WELCOME TO SENATUS OF LOS ANGELES
Who is she that comes forth...
Upcoming Events
- Senatus Board MeetingThu, Apr 02Daniel Dunkin's Residence
- Senatus MeetingThu, Apr 16Christ the King Church
- Correspondent MeetingSat, Apr 18St. Dominic Community Center
- Congress 2026Sat, Jun 13Christ the King
About the Legion of Mary
The Legion of Mary is an international association of lay Catholics finding Jesus through prayer, works of mercy and evangelization rooted in Marian spirituality and commitment to the Holy Spirit.
OBJECT
The object of the Legion of Mary is the glory of God through the holiness of its members developed by prayer and active co-operation in Mary’s and the Church’s work. The unit of the Legion of Mary is called a praesidium, which holds a weekly meeting, where prayer is intermingled with reports and discussion. Persons who wish to join the Legion must apply for membership in a Praesidium. The Legion sees as its priority the spiritual and social welfare of each individual. The members participate in the life of the parish through visitation of families, the sick, both in their homes and in hospitals and through collaboration in every apostolic and missionary undertaking sponsored by the parish. Every legionary is required to carry out a weekly apostolic work in the spirit of faith and in union with Mary.
Allocutio: St. John the Baptist
By Fr. Joseph Dass (March 2026)
“If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” (Lk 9:23)
Crucifixion was well known to the Jewish people of Jesus time. Here our Blessed Lord is pointing out the close
connection existing between His passion and death on the Cross and the suffering and pain that is in store for those
who profess their faith in Him and strive to follow His footsteps. One of the great paradoxes of pain and suffering is
this: We, human beings, have a greater capacity for pain than we have for pleasure. A pleasure can reach a point
where it can give us pain, for example, tickling. The curve of pleasure quickly rises and too often it drops suddenly
and make the child end up in tears. The pleasure of honey-moons do not last long. Suffering on the other hand
increases and our capacity for it – often increases as well. When suffering pain – one might say: “I can’t take it
anymore,” But with God’s grace can still go on enduring the pain and suffering. Why is it that we have a greater
capacity to pain than pleasure? Probably because it was so intended by God that all pain and suffering should be
exhausted in this life – and in the life to come there will be no more suffering and pain where the Lord God will wipe
away our tears. Hence, St. Paul says: “The sorrows of this life are not worthy to be
compared with the joys that are to come. Pain and suffering can either make us saints or hardened sinners. Pain and
suffering can either lift us up or pull us down. These two functions of pain and suffering were perfectly exemplified
by the two thieves who were crucified on either side of our Blessed Lord. The thief on the left verified Our Blessed
Lord to prove Himself if He is the Son of God and step down from the Cross and take him down as well. But the thief
on the right when he heard the prayer for forgiveness from the Lord, he turned to the Lord and cried, “Remember me
when you come into your kingdom.” The response came back: “This day you will be with me in Paradise..” And the
thief died a thief for he stole paradise.
I slipped His fingers, I escaped His feet; I ran and hid for Him I feared to meet.
One day I passed Him fettered on a tree; He turned His head and looked and beckoned me.
Neither by speed nor strength could He prevail; Each hand and foot was pinioned by a nail
He could not run or clasp me if He tried; But with His eyes, He bade me to His side.
For pity’s sake thought I, I’ll set you free; ‘Nay’, He said “hold this Cross and follow me.”
This yoke is easy, this burden light; Not hard or grievous if you wear it tight
So I did follow Him who could not move; An uncaught captive in the arms of love.
Frank Duff Reading Reference: Writings of Frank Duff, Mary Shall Reign, # 8, Excerpt from – “The Spirit of Home Visitation, See Christ in All”, p. 72
Therefore, you must go to them in the spirit of that third Standing Instruction, which bids you to see Christ in each member of the family, and to behave to Him as Mary herself behaved to Him. Higher than that you could not aim, but you must not aim any lower. That extreme example is not unattainable. Out from that person whom you visit, Our Lord is radiating the help to enable you to proceed in the perfect way. While Mary, who walks hand in hand with you is filling you with her own spirit to enable you to fulfil your mission. This effort to recollect yourself should be made before entering into each home. It is not enough to go about your work with vague good intention. The difficulties are too great for that. A vivid principle must animate your action.
This effort to get your motives into order at each door will create psychologically, and still more spiritually, the right complexion of mind and of soul in you, so that you enter the home mindful of the dignity of each person there, properly respectful to each one. You must go with reasonable frequency to each home. Visitation should not be a sort of hit and run business. An isolated call without prospect of seeing the people again for a long time is not visitation according to the Legion idea. It is not possible to develop an acquaintance on such a foundation. Vital to the process of showing interest in people is that you will know their names. It is disturbing commentary on the modern set-up that we can deal with people closely even daily for a long period – for instance in shops, office or restaurants – and in the end have to confess ignorance of their names. One is tempted to generalize drastically: No names, no influence! An anomaly in this visiting is that the house may not be a home. The home is the family living in the house. Do you ever meet the home in that sense? The cry among you is that you do not; that a large proportion of the family, especially the young adult element, is always out at their own enjoyments. You must not let them evade you like that. As a first step towards tracking them down, you must try to know them, though absent. Talk about them in the ordinary friendly intercourse which should have developed. Find out what are they following up. Get some idea of what they are like. They are part of the home, so you have a responsibility for them. You must not be satisfied with perfunctory visitation which deals with people whom you find and no more. Announcements • Confidentiality of Paramount Importance: “It is treachery to the Legion to repeat outsi