Who we are

The Legion of Mary is a lay movement founded by the Servant of God Frank Duff in Dublin, Ireland. The first meeting took place on September 7, 1921 at 8pm. Led by the spirit of True Devotion to Our Mother Mary, conveyed to us by Saint Luigi Mary De Montfort, the Legion of Mary continued to spread first to Ireland, into Europe, then to the whole world.

In Malta, the Legion of Mary was founded by Monica Walsh only 15 years after it was founded in Ireland, on November 3, 1936 in Sliema. It is worth noting that the Legion was approved by the Bishop in 1940. We are thankful that today we can say that the Legion of Mary is spread throughout the parishes of Malta and Gozo. In Gozo the Legion of Mary was founded on January 22, 1950 by Joseph Booker and Carmelo Formosa.

Heroes of the Legion

Frank Duff

Frank Duff was born in Dublin, Ireland, on June 7, 1889. He entered the Civil Service at 18 and at 24 he joined the Society of St Vincent de Paul. There, he was led to a deeper commitment to his Catholic faith and acquired a great sensitivity to the needs of the poor and underprivileged.

Along with a group of Catholic women and Fr. Michael Toher, of the Dublin Archdiocese, he formed the first praesidium of the Legion on September 7, 1921. Until his death in November 7, 1980, he guided the world-wide extension of the Legion with heroic dedication. He attended the Second Vatican Council as a lay observer.

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Edel Quinn

Edel Quinn was born in Kanturk, Co. Cork, Ireland on 14 September 1907. As a girl her ambition was to enter a contemplative convent but she was prevented from doing so by ill-health. At 20 she joined the Legion of Mary and was an enthusiastic member.

Impaired by a lifelong illness, in 1936 Edel was appointed Legion of Mary Envoy to East Africa – to countries such as Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia and Mauritius. She met obstacles in this pioneering work and overcame them despite her poor health and harsh conditions. She had great faith in God’s love and a limitless trust in the maternal care of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

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Alfie Lambe

The Servant of God, Alphonsus Lambe, (known as Alfie) was born in Tullamore, Ireland on the feast of St. John the Baptist, Friday, 24 June 1932, during the International Eucharistic Congress in Dublin.

Like St John he was a precursor - the precursor of the Legion of Mary.

After spending a period of his youth in the novitiate of the Irish Christian Brothers, which he had to leave because of delicate health, he found his vocation in the Legion of Mary, and was appointed Envoy in 1953.

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Prominent Legionaries in Malta and Gozo

In Malta, the Legion of Mary was founded by Monica Walsh on 3 November, 1936 in Sliema, just 15 years after it was established in Ireland.

Monica had arrived in Malta in September 1933 and immediately requested permission to start the Legion on the island. The Legion was approved by Bishop Maurus Caruana OSB in 1940 and the first president of the Legion was Tessie Agius. The first spiritual director was Dun Karm Psaila, the national poet. The Praesidium was called “Queen of Peace” and met in the Sacro Cuor area. In 1937 the Tessera was translated into Maltese.

In 1946, Joseph Booker was elected the Curia's second president in an election among four candidates. Ten years after its founding in Malta, the first meeting of the Legion was held in Gozo on 22 January, 1950, after permission was granted by Bishop of Gozo Giuseppe Pace. It was thanks to the efforts of Joseph Booker, Carmelo Formosa, and Richard Bisazza, who became the third president of the Legion when he was elected in 1951. Today, in Gozo, the Legion is well established in all parishes of the diocese.

In 1954 it was announced that the number of active members had exceeded 2,000. Joseph Booker died that year. Archbishop Michael Gonzi remarked that he had "died a saint".

In 1957 the Concilium approved the amount of 450 pounds sterling to first print the Handbook in Maltese. Two thousand copies were printed. In the same year, Carmelo Formosa was elected the fourth president of the Comitium, from three candidates. Three years later, in 1960, the journal Voice of Truth began to dedicate a monthly page to the Legion.

In 1963 the first issue of Il-Vexillina was published in Gozo, a monthly stencil brochure with 16 pages for juniors. Two years later the publication started to be printed.

By 1963, there were still 16 parishes that had no Legion. That year Edward Camilleri was elected the fifth president of the Comitium from two candidates.

In 1966, Edward Camilleri and Joseph Bartolo started a review of the Handbook in Maltese. In 1968, the Concilium of Ireland set up a new council in the system of the Legion – the Regia. This required another revision of the Manual, which was completed in Maltese in 1971.

In 1969, George Pace was unanimously elected President of the Comitium of Malta (the sixth president). And George Pace was re-elected in July 1981. On 18 March 1974, Carmelo Formosa informed the Regia that house 278, St Paul Street, Valletta, had been left to the Archbishop on condition that it be used as the headquarters of the Legion of Mary. The benefactor of this great donation was Chev. John Francia, who had died on 31 January 1974. The following year, in 1975, Edward Camilleri was re-elected president of the Regia.

The founder, Frank Duff, went to eternal life on 7 November 1980. George Pace was re-elected president (the eighth) in 1981. Archbishop Mikiel Gonzi, a great supporter of the Legion, died on 22 January, 1984.

The first youth meeting held at the Legion Home, Valletta, took place in June 1985, and 70 attended. Dun Karm Farrugia was nominated spiritual director of the Regia in April 1986. In October of the same year, Icilio Ebejer was appointed the new president of the local PPC committee. Edward Camilleri was re-elected president of Regia in the year 1987.

In August 1988 the Legion was tasked with taking care of the Mass on TV.

In 2005 Alfred Sammut was elected president following a contest between two members. When his term closed, John Francalanza was elected president of the Regia. After these two three-year terms, a second female president was elected, Angela Buttigieg. Kenneth Abela was elected president in August 2023 when her term closed.

Tessie Aguis, President, 1940 – 1946
Joseph Booker, President, 1946 – 1951
Richard Bisazza, President, 1951 – 1957
Carmelo Formosa, President, 1957 – 1963
Edward Camilleri, President, 1963 – 1969; 1975 – 1981 1987 - 1993
George Pace, President, 1969 – 1975; 1981 – 1987, 1993 – 1999
Icilio Ebejer – President – 1999 - 2005
Alfred Sammut, President – 2005 – 2011
John Francalanza – President – 2011 – 2017
Angela Buttigieg – President – 2017 – 2023
Kenneth Abela – President – 2023 –

References

First Fifty Years of the Legion of Mary in Malta – 23.04.40 – 23.04.1990
Joseph D. Booker, Apostle of the Legion of Mary – Fr Guido Schembri OFM (published 1981)
Legion of Mary, 1950 – 2000.
Carmelo Formosa, his life and work – Fr Geoffrey G.Attard