Legion of Mary celebrates 90 years in Tasmania
By Josh Low
Tasmania’s Legion of Mary celebrated their 90th anniversary on the birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 8 September, at St Mary’s Cathedral in Hobart.
Established in Ireland in 1921, the Legion of Mary began in Tasmania in 1934, and now has four parish-based branches at Ulverstone, Kingston, Bridgewater and Glenorchy.
Archbishop Julian extended a special welcome to the Legion of Mary members, detailing the history of the lay movement in Tasmania, which has contributed richly to the spiritual life of its members and fostered innumerable good works in the Church.
“I’m aware that the very first praesidium (operational unit in a parish) of the Legion was established here in the Cathedral parish in early 1934,” Archbishop Julian said.
“Subsequently, praesidia were established in Moonah, St Josephs, South Hobart and New Town, before spreading to other parishes across Tasmania.
“With a spirituality grounded in Marian devotion, the Legion is essentially an apostolic organisation working alongside the priests in their parishes, and they are particularly known for their visitation of homes.
“At this Mass we give thanks to God for the blessings of the last 90 years, and we pray that under the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Legion may continue to contribute to the life and mission of the Church here in Tasmania.”
President of the Melbourne Senatus (the highest governing council of the Legion of Mary in Australia), Caroline Fernandez, said it was great that the Legion was still operating in Tasmania.
“It is great to have kept the Legion going for this long, even through the Second World War,” she said.
“With it being Our Lady’s birthday today they chose a nice weekend to hold the 90th anniversary celebrations, especially considering the Legion was founded on 7 September 1921.”
President for the Legion of Mary ‘s Hobart Curia, Helen Emery, has been a member of the Legion of Mary for some 23 years and hopes it can continue its work in the Church.
“It is wonderful to have been running for 90 years in Tasmania. Our works mainly focus on the message, ‘To Jesus, through Mary’, and we promote praying the Rosary.
“Some of our other duties involve going door to door to evangelise, visiting the sick, taking part in any parish activities and we also have quite a few events together.
“We are at the four parishes at the moment but would love to expand and go out to more parishes if possible.
“It’s the only spiritual lay organisation within the church promoting Our Lady and the Rosary, and being a part of the Legion of Mary has given me a lot of confidence and strengthened my own faith.
“I hope the Legion continues to do its good work in Tasmania and spread Our Lady’s word,” she said.