From South America to Tullamore in Ireland

Letters from Alfie Lambe to his Mother

MARIA LEGIONIS APRIL 1998

Alphonsus Lambe, known affectionately as Alfie, was only 21 years of age when he was appointed as a Legion of Mary Envoy to South America. He left Ireland with his co-Envoy and mentor, Seamus Grace, on 16th July, 1953 and he spent the following five and a half years setting up and promoting the Legion in various countries in South America.

Alfie Lambe was the youngest of the Lambe family who lived in Tullamore, County Offaly. He tried his vocation with the Irish Christian Brothers, but he had to leave that Congregation because His health was not considered strong enough for the work which lay ahead of him. On leaving the Christian Brothers, he joined the Legion of Mary in his native Tullamore and he continued his membership when he moved to Dublin to seek employment. His outstanding qualities of gentle zeal and youthful attractiveness were quickly recognised by the Legion of Mary authorities and he was asked to visit existing Legion branches and to set up new ones in Counties Mayo, Cavan and Kerry. The Diary which he kept of this assignment makes very interesting reading.

It is not clear when he started writing home to his beloved mother from South America, but from items of correspondence which he sent to Ireland it can be assumed that he sent her postcards and letters from the start of his travels in the South American Continent.

Letters to his mother, which obviously meant so much to her and which she preserved, date from 25 February, 1954 to 11 December, 1958. These letters were later presented by Alfie's brother, Jack, for inclusion in the documents for his Cause for Canonisation. The Cause was introduced by the Episcopal Conference in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1980.

The first of his letters, which is still extant, gives an address in Quito, Ecuador, and in it he draws his mother's attention to the fact that he has got official stationery printed for himself with a quotation in Spanish on top of the page from the Legion Promise to the Holy Spirit. He said this was included because he considered it "about the best exposition in the world today of Our Lady's office" in the role of salvation. It is clear that he was proud, in the proper sense of the word, to present the very essence of the Legion to everybody he corresponded with at the time. In the same letter he thanked his mother for her letter of 15 February, which he said was full of interesting items of family news including a reference to the birth of his niece, Mary Bernadette, who was born on the day he arrived in Equador. He sent his congratulations to his brother and sister-in-law on the happy event. He also expressed concern about a worrying problem involving the family home and he said he had a special Mass offered that it would be solved. He went on to say that "God was really good" and that no matter what happened it was God's will that counted.

The little gifts which he sent home included postcards, photographs, some developed by himself, and a suprise packet of a few potatoes. He sent the latter to his brother with instructions that the potatoes should be split and set to see how they would grow. He said he expected them to grow better in Ireland than in their home country. He enquired months later about the progress of the new potato crop and he pointed out that the first potato was developed in Ecuador.

His mother obviously sent him shamrock for St. Patrick's Day and in acknowledging it, he said it arrived in good condition and in good time for the feast of St. Patrick. He wore the shamrock, not only on St. Patrick's Day, but during the octave. He spent the feast day in Azogues, where the nuns prepared a special feast for him and placed a green, white and orange flag on the centre of the table. He told his mother that the Mass that morning had been offered for his own intentions and that it was certainly a very happy day for him.

Late in March, 1954, he told his mother that her letter, received the previous day contained very interesting news. He went on to say "The ordinary things at home make big news out here. To tell me that the lads have gone to a football match or that they are away down the road to catch the horses has more interest for me than something novel in (the town of) Tullamore. In your letters, tell me how you are passing the cold nights, if there is much turf in the yard, if the March green grass is to be seen yet and if the March wind makes waves in the grassy fields like a storm on a lake? By the time you receive this letter, the April showers will be with you giving life and vigour to the flowers of May". In the same letter he mentioned that he intended listening to the radio broadcast on the "Grand National" race in Aintree in England. He asked if she would also be listening in and he enquired if she had a ticket for the Sweep (lottery based on the results of that famous race). He also related how he and a priest from the house where he was staying had gone for a walk along the river near the house. He said the rivers in Ecuador were fast-flowing and for that reason they retained one's interest when walking beside them. He also spoke about the beautiful trees growing along the river bank and exquisite wild roses, much bigger than the garden roses in Ireland.

Alfie usually informed his mother about what he was doing regarding the extension of the Legion and, of course, he pleaded for a "little special campaign of prayer" for his major undertakings. In one letter he pleaded for special prayers during the month of May for the Legion in Equador. He went on to say "I hope all the Lambe families in Tullamore are Auxiliary members of the Legion. For those who are not Auxiliaries, May would be a very good time to enrol. You people do the praying and I will do the work"

He made a broadcast on the Legion on Radio Catolica to the whole of Ecuador in April, 1954, and when telling his mother about it he said it wasn't his first time to speak over the radio as he had already done so a few times previously while he was in Colombia. This shows how fluent he had become in Spanish after he had settled in South America.

There is a very interesting account of his stay on a very large farm in the country. The youngest member of the family, who Was a legionary, had invited him to her home to start a praesidium among the Indians living in the area. The family was a very important one and it had strong political and diplomatic connections. During Alfie's visit, he had the use of a car and he drove the two daughters, who were legionaries, to morning Mass and the three of them went for long drives around the countryside in the afternoons. At night, the family recited the Rosary together in front of a blazing fire. Some days, when not engaged in promotional work for the Legion, Alfie and his friends ran through the corn fields and meadows on sunny days and he made a special point of watching one of the workmen ploughing with two bullocks. It is not clear why he became suddenly interested in livestock but he requested that one of his brothers should send him a catalogue or some information about cattle in Ireland. He said a few photographs of bulls and cows taken after some Shows would be very welcome. He told his mother that his stay on the ranch was a tonic for both his body and his soul.

Alfie took an interest in all family matters. He sent best wishes to one of his sisters for a most happy marriage and he asked for details of her forthcoming wedding celebrations. He did not forget his mother's birthday in the Spring of 1954 and when it came to his 22nd birthday in June, 1954 he wrote as follows to her:-

"Thanks very much for your good wishes for my birthday. I got a very beautiful present from a legionary, here in Quito. I could not be more pleased that I spent my 21st year in the service of the Legion. All time is wasted that is not spent in the service of God. About a week after the receipt of this letter, the 16th of July will be the anniversary of the departure of Seamus and myself from Ireland. That was a memorable occasion which I will never forget. It was wonderful to have those from home present at the airport. All in the airport that night were my friends but those from home were nearest to me. I was very happy leaving Ireland even though I love Ireland much more than many of the people in it. It was not the leaving of Ireland or the travelling that I was going to do that made me happy, but it was the work I was going to do. Since midnight on that 16th of July, I never had the slightest longing to return home. "The world belongs to' him who loves it most" the saint of Ars said. I like the whole world. I love every city and pueblo I enter into, I am at home under every sky."