Bangalore Archdiocese

By Fr Franklin D'Souza

Chitradurga, Sep 11 : Legion of Mary of Our Lady of Assumption Church , Hiriyur in the District of Chitradurga organised thanksgiving Holy Eucharist on the centenary year of Legion of Mary (1921-2021), on 5th September 2021.

The origin of Legion Mary goes back to 1921. In Ireland at Dublin in 1921 Mr. Frank Duff and Ms. Kirvin gathered 15 young ladies, full of faith and fervour, around the little statue of Our Lady between two small lighted candles on a table covered with little white cloth and led the five decades of the rosary to mark the founding of the great ecclesial lay apostolic movement we now know as the Legion of Mary, which drawing its inspiration from St. Marie Grignion de Montfort and St. Vincent de Paul, has indeed given radical and even revolutionary service to the Church and to the wider society in all the five continents where it has spread during these nearly 100 years of its existence, with more than a million active, zealous and even heroic members, some of whom have borne witness to their faith through Martyrdom particularly in China, North Korea and Vietnam under communists regimes.

The torch of revolutionary zeal and radical commitment that was lit in Ireland in 1921 was brought to India in 1931 and during last 90 years of its existence in our country it has spread wide the fire of the Gospel and Christian faith, fellowship and charity by igniting thousands of pious lay women of all classes, castes, cultures and communities,. bound together with the bonds of faith, fellowship and fervour under the special Patronage of Mary our Mother.

At present in the Diocese of Shimoga, Fr Franklin D'Souza is the chaplain for the Legion of Mary and Mr. Vijaya Ratna Kumar is the president of Shimoga Diocesan Mount Carmel comitium.

In every Parish, Legion of Mary units are commemorating the centenary year. At Our Lady of Assumption Church, Hiriyur on September 5th, Parish Priest Fr Franklin D'Souza together with Fr Alphonse Nelson D'Souza celebrated Holy Eucharist and thanked God together with the parishioners and legionaries. Mrs. Monica is the president of the Parish unit of Hiriyur. Hiriyur has got two legions, one of seniors and another of juniors.

Sr. Alphonse Alwyn is the Spiritual mother for the senior's Legion and Sr. Jude is the Spiritual Mother of the Junior's Legion.

Assistant Parish Priest Fr Alphonse Nelson D'Souza organised the liturgy in a very systematic way.

Parish Priest Fr Franklin D'Souza thanked every member for their dedication in the Legion of Mary.