The Unfolding of Her Mantle

Sixty Years a Printing 1937 -1997In March, 1937, the first edition of the Maria Legionis - the organ of the Legion of Mary - saw the light of day. John Nagle, the President of the Concilium Legionis Mariae at the time commented as follows:

"With the appearance of this first number of Maria Legionis, a long felt want will be supplied. There has been a universal request for the Legion Journal and many have chided us about the delay in its arrival ... We trust that as you read these pages, you will discern something of the Legion's distinctive character ... Above all, as the title of the Journal suggests, you should have little difficulty in finding Mary - and the spirit which her leadership connotes - living in this her Journal and speaking to us out of its pages."

Thus, we now produce the first article entitled: The Unfolding of Her Mantle, and also a word from John Nagle, entitled: The Legion Depends on the Spirit Which Animates It.Reprinted from Maria Legionis of March 1937

The Unfolding of Her Mantle

"The Fourth Mystery ... Hail Mary, full of Grace . Holy Mary, Mother of God ... The Fifth Mystery., Glory be to the Father and to the Son ... Hail, HolY Queen ... Hail, our Life, our Sweetness, and our Hope ...

"What's on in the top back-room tonight, John? "Some meeting or other, I suppose. Sounds like a prayer meeting. They're saying the Rosary, anyway."

A "prayer meeting" was right. Fifteen young girls in the company of a priest, and a layman were on their knees around a simple altar of the Mother of God. Petition was on their lips and in their hearts: seeking to find a way of service in the cause of Her Son.

Discussion followed the prayers. And, from that meeting of prayer and work emerged the Legion of Mary, as we know it today, in all its features.

The place - top back-room of Myra House, Francis Street, a poor and old part of Dublin. The date 7th September, 1921. It was 8 o'clock p.m. The birth of the feast of Mary's birth!

2nd November, 1924. 'Three years later, representatives of the four "Patronages" of "The Association of Our Lady of Mercy" - the title of the parent branch still held good - met at Myra House. Before the meeting ended, the "Central Council" of the Association was established.

It's November again, the next year, 1925. The Council is assembled and" after discussion, Mr .... proposed and Father ... seconded, that the title of the organization should be "The Legion of Mary." This was unanimously agreed to. That night Legion history was made.

Other important and historic decisions followed. At the Council meeting of 15th May, 1927, for instance: - "The first proposal was to replace 'Council' by 'Curia'. The members were agreed that the proposed title was distinctive and appropriate ... " And, in December, 1930, the other "distinctive and appropriate" titles we now know so well were adopted "Concilium" and "Praesidium" ... Development of Government; but mark you, no change of spirit or objective.

1921. .. 26. Five years and the Legion's thirteen Praesidia are still confined within the City walls of Dublin. Patience! Another year - 1927 - sees the young Army on the March. Waterford City gives it welcome.

ANOTHER year passes. This time the Legion steps further afield, to Glasgow and Scotland. Mark well the date - 26th April, 1928. The world-wide advance is begun.

London is reached the following year, 1929. Slow progress? Yes, but steady. The young Army must learn to manoeuvre.

it is Autumn, 1930, when a London Legionary sets sail for India - Madras - to make her home there. She has a strong realization of her duty as a Legionary; she arrives in Madras with the complete equipment for a Praesidium meeting. There were the usual difficulties, of course.

''Legion starting in Madras on the feast of the Purification. Prayers requested." So, read the telegram to "De Montfort House" on 26th January, 1931. What happened? Just this: Mary had her way. Under her captaincy the Legion enters Madras. From Madras to Calcutta, and so onward. It is still increasing and multiplying, and filling the land.

Still Autumn, 1930. An American Vincentian Priest is homeward bound in Dublin, via Paris. Though in Dublin he never even heard mentioned the name of "The Legion", yet he both hears and reads of its spirit and work in Paris. Interested, enthused he becomes; but - is it "just another"? Back in Dublin, he decides to see things for himself. He sees and judges, and is satisfied. "Is this the Long Looked For Church Society?" he asks America on his return home. Father thinks it is, and says so in writing and by speech. That settled it. The Legion marches on - to the United States and Canada.

November 27th, 1931, at Raton (New Mexico), a large Mining Camp district, the first Praesidium was established. It was composed of MEN! The Autumn of 1932 sees the Legion cross the border to Canada. A group of Cowichan Indian Men makes the first foundation at Duncan B.C. The Legion's chivalry appeals to the heart of the "Indian Brave".

1932 and the Eucharistic Congress in Dublin. The Congress brought many visitors to the Legion; it brought two - a parish priest from Melbourne, and a lady from Mt. Eliza., Vie. - who were destined to be Legion pioneers in Australia. No time was lost, for before the end of that very "Congress year", the march of the Legion's steady step was heard in Australia. Ascot Vale, Melbourne, 11th November, 1932. From parish to parish, from Diocese to Diocese, the Legion marches on.

