Concilium Legionis Mariae
De Montfort House, Morning Star Avenue,
Brunswick Street, Dublin 7, Ireland.
Website: www.legionofmary.ie
e-mail: concilium@legion-of-mary.ie
International Centre of the
Legion of Mary
Telephones: (353-1) 872 3153
872 5093
Fax: (353-1) 872 6386
19 December 2010
Dear Legionaries,
As Postulator, I am writing to legionaries all over the world concerning the Cause for Beatification of our founder, the Servant of God, Frank Duff. First of all, I wish to thank you for all you have already done to help the Cause and for what you continue to do. The Cause was formally introduced by Cardinal Desmond Connell in 1996 and consists of several parts. The first part was the huge task of collecting all the writings of Frank Duff: his books, articles and letters (so far totalling about 33,000), his tapes, books written about him and indeed any material that might prove significant in an evaluation of his life and holiness. This part of the Cause process has been completed.
The second part concerned the Tribunal, which consisted of examining witnesses under oath about the life and virtues and any possible faults in our founder. The Tribunal conducted by the representative of Cardinal Connell, the Promoter of Justice, and two secretaries. This took place over several months and has largely been completed.
The third part concerned the theological assessment of the published works of our founder and this has been done by two distinguished theologians. The fourth part concerns the work of the Historical Commission. This has still to be done and submitted to the Episcopal Delegate. We need your prayers to help bring this pivotal part of the process to a successful conclusion as soon as possible.
Alongside all the above work we continue to keep a record of all the favours, big and small, which have been granted through the intercession of our founder. Once all the above steps have been concluded all the material is submitted to the Archbishop of Dublin. If he judges everything to be in order, he would then forward the relevant papers to Rome for the next phase of the Process.
Integral to all of this is the promotion of the Cause by legionaries throughout the world. This consists of making Frank Duff better known both inside and outside of the Legion. In addition, we need to continue to pray to our founder for favours and especially for miracles.
The central point of my letter to you, dear legionaries, is to encourage you to keep on praying for the Cause. Thank you to the many legionaries who have already translated the prayer leaflet into your own languages and dialects. Please continue to distribute these to legionaries and to the general public in the belief that our founder is looking after our needs.
One of the first questions, which will be asked in Rome, is: is there any demand for his beatification? Who desires it? Surely at least our estimated membership of 10,000,000 (between active and auxiliary members), would deeply long for it? It is up to all of us to show in practice our desire to have our founder beatified.
Cardinal John Henry Newman, a seminal influence on Frank Duff and very frequentlyquoted in the Handbook, was beatified recently. His beatification ceremony had a huge impact on those who were present and continues to have an impact on the whole Church. This should spur us on to work hard at making Frank Duff better known. If every country, where the Legion is present, worked to promote his Cause, he would be a source of great blessings and encouragement to many people. His spirit and the spirit of Mary would be a tremendous gift to any individual or group or local Church and indeed to a nation.
It is important to always remember that we are not simply concerned with showing that Frank Duff was a truly great man but we pray that if it be God’s will he should be declared to be a saint. We seek to bring to light for the benefit of the Legion of Mary but principally for the whole Church his heroic practise of the theological and moral virtues, the Gifts and Fruits of the Holy Spirit in his life and the inspiration and example of the dynamism and fire of his interior life. We need to know not just the external chronology of his life and his many achievements but much more the story of his very soul. His life illustrates the call to holiness of all the lay faithful of the Church and the limitless call and possibilities of the lay apostolate.
The promotional side is one of the most important aspects of the Cause. This belongs in aspecial way to every individual legionary. It is a very real way in which you can participatein the process of the Cause. Once again, thank you for the contribution you are making.
Let us pray to Mary, who is the Mother and real Foundress of the Legion, to help us in all our endeavours for the Cause.
Yours gratefully in Corde Mariae,
_______________________________
Bede McGregor O.P.
Postulator for the Cause
Please report all favours received through the intercession of Frank Duff to:
Concilium Legionis Mariae,
Morning Star Avenue,
Brunswick Street,
Dublin 7, Ireland.
Please copy and circulate to all praesidia.