FRANK DUFF
Founder of the Legion of Mary
Frank Duff was born in Dublin,
Ireland, on June 7, 1889. He entered the Civil Service at the age of
18. At 24 he joined the Society of St. Vincent de Paul where he was led
to a deeper commitment to his Catholic faith and at the same time he
acquired a great sensitivity to the needs of the poor and
underprivileged.
Along with a group of Catholic women
and Fr. Michael Toher, Dublin Archdiocese, he formed the first
praesidium of the Legion of Mary on September 7, 1921. From that date
until his death, November 7, 1980, he guided the world-wide extension
of the Legion with heroic dedication. He attended the Second Vatican
Council as a lay observer.
His profound insights into the role
of the Blessed Virgin in the plan of Redemption, as also into the role
of the lay faithful in the mission of the Church, are reflected in this
Handbook which is almost entirely his composition.