Brief Summary
This video discusses Frank Duff's spiritual journey and the events leading to the founding of the Legion of Mary. It highlights his involvement with the St. Vincent de Paul Society, his growing awareness of the spiritual destitution of the poor, his efforts to combat proselytizing, and his eventual embrace of St. Louis Marie de Montfort's "True Devotion to Mary," which ultimately inspired the creation of the Legion of Mary.
- Frank Duff's work with the St. Vincent de Paul Society exposed him to the poverty and spiritual needs of Dublin's poor.
- He combatted proselytizing efforts by providing an alternative Catholic soup kitchen.
- Duff's repeated readings of "True Devotion to Mary" eventually led him to embrace its teachings.
- Discussions with friends about "True Devotion" led to the establishment of the Legion of Mary.
Early Life and Exposure to Poverty
Frank Duff's involvement with the St. Vincent de Paul Society marked a significant shift towards a deeper spiritual life and apostolic commitment. Through this organization, he encountered the desperate poverty in Dublin's tenement buildings, where families faced squalor, hunger, and lack of basic necessities. This exposure deeply affected Duff, awakening him to the material and spiritual destitution surrounding him. He became actively involved in the society, learning from other members who were also dedicated to apostolic work, some of whom later became priests.
Daily Mass and Spiritual Growth
Following 1913, Frank Duff decided to attend daily Mass for Lent and continued this practice indefinitely, attending at least one or two Masses every day until his death. This commitment reflected his profound love for the Eucharist and his growing dedication to prayer, spending up to three or four hours a day in prayer. His experiences with the St. Vincent de Paul Society revealed that the poor suffered not only from material deprivation but also from spiritual destitution, inspiring him to provide them with holy medals and prayer cards alongside material assistance.
Combating Proselytizing
Frank Duff learned about Protestant groups in Dublin who were offering food in exchange for attending religious teachings, a practice he viewed as a perverted way of conversion that exploited people's needs. In response, Duff went to the location of one of these groups and tried to dissuade people from attending, praying the rosary in between. He then joined forces with a man named Gavit, who ran a Catholic soup kitchen, and began directing people there instead. Gavit's soup kitchen featured a statue of Our Lady of Grace on a small altar, which later became the statue used at the first Legion of Mary meeting.
Embracing "True Devotion to Mary"
Around 1917, Frank Duff and his friends began reading St. Louis Marie de Montfort's "True Devotion to Mary." Initially, Duff struggled to understand the text, requiring multiple attempts before its meaning became clear to him. This understanding aligned with his earlier insights about the importance of love for Our Lady, as expressed in his pamphlet "Can We Be Saints." Duff gathered his friends for discussion groups to explore "True Devotion" and consider how to live it out, leading to a meeting to discuss putting their consecration into action.
The Genesis of the Legion of Mary
A couple of weeks before September 7, 1921, Frank Duff and his companions met at Myra House, a St. Vincent de Paul facility, to discuss "True Devotion to Mary." They concluded their discussion with the Angelus prayer and scheduled another meeting to implement their ideas. From this meeting, the Legion of Mary was born. The group decided to place themselves at Our Lady's disposal and determine their next steps, marking the beginning of the organization.
