The Legion of Mary and Pro Life

MARIA LEGIONIS

North American Supplement

APRIL 1998

BY RITA REICHARDT, LA GRANGE, IL.

Is the Legion of Mary addressing the most pressing moral problem of our day-the "culture of death" which is growing in the western world, especially in the United States?

Abortion, infanticide, euthanasia, and assisted suicide were illegal evils of the back streets in the first 50 years of the Legion of Mary. Today, in the United States, however, the Supreme Court has ruled that abortion is legal in all nine months of pregnancy. Infanticide and euthanasia are realities, and Dr. Jack Kavorkian has assisted over 40 persons to commit suicide.

Often at council meetings of the Legion the question is raised: "Is 'such and such' Legion work?" The Handbook states that the object of the Legion of Mary, in addition to the growth in holiness of its members, is "the cooperation in Mary's and the Church's work of crushing the head of the serpent and advancing the reign of Christ." Thus, pro-life work is certainly "Legion work." In what ways can legionaries become involved in the struggle against the culture of death? Some examples are:

1. Be informed and aware of the growing threat to life in America.

2. Provide Pro-life literature when on door-to-door assignments, during crowd contact, in Legion booths at hospital and nursing home visits.

3. Bring the pro-life message to participants of Patrician meetings and catechism classes.

4. Recruit for and conduct Parish Holy Hours of reparation. (As an example, the praesidium of Our Lady of St. John of the Cross in Western Springs, Illinois, has members who work on a monthly "Holy Hour for Life" in the parish, during which prayers and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament are offered in reparation for sins committed of the against the sanctity of life. The pregnant Virgin Mary, Our Lady of Guadalupe, is the patroness of the pro-life movement. Our Lady is also the mother of the Legion of Mary.

Her concern for the sanctity of life is thus the concern of the Legion also. She will show us what to do to