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Philadelphia Legion 40th Anniversary: Highlights & History

Explore the founding & growth of Legion in Philadelphia from 1955 to Senatus inauguration in 1964, President Edel Lukens, notable events, and leaders. Uncover the journey from Curia to Comitium & beyond. Learn how Legion evolved under Mary Phelps, Bill Peffley, and Al Norrell, encountering esteemed figures like Frank Duff, Archbishop Krol, Fr. Falls, and Msgr. Benjamin along the way.

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Philadelphia Legion 40th Anniversary: Highlights & History

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  1. Philadephia Senatus40th Anniversary“Highlights of Our History” Edel Lukens, Senatus President September 18, 2004

  2. PREHISTORY (1955): • In early 1955, Mary Phelps (now Peffley) moves to Philadelphia from South Bend, Indiana to work with the Legion • In summer 1955, Florence Gorman is sent from St. Louis by Concilium to do extension • Archbishop O’Hara welcomes them

  3. First meeting: October 16, 1955 First president: Mary Phelps PHILADELPHIA CURIA

  4. Nov. 1955: New York Senatusis establishedBy Feb. 1956:

  5. Fr. Ignatius Szal was especially involved in the early days of the Legion. He attended the first curia meeting.

  6. January, 1956: Msgr. Cletus J. Benjamin, ex-Chancellor of the Philadelphia Archdiocese is appointed Spiritual Director of the Philadelphia Curia.

  7. Letter to Mary Phelps from Frank Duff, dated 7/30/56: “My dear Sister Phelps,” . . . (I have been hearing) . . . “a good deal about Philadelphia and the state of the Legion there at the moment. Apparently things are going quite well. The praesidia are becoming more numerous and they are getting dug into good work. Of course the need for Legion expansion in that mighty city is infinite.”

  8. CURIA PRESIDENTS (1955-1962) • Mary Phelps (Peffley) 1955-1958 • Bill Peffley 1958-1960 • Al Norrell 1960-1962

  9. SOME EVENTS WHEN WE WERE A CURIA(1955-1962) December, 1956: Frank Duff makes his only trip to the United States to receive the Marianist Award in Dayton, Ohio

  10. Philadelphia Legionaries meet Frank Duff in New York

  11. April 9, 1957:Conferences for Priests are held in the Archdiocese Msgr. Benjamin – Philadelphia Fr. Faunce – Allentown & Tamaqua

  12. 1959Patricians begin in Philadelphia 1st meeting held at Msgr. Benjamin’s parish with 60 non-legionaries in attendance

  13. 1961: First Legion “Operetta” These were performed locally (in Norristown and Philadelphia), in Baltimore, Cincinnati, New York, and Dublin.

  14. 1961: Archbishop Krol is named new Archbishop of Philadelphia after the death of Cardinal O’Hara in 1960. He immediately sends a letter to all pastors encouraging them to start the Legion.

  15. 1961: Bishop Benjamin dies Archbishop Krol appoints Fr. Thomas B. Falls Spiritual Director of the Philadelphia Curia. (Msgr. Falls would be Spiritual Director until 1998 and then, Spiritual Director Emeritus until his death in 2004.)

  16. PHILADELPHIA COMITIUM • First Meeting: March 18, 1962 (#78) • First President: Al Norrell • First Spiritual Director: Fr. Falls • The Pottstown Curia moves to Norristown and is attached to Philadelphia • This is followed by the formation of four more curiae

  17. Curiae attached to the Philadelphia Comitium: • Norristown Curia (established 1960) • Philadelphia Junior Curia (May, 1962) • Delaware County Curia (Dec, 1962) • Bucks County Curia (June, 1963) • Immaculata Curia (North Philadelphia) (Sept, 1963)

  18. 1962: First Philadelphia trip to Dublin SOME EVENTS WHEN WE WERE A COMITIUM (1962-1964)

  19. Legionaries met Frank Duff & Fr. McGrath on this trip

  20. Frank Duff acted as Tour Guide

  21. Legionaries attended meetings and Irish entertainment

  22. 1962: Legion Songbook is introduced • Letter from Frank Duff (3/16/61): “I note that you are working hard on the entertainment side of the Legion . . . Most earnestly do we commend you in that. The Legion is not supposed to be a sour-faced affair, but a thing of real riotous happiness.”

  23. 1963: First Legion Retreat • Held in Elkins Park • By 1965 two annual retreats were being held: spring and fall • 1968 retreat was given by Fr. McGrath • 1972: retreats were moved to Wernersville

  24. Annual Retreats • First Legion Retreat at Malvern was Nov. 5-7, 1976 • Retreat Master: Msgr. Charles Moss • 300 retreatants • First weekend retreat at Malvern open to women • 29th retreat: Nov 5-7, 2004

  25. We begin hearing talk of raising Philadelphia to a Senatus: • Sept, 1963: The raising of Philadelphia to a Senatus is approved at the Concilium meeting • 10/10/63: A letter from Concilium informs us of this

  26. 11/2/63: Letter from Frank Duff to Mary Peffley: “I am looking forward with keenest interest to the inauguration of the Senatus for Philadelphia. You know that it is you who have been the foundation stone of that great event.” • 2/9/64: 1st meeting of the Philadelphia Senatus (#101)

  27. SENATUS INAUGURATION • Senatus Meeting (2 bishops, 50 spiritual directors, & over 700 legionaries attended) • Mass at Cathedral celebrated by Bishop Graham • Banquet with speakers: Fr. Reynolds (New York Senatus), Fr. Falls, Al Norrell • Musical Entertainment

  28. SENATUS INAUGURATION • Fr. Reynolds: “We in New York feel like parents seeing their children go off to start families of their own. It seems to us that the growth of the Legion in Philadelphia has been due primarily to two things: first, the very patient & painstaking work done by all the people involved; and second, your sense of responsibility, which has not been blind obedience but a mature cooperation and an intelligent loyalty.”

