The Patricians

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The society of the Patricians is an informal group of Catholics who meet at St.John the Baptist Catholic Church to learn more about the Catholic Faith. Meetings generally take place one Wednesday evening a month from 6:45-8:45 PM. Dates are advertised in our leaflet and in other local church bulletins.

 

First established by the Legion of Mary in 1955, the Patricians addresses Catholics’ reluctance or inability to speak about religious matters. It prepares and encourages us to share the joy of the Gospel. The goals of the Patricians are:

· To build up our knowledge of the Faith;

· To help us know how to explain the Faith;

· To encourage us to share the  Faith.

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The Legion of Mary adopts much of its terminology from the ancient Roman Legion. The name “Patricians” refers to the upper level of Roman society, and the aim of our Patricians Society is to bind all social grades into one “spiritual nobility.” As the Roman Patricians were supposed to be full of love of their country and of responsibility for its welfare, so our Patricians must be supporters of our spiritual fatherland, the Church. Each and every Catholic, by virtue of our baptism, is called to share the Gospel—and not necessarily in grand or formal ways. Rather, most opportunities come from impromptu questions or comments from individuals we encounter every day.  If we are to seize those opportunities, we need to have the confidence to speak. The Patricians provides a comfortable, supportive environment in which to learn and practice explaining our faith, so that we will always be prepared to share the good news of Christ!

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All Catholics and non-Catholics ages 18 and up who would like to learn more about the Catholic Faith or share their knowledge of the Faith are welcome to attend Patricians meetings.  There is no formal membership and you are not required to attend every meeting.  For more information write or call Edel.

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The Legion

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The Legion of Mary, which began in Dublin, Ireland in 1921, is now the largest world-wide apostolic organization for lay people in the Catholic Church.  Its object, as noted in the Legion of Mary handbook, is "the glory of God through the holiness of its members developed by prayer and active co-operation, under ecclesiastical guidance, in Mary's and the Church's work of crushing the head of the serpent and advancing the reign of Christ."  The spirituality of the Legion of Mary is based on St. Louis Marie de Montfort's "True Devotion to Jesus through Mary."  

 

Active Legion members attend a weekly meeting (which includes recitation of the rosary, spiritual reading and discussion, and reports of work done) and perform a two-hour apostolic work assignment with a partner each week. Auxiliary members pray the Legion prayers and rosary daily to support this work.

 

Local units of the Legion are called "praesidia" and each is named using a title of Our Lady.  Praesidia generally work within a parish setting.  In our area, a non-parochial praesidium named "Mary, Hope for the Future" meets on Tuesday evenings at 7:05 p.m. at the Legion of Mary Building in Norristown. Many of their apostolic works are done in connection with St. John the Baptist parish:  doing door-to-door evangelization in the Bridgeport/Upper Merion area, running monthly Patricians meetings, and hosting the Patriotic Rosary.  Other works done by this praesidium include making visits to local nursing homes, doing street evangelization in Norristown, and circulating a Pilgrim Virgin statue.

 

For more information on the Legion in the area and around the world, visit https://www.lomnorristown.org/.

 

To visit a praesidium meeting or to make arrangements to have the Pilgrim Virgin statue visit your home, contact Edel at 610-256-7125.