20th Century Marian Apostle: Frank Duff

20-th Century Marian Apostle

On November 7, 1980, Frank Duff, founder of the Legion of Mry, was called to his Maker. He was 91 years of age. Although he was hailed during his lifetime as the layman who had unquestionably made the greatest contribution to the Apostolate of the Church in this century, Frank Duff remained to the very end a humble servant of the Church. He was active in the Apostolate until the day of his death. He died shortly after attending the funeral Mass of a Legion of Mary officer.

Born in Dublin, Ireland, on June 7, 1889, Frank Duff was a graduate of Blackrock College. As a young man he entered upon a promising career as a civil servant in the Government’s financial department where, we are told, he played an important, though unobtrusive, role in building up the new Irish State. It was at this time, both during and after the First World War that he found time to help Dublin’s poor, as a St. Vincent de Paul worker.

He soon realized, however, that beyond relieving the material poverty of people, there was an even greater need for the organization that would concern itself solely with the spiritual needs of Dublin’s unfortunate poor. He had discovered the need for a direct soul-to-soul apostolate that would extend itself not only to the materially poor, but to the spiritually poor. In a word, an organization that would address itself to the spiritual needs of people through bringing the Good News of the Gospel to all Creatures!

A Discovery

It was at this time (1920) that Frank Duff became acquainted with St. Louis de Montfort’s Treatise of True Devotion to Mary.  Here in part is how he described that “discovery” to us here in Bay Shore, on his visit to the U.S. on December 6, 1956. See another article on that visit (soon here and) within The Queen.

“At some time in that reading, I made what you might call a discovery. And that was, the book was true! Now I don’t mean that whatever the book says is true; or that those arguments were important. Or that thing was convincing. It came quite suddenly to me – and that was: That book is true! That’s an authentic message to man from God Himself! Fantastic as so many of the things that is declared in regard to Our Lady, that book is true! Then I went on from that wonderful grace to the logical consequence of it.

An Authentic Message to Man from God Himself

“I said to myself: I must be dreadfully ignorant because there’s a chasm between that book, if it is true, and my outlook on Our Lady – a dreadful chasm. And I had the grace to say to myself: Now that chasm has to be crossed., because the book is too drastic. The things it says there are just things you cannot shut your eyes to and pretend not to exist. The thing is too drastic, too desperate! Because of Mary that is talked in that book is not conventional Mary that was being taught around the place – a different person altogether. So different a person that there was no comparison . . . You’ve got to do something about it!”

And Frank Duff did do something about it!

The Legion . . .

On September 7, 1921, he founded the organization now known as The Legion of Mary whose apostolate is rooted in this total commitment of its members to Christ Through Mary. the Montfort Way. At first, the work was confined to visiting the sick in a poorhouse on James Street in Dublin. Then as members came along, a drive was launched to “clean-up” an entire red-light district of Dublin by weaning away from their sinful trade the growing numbers of prostitutes of the City.

The story of this spiritual crusade and its incredible outcome is told by Frank Duff in his book, “Miracles on Tap“. It is one of the many books written by this indefatigable lay apostle.

. . . of Mary

Spurred on and encouraged by the teachings of St. Louis de Montfort, Frank Duff pressed forward in the development of the Legion of Mary in the 1920’s. During those early years, the work was carried out by women with Frank Duff under the spiritual direction of Father Michael Tober.

It was not until 1928 that the first Praesidium of men was formed. The work of this first group of men was to cater for the spiritual needs of down-and-out men in a hostel called “Morning Star”.  It provides supper, and bed-and-breakfast. Three years later, the “Regina Coeli” Hostel was formed on the premises adjacent to the Morning Star hostel and next to the Legion of Mary headquarters on Morning Star Avenue. Its purpose was to cater for destitute woman and for unwanted, unmarried mothers and their babies. Both hostels have helped many unfortunates over the years and are still providing services to this day. And, Frank Duff, despite his busy schedule, always managed to do more than his share of the menial tasks required in such an institution.

Full-Time Work

In 1933, Frank Duff then 44 years of age, left a high post in the Civil Service. He left to devote his full time to the work of the Legion of Mary. In the meantime, the Legion had crossed over into Scottland (1928), and into England (1929). The Legion started in India and the U.S.A (1931). It started in Canada and Australia (1932), West India and West Africa (1933), etc….

Today, the Legion is established in virtually every country in the world, outside the Iron and Bamboo curtain countries. Its numbers over one million active members and countless millions of Auxiliary (praying) members. In the Philippines alone, there are over 10,000 Praesidia or cells.

A few years ago, Frank Duff told me that they had statistics that prove that more than 4,000 Legionaries had died for the Faith. The died rather than deny their Legion of Mary affiliation in Red China during the past thirty years. The process for the eventual glorification of one of its members. the Venerable Edel Quinn, Legionary envoy to East Africa, has already been initiated in Rome. Cardinal Suenens of Belgium, a longtime friend of Frank Duff, wrote her biography.

Frank Duff Speaks at Vatican II

During Vatican II, Frank Duff was invited to Rome. He was invited to address the Council Fathers on the subject of the lay apostolate. Friends of Popes and Prelates, politicians and professional men, Frank Duff was above all a friend of the poor. He took the Lord’s words literally. “Go out into the highways and byways and compel them to come in”!

Only a year ago, on my last visit to the Legion headquarters in Dublin, he related how that previous summer he had personally stood on the street-corners of many cities in Ireland, buttonholing people (American tourists mostly, he said). And inviting them. if they were non-Catholics, to consider becoming Catholic. “Have you ever thought, at one time or another, of being a Catholic?” was his method approach. He believed in the direct, person-to-person, soul-to-soul apostolate. That is what the Legion of Mary is all about. He did this to the very end. I understand, he was planning another such venture through Ireland when death interrupted its realization.

Papal Invitation

In June 1979, Pope John Paul II invited Frank Duff to his private Mass.  The Mass was followed by what Frank Duff described as “a working breakfast”. Here is how he described it in part. “We were really moved with his warmth and his kindness. and, particularly, his simplicity and his humility . . . He was anxious to hear our news on what direction the lay apostolate should take. He asked us questions and listened most attentively”. With a twinkle in his eye, Frank Duff described the Pope’s parting gesture to him in these words. “He gave me a big hug”.

Like all truly great men of God, Frank Duff was a very humble and self-effacing man. He always had time to listen to people’s problems – particularly those of the poor.  No religious ever lived mor poorly and more simply than he did. Completely detached from all earthly thoughts or ambitions, he had only one thing in mind: to win over the world to Christ through Mary. As a Christian scholar, Frank Duff “could well have emerged from the Roman Halls of learning with first class doctorates in philosophy, dogmatic theology and biblical science”. His genius has long since been recognized by many Churchmen and laity, who have studied the many words of wisdom in the Legion Handbook alone, of which he is virtually the sole author.

Frank Duff: Receiver of Two Special Awards

In December 1956, the University of Dayton (Ohio) presented him with “the highest honor within her power to bestow” – THE MARIANIST AWARD.

But if there is one Saint that was especially dear to him it was St. Louis de Montfort. His house, “Montfort House” was named after him. This Saint had led him and all his followers into conquerors for Christ.

It is not surprising then that, on August 9, 1965, the late Father Francis P. Tomai, SMM, was delegated to present to Frank Duff, in the name of the Montfort Missionaries, the Pius XII MARIAN AWARD. And, on behalf of our Superior General, granted him the first honorary membership in the company of Mary. See this article link. I might refer the reader to St. Louis de Montfort’s own description of “The Apostles of the Latter Times”. In my book, no one fits that description more beautifully than Frank Duff.