FRANK DUFF was a gifted civil servant when he helped in the transfer of authority and of duties to native talent in 1921. Frank, like many others, was active in the St. Vincent de Paul Society. He saw other areas to explore. He was a man of scripture and prayer; he was also a person of amazing vision who could see, like St. Paul, the many God given gifts (often, alas, dormant,) in women and in men.
He realised that without desire to share the treasures of the Christian faith, we are close to spiritual death. He grasped the radiant truth in the cry of Leon Bloy: "There is only one real sadness.... not to be a saint."
After their weekly meeting of the St. Vincent de Paul Society, on September 7th, 1921 in Dublin, a little group decided to share the treasures of the Gospel. The great French saint, Louis Grignon de Montfort, had pointed out the special vocation of Christ's Mother and her mission of drawing to her Divine Son. Frank Duff realised that we do not live on bread alone and that there was a hunger in the human heart for the presence and the healing power of God. His deep insights, his nobility of character and his magnetic holiness revealed the great reality that each of us could be a channel of healing and of grace.
He envisaged a world wide army built up with Roman Legion precision, efficiency and zeal. Each local group is a Presidium, with bigger groups forming a Curia. A governing body is. a Consilium. The weekly meeting with Scripture and prayer was its lifeblood. The call was to apostolic work of all kinds except material aid, which would be dealt with by others.
The dignity of women was a top priority. Generous effort was aimed to release women from the cruel slavery of prostitution and to provide care for unmarried mothers, who so often were the victims of the selfishness, cruelty and pride of others. Refuges for homeless men were provided.
All were asked to awaken to the need for scripture, prayer and sacrament and to the ever present truth that Christ's call for Apostles was addressed to all. With the Mother of the Redeeming Christ as inspiration and patron, the Legion of Mary was born. From a tiny group in a Dublin side street it has grown like the Gospel mustard seed. Today 2 1/2 million committed lay people spread the Gospel message with love and healing across the world.
Frank wrote more than 100,000 letters to encourage and inspire those who shared his ideals and his hopes. Nothing was too much for him in the service of the Master; no ideals were too lofty for those awake to the truth that we have only one life to live, and perhaps very little of it left in which to prove our love.
He sent envoys of talent and grace to far flung regions of the world. Edel Quinn brought holiness and hope to thousands in East Africa, as did Alfie Lamb to Latin America. Hilda Firtel spread the Legion light in Germany. South Korea and the Philippines have been fertile grounds for the good seed.
The harvest grows apace, even on soil that at first seemed to offer little hope. In many places where the shallow and unthinking once sneered at solid doctrine and at ancient pieties, many have come to a deeper heart, have rejected folly and allowed the light to shine.
For the weekend of November 7th, 1980, Frank had planned a week end cycle tour around his beloved Dublin Bay. Instead, God called him home.
In his youth, Frank composed this prayer:
I beg of you to give me this -
fidelity to the end
To be at my post when the final call comes,
And to take my last weary breath in your embrace
... a valiant life ...
but faithful to the end.
May Frank Duff's life and prayer inspire us all.