PASSAIC Bishop Serratelli presided at the annual Acies of the Legion of Mary March 12 at the Diocesan Shrine of St. John Paul II at Holy Rosary Church here.
The Legion of Mary is a worldwide organization in which men, women and youth join in prayer and in the apostolic work in union with Our Lady and under the guidance of a priest. Msgr. John Demkovich, diocesan mission director and pastor emeritus of St. Mary Parish in Passaic, is spiritual director of the Paterson Curia, while Msgr. Robert Carroll, former pastor of Our Lady of Fatima Parish, Highland Lakes, is spiritual director of the Morris County Curia.
The organization’s motto is “Ad Jesum Per Madam,” or “To Jesus Through Mary.”
The Legion was founded in Dublin, Ireland, on Sept. 7, 1921, by Frank Duff (1889-1980) with the purpose of making its members better Catholics, mobilizing the Catholic laity and raising the spiritual level of interest of the entire community.
The gathering for Mass and renewal of the Legion’s act of consecration is known as the Acies, Latin for “a standing army,” which professes their allegiance to Mary and Jesus. The Acies takes place worldwide every March near the Feast of the Annunciation of Mary, which is celebrated on March 25.