Back at the base again. It's the Legion's annual pilgrimage to Lough Derg, August, 1931. A young girl home from South Africa joins the pilgrims. She is caught up in the whirlwind. In turn she enthuses her two brothers also home on holidays. Yes, on returning to South Africa they would set to work.

Three, six, nine months, and a year; but, no word. June, 1933, the silence is broken. Difficulties ahead. But again Mary has her way. The first Praesidium in the Transvaal falls into line, 12th December, 1933. It is composed of MEN. Exactly at the same time Port Elizabeth sets the Cape going. But that's another story, as is also the solid advance in the Nigerian Mission field amongst the purely native population. Truly, the Legion is marching on. The West Indian Islands mark another milestone. Caguas (Puerto Rico), September, 1932; Victoria (Grenada), December 1933; Port-of-Spain (Trinidad), August 1934. And there's more to tell- some day.

1921.. .1937. Sixteen years. Europe, Asia, Africa, America, Australia. Sixteen years. And now the Legion Journal. Not a bit too soon.

How account for it all? Organized propaganda? No. The trappings of advertising? No. The powerful pull of the Press? No, again. Wealth and Influence? None of these. What then? Just this. Things happened - small, insignificant happenings in themselves - which proved to be tremendous trifles. When telling of the advance of this "Army in battle array" speak not of human rules, rather tell of the rules of God.

"Hail our Life, our Sweetness and our Hope ... "

The Legion Depends on the Spirit which Animates It

We must ever be mindful of the fact that the permanence of the Legion depends solely on one thing, and that is the spirit which animates it. It was spirit, and not material resources of any kind, which has made the Legion a vital force in Catholic Action. That is why the Legion, starting in a very insignificant manner, without any worldly power behind it, and even in the face of many trials and difficulties, has been able to extend far and wide. Those connected with the setting of the foundations were able to discern in the Legion its wonderful spirit, so that in the first six months of its life they declared without hesitation that the Legion was destined for world conquest.

That conquest has begun in our time, and we are privileged - each one of us - to lend a helping hand in the great work. Despite the cry "the system is too severe: you will get no response," place after place takes up the Legion system and numbers flock to the standard. There is presented to us the universal feature of interest growing with time and quality with quantity.

Now some people have thought that the Legion was "too good to endure for long", and have asked us, "What of the future? What does it hold for you? How shall you emerge from the coming battle? - holding the palm of victory, or locked in the chains of defeat?" The answer depends on one thing - the quality of our spirit. We are ever reminded that the spirit of the Legion is that of Mary herself.

Hence, if we continue to aspire after her virtues and to make them the rule of our daily life, then the future will hold for us added proof of the manifestation of Mary's might and power. But it must be remembered that this spirit of the Legion is not just floating about in the air, waiting to be breathed in. No; labour and toil are necessary if we are to acquire it.

Grace and effort are the weapons we must take hold of - grace through Mary, and effort in union with her. Faith in Mary to such a degree as if nothing depended on us: the maximum of effort on our part as if everything depended on our toil. It will be "cruel work and a hard battle"; but, we boast of being her soldiers, do we not? We glory in the language of battle. We call ourselves an Army. Face the reality we must - "the hard battle" - or label ourselves as toy soldiers playing at mock war!

THE surest and simplest way of safeguarding and increasing our spirit lies in the perfection of our Legion membership. That perfection is measured by exact adherence to the Legion system, and not according to any satisfaction or apparent degree of success which may attend the efforts of the Legionary. Now this entails submission and a certain degree of surrender to that unified plan of prayer and work which proceeds from the weekly meet- ings of the Praesidium and which is given us by our Queen and leader.

Hence, at the Praesidium meeting, we acquire the legion spirit, or we lose it; we sanctify our souls and the souls of those committed to our care, or we betray them. At the Praesidium meeting we keep faith with those whole-time, generous workers who have given their all to the legion, and who have pinned their faith in us, or we make a mockery of their life service.

Is it any wonder that officers of Praesidia are taught the great duty of training their members so as to get out of them in work and spirit all that is in them? It may be said truly that the battles of the legion are won or lost at the simple meetings of Praesidia, and that there also each legionary of Mary is either made or unmade.

There is no insinuation in all this that our spirit is weakening and growing cold, for we have full reason to thank God and His Blessed Mother that the legion everywhere is proving itself worthy of its high vocation. But history teaches us how infinitely delicate is the spirit of a religious society; how hard it is to find and how easy to lose. Hence it is no harm for us to be mindful of the pitfalls which must be avoided if we are to continue our onward march, shoulder to shoulder and flank to flank, patrolling the world under the standard of Mary in high conquest for God.

• • • • • • • • • JOHN

                • NAGLE

                • Reprinted from Maria Legionis of March 1937