Did you know that the Legion of Mary had its early beginnings in Kedron 80 years ago? The Franciscan priest Fr Fidelis Griffin established the first praesidium and guided its members at the Church of the Little Flower, which is now known as St Therese and St Anthony Parish in Kedron.
Eighty years later, the praesidium has significantly grown across Brisbane with members from the CBD, Acacia Ridge, Coorparoo, Fortitude Valley, Geebung, Gympie, Herston, Inala, Indooroopilly, Kangaroo Point, Nundah, North Ipswich, South Brisbane, Sunnybank, and West End.
Photo Credit: State Library of Queensland
In late July, the group gathered at the St Stephen’s Cathedral in the city to celebrate 80 years of “strengthening belief and reconfirming the faith” with Bishop Ken Howell presiding the mass.
“Today we salute your members past and present for your commitment to the faith and its lived expression in the service you have offered the Church over these years,” the bishop said in his homily.
“From the days of the first legion at Kedron under the guidance of Franciscan Fr Fidelis Griffin, throughout these 80 years, where various praesidia have been established in every diocese of Queensland, your mission still continues, in different forms and with similar enthusiasm to your original foundation.”
Photo Credit: Legion of Mary/Facebook
A lay apostolic voluntary group, the Legion of Mary is composed of Catholic devotees of the Virgin Mary. The members participate in different activities of its parish, such as visiting the elderly and sick family members of parishioners, preparing church members to receive the sacraments school catechetics, holding prayer and rosary sessions, and promoting the devotion to Mary.
The Legion of Mary has its origins in Dublin, Ireland. Today, there are active members in over 170 countries across the world.