonely to “bring them Communion when necessary, lead the rosary and be involved in respect life defense,” the archbishop noted.


“Whatever it is, works of charity are rooted first in prayer,” he said. “Out of that prayer, we as members of the Legion of Mary, reach out to others with the hand of Christ, in the name of Mary, the Legion of Mary.”

He said Mary brings us to her son and helps us see her son in others through these works of charity.

“The coming of the Lord happens through you,” Archbishop Aymond said. “It is an everyday experience not as dramatic as the birth of Jesus or the second coming. During this Advent journey, we ask for the eyes of faith, to foster that coming of the Lord and to see it with the eyes of faith.”

Reaching out to others
Active members do the apostolic works and pray, while auxiliary members give prayer support.

Member Velva Roberts, a 45-year parishioner at Resurrection of Our Lord in New Orleans, enjoys praying the rosary with her fellow Legion of Mary members.

“We do outreach by praying the rosary with the homebound, and we visit the homebound,” Roberts said.

“I have a love affair with the Blessed Mother,” said Mary Rose Severa, who attended the anniversary Mass with her husband Joseph and other relatives. “I have been in her immaculate heart since we were first married. In fact, we prayed to her on our first date and every night since then.”

Anita Leumas, who first joined the Legion of Mary in Pakistan, has been an active member of the Our Lady of Perpetual Help chapter in Kenner since 1998. Her husband, Tommy, is an auxiliary member.

“We would go two by two – just as the apostles were sent out,” to visit shut-ins and those in the hospital from her parish and connect people with priests if they needed a sacrament, she said.

“With the shortage of priests, it makes sense that we could go visit and spend time with them,” Leumas said.


Father Raymond Igbogidi, St. Christopher pastor and the Legion’s state spiritual director for three years, concelebrated the Mass. He believes every parish should have a devotion to Mary.

“We embrace Mary, our mother, and ask her to help us to be drawn closer to her son, Jesus,” Father Igbogidi said. “We grew up with a devotion to Mary, who intercedes and supports us. She is the mother of priests.”


Richard E. Launey, president, Immaculata Regia (The Legion of Mary in Louisiana), said members are helping to bring the love of God to the people of Louisiana.

“The last 100 years are the first 100 years,” Launey said. “There is more to come.”

To learn more about the Legion of Mary or find one of the 16 local Legion of Mary councils call Launey at (504) 975-6930.

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