Thousands of Christians on Wednesday, 07 September 2022 gathered at Rubaga Cathedral to celebrate 100 years since the founding of Legion of Mary in Uganda.
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.
Celebrating the day under the theme; ‘Remember, Renew, Rejoice and Recruit,’ the main celebrant, Archbishop Augustine Kasujja, the Apostolic Nuncio Emeritus to Belgium, thanked the Legion of Mary for spreading brotherhood among the people even in times when some people spread sectarianism.
He also commended members of the association for strengthening the Catholic Church by performing works of mercy such as visiting the sick and preaching the word of God.
“The Legion of Mary is one of the biggest Catholic associations involved in evangelisation,” he said.
He alluded to the time when he was serving in Haiti where he found the Legionaries of Mary doing a lot of missionary work such as helping and feeding the needy.
Archbishop Kasujja reiterated the Church’s proclamation of the Blessed Virgin Mary as the mother of God, who helps Christians in bringing them closer to her son through her virtues of humility, devotion and perseverance in faith.
“There are those who do not honour the Mother of Christ, thinking that we worship images, but the Bible is very clear on the role of Mother Mary as the one chosen by God and through her, God gave and continues to give the whole world the son of God,” he said.
He thanked the legionaries for continuing to spread the love of God as exemplified by Mother Mary.
“This is one of the values that makes the Catholic Church unique. The love of God,” he said.
Archbishop Kasujja condemned what he described as the continued spread of hatred, immorality and disunity in the country and urged the legionaries of Mary to fight the vice by spreading the gospel of love.
Gervase Ndyanabo, the chairman of the Laity for the Catholic Church in Uganda, said celebrating 100 years is no mean feat and hailed the legionaries across the country for keeping to the values of the association.
He said the imitation of Mother Mary’s virtue of humility is one of the reasons why the Legion of Mary has remained strong.
He thanked the Senatus of Uganda for continuing to promote the association and organising successful celebrations. Senatus of Uganda is the governing Council of Legion of Mary in Uganda.
It was formed in 1962 from the then Senatus of East Africa.
Ndyanabo appealed to all Catholics to join the associations and movements of the church so as to continue to spread the word of God.
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.
