On Saturday, September 24, 2022, all roads led to Nkokonjeru Catholic Parish as Lugazi Diocese celebrated 100 years of the existence of the Legion of Mary.
A long procession of priests and other members of the clergy led by Lugazi Diocese Bishop Christopher Kakooza was on show as thousands of catholic faithful converged to celebrate the day.
The choir was also at hand to sing beautiful litanies in honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the patron of the Legion of Mary.
Bishop Kakooza in his homily said that the new garden is the Church and in the middle of it is the tree of life.
“The church sends us to go and preach to nations, so, what shall we present to God when we leave this world?” he said.
“It is the work of the legionaries to return those who are lost back to God, to help the needy, visit the sick and provide for the needy,” he added.
Bishop Kakooza also stressed that God calls on the legionaries to serve the church, which in the process pleases the Blessed Virgin Mary, the mother of God and the church.
During mass, 394 children received the sacrament of Confirmation. He urged the Children to remain strong in their catholic faith and said the Holy Spirit will guide them.
Lugazi chose to celebrate the day because it is the day the first presidium sat 85 years ago in Nkonkonjeru.
The first Legion of Mary meeting took place at Sancta Maria PTC where the Servant of God, Edel Quin, met the students and the first seed of the Legion of Mary in Uganda was sowed.
The Legion of Mary is an international association of over 10 million members within the Roman Catholic Church who serve it on a voluntary basis. It was founded in Dublin, as a Roman Catholic Marian Movement by the layman and civil servant Frank Duff on September 7th, 1921.
Legion of Mary was introduced in Uganda on July 22nd, 1938 by Eldel Quinn through Rev.Fr. V.G Minderop who was the Apostolic Administrator of the Bishop of Nsambya by then and currently the movement is found in all the dioceses of Uganda
