Frank Duff (1889-1980)

This day in 1980 marks the death of Frank Duff, founder of the Legion of Mary. Born in Dublin, he attended Blackrock College. After college he joined the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, and was greatly influenced by it. In 1916, at age 27, Duff published his first pamphlet entitled “Can we be Saints?” In it he expressed the conviction that all without exception are called to be saints, and that through Christian faith all persons have available the means necessary to attain such sainthood. In 1917 he came to know the Treatise of St. Louis de Montfort on the True Devotion to Mary, a work brought to his attention the importance of Mary in the life of the laity. On September 7, 1921 Frank Duff founded the Legion of Mary, a lay organisation whose purpose is the spiritual development of its members and advancing the reign of Christ through Mary. The Legion operates throughout the world. Today between active and auxiliary (praying) members there are in excess of 10 million members worldwide. In 1965 Pope Paul VI invited Frank Duff to attend the Second Vatican Council as a Lay Observer, an honour by which the Pope recognised and affirmed his enormous work for the lay apostolate. On November 7, 1980 Frank Duff died and was buried in Glasnevin Cemetery, Dublin. In July 1996 the Cause of his canonisation was introduced by the Archbishop of Dublin, Desmond Connell.
(From Wikipedia)