  29. First Senatus Meeting

  30. Mass at Cathedral

  31. Banquet

  32. Letter from Frank Duff: • “I will pray that it will be a momentous day, not merely for America but for the whole world. Each of us lives in the Mystical Body, and therefore a Senatus is big in that same body. It is not a matter of influencing its own great area alone.”

  33. Norristown Curia Philadelphia Junior Curia Delaware County Curia Bucks County Curia Immaculata Curia Altoona-Johnstown Curia Erie Curia Gettysburg Curia Greensburg Curia Harrisburg Curia Oil City Curia Pittsburgh Curia Scranton Comitium Councils Already Attached & Councils Added that day:

  34. After 40 Years, the Senatus has grown to have 9 attached comitia… • Altoona-Johnstown Comitium • Camden Comitium • Erie Comitium • Greensburg Comitium • Harrisburg Comitium • Metuchen Comitium • Norristown Comitium • Pittsburgh Comitium • Trenton Comitium

  35. …and 11 attached curiae: • Allentown Curia • Bucks County Curia • Delaware County Korean Curia • Delaware County North Curia • Delaware County South Curia • Holy Family Curia • Mater Dolorosa Curia • Philadelphia Korean Curia • Philadelphia Spanish Curia • Scranton Curia • Wilmington Curia

  36. Spiritual Directors of Senatus: • Msgr. Falls appointed 1961 • Becomes Spiritual Director Emeritus in 1998 • Dies 2004 • Fr. Francis Lendacky appointed assistant spiritual director in 1986 • Becomes spiritual director in 1998

  37. SENATUS PRESIDENTS • Al Norrell 1964-1966 • Pat Brady 1966-1969 • Al Norrell 1969-1975 • Bill Peffley 1975-1981 • Walter Brown 1981-1987 • Don Taggart 1987-1993 • John Mosley 1993-1998 • Edel (Peffley) Lukens 1998-2004

  38. Cardinal Krol: a great friend of the Legion

  39. Reply to monthly report by Msgr. Falls: “As you can imagine, my desk is piled high with telegrams and letters. But, I had to find time to thank you for your monthly report of the Legion of Mary and to assure you of my gratitude for the work which you and the legionaries are doing in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.”

  40. Letter to pastors (1967): “…I have found the Legion of Mary to be truly apostolic and completely in accord with the decrees and the spirit of the Second Vatican Council. This most modern of our parish societies is extremely effective in any parish, where it receives direction and encouragement from the pastor. I strongly recommend the Legion of Mary to you, and urge you to offer your parishioners this new way of participating in the Lay Apostolate. The Legion of Mary, including its programs for the Lay Apostolate, has my complete endorsement.”

  41. 1st Annual Report of the Senatus to Archbishop Krol (12/31/64): • Total active membership in Archdiocese: 1791 (1127 seniors and 664 juniors) • 29,079 auxiliaries • 188 praesidia (129 senior & 59 junior)

  42. Works Included: • Home visits • Instruction of non-Catholics • Hospital, nursing home, mental hospital, prison, & factory visits • Apostolate to Youth • Apostolate to the Crowd • Street girl contacts • Patricians

  43. Some Results:In 1964 . . . • 21 active members entered the religious life • 262 adults & 353 children were baptized • 541 returns to the sacraments

  44. The Report showed an increase from 1963 to 1964 of . . . • 3 councils • 35 praesidia • 310 active members • 6,417 auxiliary members • 16,100 apostolic visits (for a total of 105,139) • A BUSY, FRUITFUL, GRACE-FILLED TIME!

  45. Through the 1960s there were reports of many challenging works: • 3 praesidia in Center City were doing Apostolate to the Crowd, Bookbarrow, contacting street girls & drug addicts, and working in Skid Row • State Mental Hospitals • Prisons • Patricians • Juniors • Door-to-door • Visiting juvenile delinquents referred by police • Brotherhouse Social & overnight shelter • Viatores Christi

  46. Fr. McGrath to Senatus (1967): “Philadelphia has been one of my pet subjects . . . since I saw you here the first time. It was one of the first instances I give of people tackling difficult work. . . . This is the kind of thing that is going to bring grace to you and has brought it to you already. . . . I am seeing the Mystical Body of Christ acting through the United States.”

  47. Emphasis on PPC • Mary McFadden (now Brady) – first PPC chairman • Later, Dick Currie ran many PPCs • Now, PPC committee is headed by Joe and Eleanor Lang

  48. Some of our PPCs: • Jamaica in 1967 & 1969 • In 1970: South Dakota, West Virginia, & Tremont, PA (Allentown diocese) • Puerto Rico, Canada, & Trinidad in 1972 • Msgr. Moss & his juniors went to England, Germany, Iceland, Italy, & Scotland • Most years there was a PPC to West Virginia

  49. SPECIAL EVENTS DURING THE SENATUS YEARS 1964: Second trip to Dublin

  50. 1964: First Extension Worker from our Senatus Joan Spillane (later Taggart) was sent by Concilium to Mexico

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