The weekday night Mass was packed full of Legion of Mary members. As they prayed for the canonization of their founder, Servant of God Frank Duff, Bishop Michael F. Burbidge extolled the group for their commitment to the work of evangelization. “A sincere devotion to Mary must be active,” said Bishop Burbidge, echoing Duff’s words. “It obliges us to work for Mary.”
Hundreds of adult legionaries have taken that mission to heart and so have dozens of kids in the Junior Legion of Mary. The Arlington diocese has nine English-speaking Junior Legion of Mary praesidia — the Legion unit that meets weekly — and five Spanish-speaking ones. On a recent Tuesday after school, several junior legionaries gathered in a basement classroom of Our Lady of Hope Church in Potomac Falls.
There might have been a few more lollipops at the junior meeting than at the average adult Legion gathering, but much of the meeting format was the same. The students began by kneeling and praying the rosary while facing a statue of Mary. Roll was taken, last meeting’s minutes were read, and each student was asked what they had done in the past week to grow closer to God or to evangelize to others. Some had attended adoration or an extra Mass, while others had taught someone a prayer or given away a rosary. Later, they learned about the saint of the day and made a spiritual bouquet card, a way to share with loved ones that they were praying for them.
“What we do are spiritual works,” said Virginia Rowell, who has helped lead the OLOH Junior Legion of Mary for nine years. “It gets them in the habit of doing something spiritual for somebody else at an early age. The children seem to enjoy it, because they keep coming back.”
Third grader Evelyn Shaffer joined in kindergarten. “I just feel that Mary gave me a lot of helping hands when I was in preschool and I wanted to thank her so I joined Legion of Mary,” she said. She loves making rosary or spiritual bouquets and learning about the lives of the saints.
Eighth grader Noah Lunjwire joined the praesidium in second grade. “My parents encouraged me to join because it’s a great place to be,” he said. He says it’s helped him learn more about God and how to treat others.
Most weeks, the meeting of the Junior Legion of Mary at St. Rita Church in Alexandria starts with a visit to the seniors at the nearby Alexandria Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center. The legionaries go door to door greeting the residents and offering to pray with them. Some of the residents rarely get visitors, said Vivian Moran, who leads the group. “So they really look forward to the kids coming.”
Seventh grader Mariam Church joined the legion because it gave her a chance to visit the seniors and hang out with friends. “I thought it was cool that you could go visit older people,” she said. “It’s really fun to be able to connect with other people and to be able to pray with them. It’s also fun to hear them talking about old memories, like World War II.”
Mary Schweers, an eighth grader at St. Rita, says she sees the Junior Legion of Mary as a community where she can openly share her faith and have fun doing it. Hearing the good works the other members report each week inspires them all. “We’re always trying to do more,” said Schweers. “It’s almost like a little family — you’re always learning from your older siblings and constantly trying to do better.”
Maraist can be reached at [email protected] or X (formerly Twitter) @zoeymaraistACH.
