THE Legion of Mary - which was founded in Dublin 75 years ago and currently has 3,000,000 members in 163 countries - was now needed more than ever, the Archbishop of Dublin, Dr Desmond Connell, said yesterday.
Dr Connell said that legionnaires provided not only food, shelter and a place of welcome in their shelters, but an opportunity for people to awaken and strengthen the Christian faith. He realised, he added, that the increase in violence in Dublin, the painful growth in marital and family breakdown, the all pervasive influence of television and video culture within the home rendered visitations by legionnaires a difficult apostolate.
"But it is precisely now, more than ever, that this challenging work needs to be done. The increasing isolation and alienation, especially at the religious level, of so many vulnerable people in Dublin calls out for a ministry of personal contact and friendship", Dr Connell said. It is important that this field of work be not left to sects, cults or new religious movements."
Dr Connell was speaking at an anniversary Mass in St Andrew's Church, Westland Row, which was attended by the Taoiseach, Mr Bruton, the Papal Nuncio, Dr Storero, and the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Mr Brendan Lynch.
Current legionnaires, he added, should remember the support of those who had gone before, including Frank Duff, founder of the legion, whose cause for canonisation had opened this year.
