‘On Mission with Mary’, a youth conference hosted by the Legion of Mary at their headquarters in Dublin 7 on Saturday, August 30, saw Catholic youth aged 18 to 40 gather for a day of talks, workshops and socialising.
The conference featured talks from Sr Mary Magdalene of Limerick and Fr Michael Kennedy PP of the archdiocese of Cashel and Emly, and testimonies from young legionaries Martin McManus, Kateri Jones and Robert Bradley.
Attendee Hannah Biju initially heard about the event through a friend who sent her the flyer. Speaking to The Irish Catholic, she admitted that she was a bit hesitant to attend at first, but after the talks and testimonials, she was pleasantly surprised, describing the experience as “fruitful”.
When asked about the benefits of attending events such as ‘On Mission with Mary’, Ms Biju spoke about the importance of forming community and meeting other young Catholics: “It’s really difficult to be a Catholic by yourself, and it helps when you have good Catholic friends.”
The testimony by legionary Kateri Jones of Limerick also highlighted the importance of community and friendship, and urged the young audience to join the legion even if they were unsure of their path, as she was when she first joined.
Ms Jones described the legion as “a vocation within a vocation”, and said that “it really does transform your life for the better.”
Mr McManus recalled that he began to experience a renewed interest in his faith in his early 30s, and said that being an evangelising Catholic and joining the legion enhanced his spiritual life.
Mr Bradley, who spends his Saturdays knocking on doors in an effort to spread the faith, noted that “the Legion of Mary is the true face of the Catholic Church.”
All three of the legionaries’ testimonies shared a similar pattern: stepping or drifting away from their faith earlier in life, and then returning later to find joy and renewed faith in evangelisation efforts.
Ms Biju was inspired by these stories: “I am a person who doesn’t really talk about my faith that much to other people, but listening to the testimonies made me think maybe I should push myself a little more,” she said.
“I might consider joining the Legion now that I know more about it.”
