History of the SSPX Legion of Mary in Australia
"You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill-top cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp to put it under a tub; they put it on the lamp-stand where it shines for everyone in the house. In the same way, your light must shine in the sight of men, so that, seeing your good works, they may give the praise to your Father in Heaven.”
History
In 1995 a small group of men and women met in a tiny decrepit hall on Alexander Rd, Oxley to hold the first Legion of Mary meeting in Our Lady of Lourdes Parish. It was the first appearance the Legion of Mary had made in the Queensland parishes of the Society of St Pius X. This beautiful image of a small group of parishioners dedicating themselves to such a noble cause as fostered by the Legion, has some biblical similarities as do all great things of spiritual substance. For all those who are old enough to remember, the Legion Halls of Old did, and still do to a degree, mirror the stable at Bethlehem, at least aesthetically. Yet as with the stable of Bethlehem, Christ always seems to use the unexpected, small tucked away corners of the world to produce His greatest miracles.
From a single praesidium of so few men and women- which survived years on life support, members coming and going, the going of members often outweighing the coming- this small bud of apostolicity flourished and grew into the large mobile and ever-growing Legion network that exists today.
It is no doubt a trying task being a legionary, but it does not take long to look beneath the surface and see the treasures we have reaped and victories we have won in the spiritual combat. While our works have evolved over the years from the humble book barrow to playing chess with the homeless, the one work which has brought about the most success has been the simple visitation, the bread and butter of the legion. What this does show is that through discipline, dedication and prayer, miracles do occur, at the hands of the everyday Catholic laity.
One cannot put it in better words than Christ Himself, as is written in Matthew Chapter 5:13, an absolutely beautiful verse and one that I think sums up the duty of each Legionary (and Catholic):
"You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill-top cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp to put it under a tub; they put it on the lamp-stand where it shines for everyone in the house. In the same way, your light must shine in the sight of men, so that, seeing your good works, they may give the praise to your Father in Heaven.”