By Lois Rogers | Correspondent

As more than 100 women and men gathered to renew their consecration to the Blessed Virgin Mary during the Legion of Mary's Acies Mass in Sacred Heart Church, Riverton, March 22, Father Michael J. Burns, their spiritual director, commended the devotion they show in leading people to Jesus through his mother.


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Assuring the group of many generations, including those accompanied by their children, that “Mary looks down on all of us with a smile,” for their fealty, in his homily, Father Burns, pastor of St. Mary Parish, Bordentown, spoke of the gentle and outgoing way they faithfully “take up the Cross” through their prayerful evangelizing.

And the Blessed Mother, he said, returns that devotion, being “right here beside us” as they devote themselves to her cause which is more powerful, he said, than any evil extant in the world. “Today, we celebrate your love and loyalty.”

It was wonderful, he said, “to see so many dedicated men and women devoting themselves to her” who keeps them strong as they go forth in her name and her cause” as members of the Legion of Mary Trenton Comitium.

Acies is the Latin word meaning “an army ranged in battle display” and during the Mass, the members approached her battle standard to renew their pledge to her, often in twos. In moving moments, they placed their hands on the standard and prayerfully recommitted themselves.

This Mass, for members from Mercer and Burlington counties, was one of two Acies held on or near March 25, the Feast of the Annunciation, in the Diocese. The earlier Acies Mass, for active and auxiliary members in Ocean and Monmouth Counties, was held March 15 in St. Robert Bellarmine Church, Freehold.

There, the Mass was celebrated by St. Robert Bellarmine pastor, Msgr. Sam A. Sirianni, director of the Diocesan Office of Worship.

The Legion of Mary is one of the largest lay apostolic organizations of lay people in the Church, with several million active and auxiliary members in some 170 countries who serve their parishes through apostolic and missionary activities including evangelization, instructing and preparing others to receive the sacraments, distributing rosaries, and visiting the sick, elderly and inmates in jail.

During the social hour, Father Burns recalled that his own 40 year association with the Legion of Mary began as a newly ordained priest four decades ago when he was regularly visiting prisoners in Trenton State Prison.

His first parish was Trenton's Sacred Heart which traditionally brings spiritual care to inmates at the prison. Charged with that ministry by Msgr. Leonard R. Toomey, pastor from 1966-1992, he was greeted with a request to bring the Legion of Mary inside the walls of the prison.

“I was asked if we would be able to start a praesidium in the prison,” he remembered with a smile. “You had to give permission. A small but very dedicated group of very good people” did participate in the Legion there, said Father Burns.

“Then after five years, I was reassigned to St. Paul Parish in Burlington and Bishop (John C.) Reiss named me spiritual director in the late 1970s,” a role he has taken joy in filling ever since. He described the mission of “serving Jesus through Mary” as “great work. Mary is so important,” he said, especially in these trying, contemporary times.

As they shared fellowship and food at the meal that followed, Judy Abramovitz and Rose Kaniper, both of Our Lady of Sorrows-St. Anthony Parish, Hamilton, spoke animatedly about their evangelizing efforts on behalf of Our Lady and her legion.

Calling the Acies Mass and gathering the “highlight of the year” for those who belong to the Legion of Mary, the pair, who have been members for about seven years, spoke of the importance of the annual renewal of vows. They took joy in relating that “Our Lady goes with us,” as they reach out in faith to others.

One way they do that, is with a book event the Legion brings four times a year to St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton.

“We bring sacred medals, books, pens and cups to the back of the cathedral for people and offer them to people in her name,” said Kaniper.” Abramovitz added that the Legion of Mary will hold one of those “book borrow” events at the cathedral this Saturday.

According to its website, the lay apostolic association serves the Church in 170 nations around the world. Founded by Servant of God Frank Duff, the apostolate began with a meeting in Myrna House, Dublin, Ireland, in September, 1921 and bloomed from there.

There are more than 1,000 Legion of Mary (active and auxiliary) members and nearly 200 active members in the diocese including Peace Emmanuel who brought her daughter, Emmanuela to the Acies.

A devoted member of the Legion since her childhood in Nigeria, Emmanuel said she would never fail to attend the annual Acies. “It is very important to be here,” said Emmanuel, a member of Sacred Heart Parish, Riverton.

Her years of active participation stem from the fact that she “loves everything about it,” especially the fact that members get to live out “what Jesus said. You are sent out as (the disciples) were in the Gospel to reach out to the sick, those in need, those in jail.” Attending the Acies each year, she said, is a “wonderful opportunity for everyone (following that mission) to come together.”