Legion of Mary in Uganda
Dear Spiritual Directors, Legionaries and all people of God,
On behalf of the Senatus of Uganda, the Officers of Senatus wish you a blessed new year. We thank God and Mother Mary our Queen for protecting and guiding us throughout year 2021. We thank you our Spiritual Directors for the prayers, love, guidance and support you give to all people of God especially Legionaries.
The two years 2020 and 2021 are known as the years of the Corona Virus Pandemic. Many friends fell sick, others died (including the former Senatus Spiritual Director Rev. Fr. Expedito Walakira on 18th May 2021) and in the whole world, many people registered negative changes in their lives. The situation got worse when movement of people was restricted and all activities, including Church congregations, Schooling, Legion of Mary meetings and social gatherings were on halt.
Thank you, Legionaries, for persevering and for supporting each other. Thank you for the masses you participated in through the media, Legion of Mary prayers, the 24-hour rosary and other prayers. Thank you for keeping our catchphrase in mind, which says “whatever it costs we shall never let the Legion of Mary die during our time”.
We shall always remember the year 2021 for Centenary celebrations of the Legion of Mary, which was founded on 7th September, 1921. The inauguration of the Centenary year took place on 7th September 2021 at Nsambya Parish where Edel Quinn was welcomed when she came to Uganda for the first time. Celebrations are ongoing thereafter in different Praesidia and Councils until September 2022.
As we celebrate, we have a theme to guide us: “Remember, Renew, Recruit, Rejoice. 1921 – 2021”. Dear Officers of councils ensure that each section of the theme is put in practice. For example, “Recruit”:- This section may involve taking time to study your area of operation and listing Parishes, Sub Parishes or Small Christian Communities. Thereafter identify areas where Legion of Mary does not exist. Then draw a plan for the outreach. If each council does this then we shall be sure of the expansion in the whole country. Remember we also have a task of extending Legion of Mary in the North and Eastern Uganda, where it has not been introduced in many Parishes. We commend Councils like Kampala Comitium B, Lugazi, Jinja, Mbale, Kimaanya Comitia, St Matia Mulumba Curia and others that have embarked on this mission. We call upon all Legionaries to participate in all possible ways.
Finally, our immediate focus as we start the new year 2022 is to ensure that we go back to the basics, woo back members who have not yet turned up, hold weekly meetings, pray the Catena every day, carry out weekly duties; attend higher Council meetings to mention but a few. Let us follow the system as laid down in the Legion of Mary Handbook at the same time observe the Standing Operating Procedures given by the Government through the Ministry of Health.
The first Senatus meeting to be held in the new year will be held on the 16th January, 2022, starting at 10.00am at Kiwummulo, Bunnamwaya. All Officers of councils affiliated to Senatus are reminded of their obligation to attend.
May Mother Mary Mediatrix of all graces pray for us.
We wish you a happy and blessed new year.
God bless you.
Rev. Fr. Ronnie Mubiru, the former Assistant Spiritual Director of the Senatus of Uganda has been appointed the Spiritual Director of the same effective 29th November 2021. The announcement was made at the December Senatus meeting.
Fr. Ronnie was appointed a Spiritual Director by the Uganda Episcopal Conference, the Assembly of the Catholic Hierarchy in Uganda through the Lay Apostolate Commission.
The appointment comes after the death of Rev. Fr. Expedito Walakira on 18th May 2021. Fr. Expedito Walakira had been a Spiritual Director since 1993.
Rev. Fr. Ronnie Mubiru becomes the 10th Spiritual Director of the Senatus after Fr. Agostoni Tarcisio (1st), Bishop Joseph Mukwaya (Then Fr.), H.E Emmanuel Cardinal Wamala (then Fr.), Fr. Joseph Galdes, Fr. Caesar Mutyaba, Fr. Larry Kanyike, Fr. John Mary Bukenya, Fr. Vincent Kanyonza and the immediate past, Rev. Fr. Expedito Walakira.
Following the ill health of the then Spiritual Director, Rev. Fr. Expedito Walakira (RIP), Fr. Ronnie was appointed as his assistant in 2018 until 2021.
Today, Sunday the 7th November 2021, the Legion of Mary family world over, commemorates the 41st death anniversary of Frank Duff, founder of Legion of Mary. We thank God for the gift of this great man who offered his life to start and to nurture the Legion of Mary apostolate from 7th September 1921 the day he started it until 7th November 1980 when he died.
The following is a biographical note given to us by Rev. Fr. Bede McGregor O.P. Spiritual Director of Concilium in his book “Frank Duff and the Legion of Mary”:-
Frank Duff was born in Dublin, Ireland, on June 7th 1889, the eldest of seven children.
In 1913 he joined the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and was greatly influenced by the spirit of the Society. As a member, he gradually came to have a great love for the poor and underprivileged in whom, as in everybody he met, he recognized and honored Christ.
In 1916, aged 27, he published his first pamphlet “Can we be Saints? In it he expressed one of the strongest convictions of his life, namely, that all without exception are called to be saints and that through our Catholic faith we have available all the means necessary to attain this.
In 1917 he came to know the Treatise of St. Louis Marie de Montfort on the true Devotion to Mary, a work which changed his life completely.
On September 7th, 1921 Frank Duff founded the Legion of Mary. This is a lay apostolic organization at the service of the Church, under ecclesiastical guidance. Its twofold purpose is the spiritual development of its members and advancing the reign of Christ through Our Lady.
The Legion is today found in almost every country in the world.
In 1965 Pope Paul VI invited Frank Duff to attend the second Vatican Council as a Lay Observer, an honour by which the Pope recognised and affirmed his enormous work for the lay apostolate.
On 7th November, 1980, Frank Duff told Nellie, a Legionary, that he would not have his customary lunch at the Regina Coeli but would go over for tea at 5.00pm. He did not show up. The lady went over to the De Montfort House and found the great and valiant warrior in his bed, arms folded; eyes open looking at the statue of the Sacred Heart on the wall and had died. Frank Duff whom many have described as one of the twentieth century’s greatest Catholics” had gone to his reward. He was buried in Glasnevin Cemetery, Dublin.
Some of the lessons learnt from the Life of Frank Duff:-
NB. Read Maria Legionis edition 3 of 2014 you will find more virtues of Frank Duff.
In July 1996 the Cause of his canonization was introduced by the Archbishop of Dublin, Dr. Desmond Connel. Legionaries are called upon to pray for the Beatification of this Servant of God. Favours attributed to the intercession of Frank Duff should be reported to Senatus to be forwarded to Concilium