Frank Duff

He started in a handful in 1921 and by the time of his death in 1980 had guided the Legion of Mary to over one million active members and 9 million auxillaries. He guided the Legion of Mary to 60,000 active units in 1900 dioceses over five continents. He also seized upon the idea of a vigorous late apostolate that his foundation was the model for the Second Vatican Council "Decree on the Lay Apostolate".
Who was the man Frank Duff? 

Born in Dublin Ireland, of civil servant parents on June 7, 1889, Frank Duff was the first of the six children. He took a good education through preparatory school. In his 18th year, he followed his chosen career of his parents and entered the Irish Land Commission.
He eventually became active in St Vincent De Paul Society and visited the poor of Dublin's tenements. With brother Vincentians, Frank worked especially to rehabilitate alcoholics. He himself swore total abstinence from alcoholic beverages as a member of the Pioneer Society.
With some fifteen women and five priest, Frank gathered on September 7, 1921, at Myra house in Dublin to establish the Association of Mary. The group shared a devotion to the Blessed Mother of God and desire to be active in the church's apostolate. Among the group's early effort was the work with women in Dublin's red light district. The pious group succeeded in bringing a first group of 23 street women to a spiritual retreat and thence change their lives.
From this first success, Frank's band took courage. They eventually established three hostels, all in Dublin. Santa Maria (1922) housed and rehabilitated fallen women; Morning Star(1927) sheltered homeless men; and Regina Coeli (1930) to in women and unwed mothers.
By November of 1925 the Association had half dozen loose groupings which recognized the need for reorganization, Frank Duff proposed a title , The Legion of Mary.  At first the members rejected the title, unable to settle on another, they finally accepted the name and the form which the classical Roman name suggested. More men joined.
Frank rejected the appellation of founder and guiding spirit. But others, then an now, saw him as the person who established and fostered the organization. He never married. In his early forties by 1933, Frank took early retirement from Ireland civil service to devote himself ful ltime to building up the Legion and to promoting its piety and work. He wrote the book.  In composing the Official Handbook of Legion of Mary. Frank not only fixed the rules and solidified the form of organization but he also offered the members a book of piety.

Much of this book provides lengthy passages from scripture which invite medication. Now the Handbook is available in more than 25 languages and 125 dialects. Because of it, the praesidia around the world show a remarkable uniformity. The rules require frequent reports to headquarters. Duff read this and responded to them. His appreciation of the benefits which flow from a proper bureaucracy has made the legion a unified, coherent organization that stimulates all of its members.
Frank sent envoys to every continent to build up the Catholic faith by means of the Legion. In Brazil, he saw the Legion grow wonderfully. In China there was a great success until Communists took over the country and martyred number of  Legionaries. But the Philippines offered the greatest openness; it has over 60,000 praesidia.
Three books have come from his pen; Miracles on Tap, Woman of Genesis and The Virgin must be Preached. In all his writings , in all his efforts Frank promoted devotion to the Blessed Virgin through Legion the named in her honor.
In his declining years, Frank daily visited the next door of his own residence those houses, set up in the first years of active ministry, which received the homeless. On November 7, 1980, he failed to arrive at the Regina Coeli house for his 5:00pm tea. The workers found him dead in his bed staring at the statue of the Sacred heart.
His apostolate which was world wide, had ended on this earth for Francis Duff
[written by Emmett H Carroll]