Longtime home for Legion of Mary at St. Ann Parish

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SALT LAKE CITY — St. Ann Parish in Salt Lake City has had active participation in the Legion of Mary group for more than 40 years. Father Dominic Sternhagen, pastor, will pay tribute to this legacy during the Sept. 24-25 weekend Masses.

The Legion of Mary is a lay Catholic association whose members offer service to the Church. It was founded by the Servant of God Frank Duff in Dublin, Ireland on Sept. 7, 1921. Last year the Legion of Mary celebrated its 100-year centenary throughout the world.

On Sept. 27, 1982, Monsignor John Sullivan, St. Ann’s pastor from 1982 to 2003, introduced the Legion of Mary to the parish.

Legion of Mary groups are called presidium. At St. Ann’s, Our Lady of Perpetual Help presidium members meet weekly to pray the rosary, but that is only the beginning of their service in the parish.

“The foundation of our legion has to do with the performance of substantial active Legion of Mary works, in the spirit of faith, and in union with Mary, in such a fashion that those worked for, the person of our Lord is once again seen and served by Mary, his mother,” said Pam Lagerquist, a presidium member. “We are all called to be lay apostolate. The Legion of Mary has kept the Church alive like the army since its foundation.”

Members of the parish’s presidium also live out their faith by taking communion to the sick and shut-ins, helping with the bereavement ministry, praying the rosary at viewings when requested and teaching religious education. During the pandemic, the number of parishioners involved in the Legion of Mary at St. Ann’s decreased. Currently there are nine active members and 31 auxiliary members. Presidium President Susan Gonzales hopes to see more participation as life continues to return to normal.

Gonzales chose her service to the Legion of Mary as her way of bringing glory to God and Mary, his mother, she said. “I do it because of my complete devotion to Our Blessed Mother through the parish. My apostolate work takes place in the parish in any form our pastor may need.”

Her membership in the Legion of Mary has blessed her in countless ways, she said. “Our Blessed Mother and the rosary, I can’t put into the words the grace that it gives me. It carries me throughout my daily life and gives me what I need to truly go on and to continue the work that’s placed before me in any direction of the parish. For me, it’s just love of our Blessed Mother and the Lord.”

Gonzales believes the Legion of Mary’s longevity at St. Ann’s reflects the love of parishioners for the parish and for the priests who have served there over the past 40 years. “Truly I see that in our members,” she said.

Lagerquist expressed appreciation for the works of Legion of Mary members, “our deceased, past and present members in St. Ann’s Parish, so that we can look forward with joyful spirituality that will generate the faith of our founder and to build together the mystical Body of Christ.”

“We humbly express our appreciation to all the parish priests of St. Ann’s, including Monsignor Michael Winterer, (a retired priest of the diocese who was in residence at the parish for a time) under whose spiritual guidance we have been able to continue our mission,” Lagerquist added.