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75th Anniversary
of the Legion of Mary
at St. Joseph’s Parish in
Cottleville
Click here to pictures of
our 75th Anniversary Celebration at St. Joseph
On
Saturday, April 5, 2008, there will be a celebration for the 75th Anniversary
of the founding of the Spouse of St. Joseph Praesidium of the Legion of Mary at
St. Joseph Catholic Church in Cottleville, Missouri. The Mass will begin at
8:00 am followed by the Rosary and a reception. St. Joseph’s Parish in
Cottleville has one of the oldest Legion of Mary Praesidium in our archdiocese.
On April 7, 1933, Father William G. Pezold started the Legion of Mary in
Cottleville after a trip that he had made to Ireland. Known for his generosity,
Father Pezold was a man who on one cold winter night returned to the parish
without his coat and shoes because someone needed them more than he did. In
1933, Father Pezold started the Legion of Mary and the St. Vincent de Paul
Society to meet his parish’s spiritual and corporal needs. Today, both
organizations are very active in Cottleville.
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Father Pezold
(bottom right) leading the Rosary in the early 1950’s. |
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Recent
meeting with Father Rodger Fleming, Spiritual Director, of the Spouse of St.
Joseph Praesidium Legion of Mary in Cottleville. |
The Legion
of Mary is the largest apostolic organization of lay people in the Catholic
Church with over 3 million active members in almost every country in the world.
The main purpose of the Legion of Mary is to give glory to God through the
sanctification of its parish members. Their program is a balance of prayer and
service. Works include door-to-door evangelization, parishioner visitation,
visitation of the aged, sick and incarcerated, Catholic education, visiting the
newly baptized, welcoming new families, and meeting the spiritual needs of the
parish community. Legionaries are under the guidance of a spiritual director
named by the pastor. The Legion of Mary is, in essence, an extension of the
heart and hands of the parish. Members meet weekly for prayer, planning and
discussion in a family setting. Then members do two hours of definite work each
week in pairs and under the guidance of their spiritual director.
St.
Joseph Parish is also very fortunate to have a Junior Legion of Mary, for
children ages 6-12 years old, and a Teen Legion of Mary, for young adults ages
13-17 years of age. Both younger organizations are very active in prayer and
service, and have had the opportunity to go to World Youth Day. In the St.
Louis region, namely the St. Louis Senatus, there are many active Legion of
Mary groups, each group called a Praesidium, which meet regularly, once a
month, and report directly to the main headquarters in Ireland, called the
Concillium. For more information, please look at
www.legionofmary.org
and at www.legion-of-mary.ie .
Congratulations to St.
Joseph’s Parish on their 75th Anniversary of the Legion of Mary.
For more information on the Legion of Mary at St. Joseph Parish, please
contact Jim Harbison at 314-882-8471
or
jharbison@charter.net.
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