The spirit of the Legion of Mary is that of Mary herself. Especially does the Legion aspire after her profound humility, her perfect obedience, her angelical sweetness, her continual prayer, her universal mortification, her altogether spotless purity, her heroic patience, her heavenly wisdom, her selfsacrificing courageous love of God, and above all her faith, that virtue which has in her alone been found in its utmost extent and never equalled. Inspired by this love and faith of Mary, her Legion essays any and every work and “complains not of impossibility, because it conceives that it may and can do all things.’’ (Imitation of Christ, Book 3:5)

1. Apostolate in the parish
2. Visitation of the homes of the people
3. Enthronement of the sacred heart in the homes
4. The making of the parish census
5. Visitation of hospitals, including psychiatric hospitals
6. Work for the most wretched and dejected of the population
7. Works for the young
8. The book-barrow
9. Crowd contact
10. Mission to the catholic domestic worker
11. Work for armed services personnel and people on the move
12. The dissemination of catholic literature
13. Promoting the practice of daily mass and devotion to the blessed sacrament
14. The recruiting and after-care of auxiliaries
15. Work for the missions
16. Promoting retreats
17. Pioneer total abstinence association of the sacred heart

• Our Lady Star of the Sea Praesidium – every Thursday, 7.45-9.00pm
• Our Lady Full of Grace Praesidium – every Tuesday, 10.30-11.45am
• Junior Praesidia, every Sunday, 11.15am-12.30pm

In an atmosphere made supernatural by its wealth of prayer, by its devotional usages, and by its sweet spirit of fraternity, the praesidium holds a weekly meeting, at which work is assigned to each legionary, and a report received from each legionary of work done.

1. The setting of every meeting shall be uniform. The members should sit around a table at one end of which for the purpose of the meeting a small temporary altar is erected.
2. Punctually at the appointed time, the members shall be in their places, and the meeting shall begin.
3. The meeting opens with the invocation and prayer to the Holy Spirit, who is the source of that Grace, that Life, that Love, of which we rejoice to regard Mary as the channel.
4. There follow five decades of the rosary, of which the Spiritual Director shall initiate the first, third, and fifth, and the members the second and fourth.
5. The rosary is immediately followed by Spiritual Reading, to be given by the Spiritual Director (or in his absence by the President). Its duration should be limited to about five minutes. The choice of spiritual reading is free, but it is strongly recommended that, at least during the early years of a praesidium, the reading be taken from the handbook in order to familiarise the members with its contents, and to stimulate them to study it seriously.
6. The minutes of the previous meeting are read and, if approved by the members present, are signed by the President.
7. Standing Instruction. The following Standing Instruction is to be inserted on the Work Sheet (or otherwise placed so as to ensure that it will not be overlooked at the proper time) and read out by the President at the first meeting of each month, immediately after the signing of the minutes.
8. Treasurer’s Statement. The Treasurer shall submit a weekly statement showing the income and expenditure of the praesidium and the resulting financial position.
9. Reports of the members are received. Members should remain seated while delivering their reports, which should be verbal, though members may aid themselves by notes.
10. The recitation of the Catena Legionis. At a fixed time, which experience has shown to be approximately mid-way between the signing of the minutes and the end of the meeting (that would be an hour after the opening of a meeting which usually lasts an hour and a half), the Catena Legionis (see chapter 22, The Prayers of the Legion) is recited, all standing.
11. The Allocutio. When the members resume their seats, a short talk shall be given by the Spiritual Director.
12. On the completion of the Allocutio, the sign of the cross is made by all present. Then the taking of the Reports and the other business of the meeting is continued.
13. Secret bag collection. Immediately after the allocutio, a secret bag collection is made, to which every member shall contribute according to means.
14. Termination of the meeting. When all the business has been transacted, including the assignment of work to each member and the marking of the attendance roll, the meeting ends with the concluding prayers of the Legion and the priest’s blessing.

Legionary duty requires from each legionary: First, the punctual and regular attendance at the weekly meetings of the praesidium, and the furnishing there of an adequate and audible report on the work done; Second, the daily recitation of the Catena; Third, the performance of a substantial active legionary work, in the spirit of faith, and in union with Mary, in such fashion that in those worked for and in one’s fellow-members, the Person of our Lord is once again seen and served by Mary, his Mother; Fourth, absolute respect for the confidential nature of many matters discussed at the meeting or learned in connection with the legionary work.