Structure
Legion of Mary
Legion Ranks
The Legion of Mary is a spiritual family united through prayer and apostolic service under the guidance of Our Blessed Mother. Organized in a beautiful structure of mutual support and accountability, each level of the Legion helps its members grow in holiness while bringing Christ to others. From the parish Praesidium to the worldwide Concilium, all are united in one mission: to know, love, and serve God through Mary.
“Whatever He tells you, do it.” (John 2:5)
Praesidium
The Praesidium is the heart of the Legion of Mary. Usually based in a parish, it is a small community of members who gather weekly for prayer, spiritual formation, and fellowship. Rooted in love for Our Lady, members go out each week to serve others through works of evangelization and charity.
Curia
A Curia is a family of Praesidia within a local area. It meets monthly to support, guide, and encourage the Praesidia in their mission. Through the Curia, members remain united in spirit and faithful to the Legion’s way of prayer and apostolic service.
Comitium
A Comitium brings together several Curiae, often within a diocese and has some directly attached Praesidia.. It helps foster growth, strengthen unity, and ensure that the Legion’s mission is carried out with zeal and fidelity. It serves as a bridge between local groups and higher councils.
Regia
A Regia provides leadership and coordination across a wider region, sometimes spanning multiple dioceses. A Regia will have directly attached Comitiums, Curiae, and directly Praesidia. It promotes expansion of the Legion, forms leaders, and helps preserve the spirit and discipline handed on since the Legion’s founding.
Senatus
A Senatus provides leadership and coordination across an even larger region, sometimes spanning multiple dioceses. A Senatus may have directly attached Regias, Comitiums, Curiae, and Praesidia.
The Arlington Senatus lovingly oversees the Legion of Mary in its territory, guiding and supporting the Comitiums, Curiae, and Praesidia under its care. It works to ensure that all members grow in holiness and remain faithful to the Legion’s mission of bringing Christ to others through Mary. The Arlington Senatus is directly united with the worldwide Legion through its reporting to the Concilium.
There are Senatus councils throughout the world, in practically every country, each united in the same mission and spirit. Together, all Senatus report to the Concilium, making the Legion of Mary a truly worldwide apostolate.
Concilium
The Concilium is the international heart of the Legion of Mary, based in Dublin, Ireland. It unites Legion members across the world, safeguarding the Legion’s spirit, charism, and mission. Through the Concilium, all levels of the Legion remain one family in Our Lady’s service.
Praesidium Officer Duties of the Legion of Mary
The President
The Praesidium President in the Legion of Mary serves as the spiritual and organizational leader of the local unit, guiding its members in prayer, formation, and apostolic work. The President presides over weekly meetings, ensuring that they are conducted according to the Legion Handbook, with order, prayer, and fellowship.
A key duty of the President is to assign and oversee the weekly apostolic works of the members, providing encouragement, guidance, and practical support to help them carry out their tasks effectively. The President also fosters the spiritual growth of the Praesidium by promoting devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, offering guidance in personal holiness, and maintaining close contact with the Spiritual Director.
Additionally, the President serves as a liaison with higher councils of the Legion, reporting on the Praesidium’s activities and ensuring adherence to Legion rules and practices. They do this by attending the monthly meeting of the Praesidium’s higher council. Through leadership, example, and prayerful guidance, the Praesidium President helps members live out their commitment faithfully, strengthen their unity, and deepen their service to God and the Church.
Vice President
The Vice President of a Legion of Mary Praesidium holds an essential role in both the administrative and spiritual life of the unit, supporting the President in leading and coordinating its activities. A key responsibility is assisting in the conduct of weekly meetings, ensuring that prayers, reports, and discussions are carried out according to the Legion Handbook.
One of the Vice President’s primary duties is taking weekly attendance at meetings and maintaining accurate records of all Praesidium members, both Active and Auxiliary. This includes tracking participation, noting apostolic activities, and keeping the membership roster up to date, ensuring that all members remain engaged in their spiritual and apostolic commitments.
The Vice President also aids in assigning and supervising weekly apostolic works, provides guidance and encouragement to members, and promotes devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, fostering both personal holiness and group unity. In the absence of the President, the Vice President assumes full leadership of the meeting, maintaining continuity and effectiveness.
Additionally, the Vice President attends the monthly meeting of the Praesidium’s higher council, representing the unit and reporting on membership, activities, and progress. This ensures that the Praesidium remains connected to the wider structure of the Legion and aligned with its rules and mission.
Through these responsibilities, the Vice President helps sustain the Praesidium’s organization, accountability, and spiritual growth, making a vital contribution to the mission of the Legion of Mary.
The Secretary
The Secretary of a Legion of Mary Praesidium plays a key role in ensuring the smooth organization and communication of the unit. The Secretary’s primary responsibility is to maintain accurate records of the Praesidium’s activities, providing an official account of meetings and reports for the benefit of both members and higher councils.
A central duty of the Secretary is taking the minutes during weekly meetings, which includes recording attendance, noting reports on apostolic work, and summarizing discussions and decisions made. These minutes serve as an important reference for tracking the progress of the Praesidium’s mission and ensuring accountability among members.
The Secretary is also responsible for maintaining membership records, correspondence, and other administrative documents, ensuring that all information is up to date and organized. This includes tracking Active and Auxiliary members, keeping contact details, and assisting in communication within the Praesidium.
In addition, the Secretary attends the monthly meeting of the Praesidium’s higher council, representing the Praesidium and reporting on activities, membership, and other matters as required. This participation ensures that the unit remains connected to the broader structure of the Legion and aligned with its rules and mission.
Through these duties, the Secretary supports the leadership, promotes transparency, and helps the Praesidium function effectively, allowing Legionaries to focus on prayer, service, and evangelization under the guidance of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The Treasurer
The Praesidium Treasurer in the Legion of Mary is entrusted with managing the financial resources of the Praesidium in an organized, transparent, and responsible manner, ensuring that funds are properly collected, recorded, and reported to support the Praesidium’s activities and apostolic works.
A primary duty of the Treasurer is collecting contributions, dues, or donations from members during weekly meetings. These funds are placed in the Secret Bag, a secure pouch used to safely store money collected from members. The Secret Bag ensures that all financial contributions are protected and accounted for until they are used for the Praesidium’s apostolic needs (buying sacramental, prayer cards, and booklets for distribution during the weekly work) or forwarded to higher councils as required.
The Treasurer maintains detailed records of all funds placed in the Secret Bag, including amounts collected from each member and the date of collection. This accurate bookkeeping ensures transparency, accountability, and proper reporting to both the Praesidium and the higher councils of the Legion.
In addition to collection and record-keeping, the Treasurer may manage minor Praesidium expenses, keeping receipts and reporting all financial activity to the President and members.
A vital responsibility of the Treasurer is attending the monthly meeting of the Praesidium’s higher council. At this meeting, the Treasurer reports on the Praesidium’s financial status, ensuring that the unit remains connected to the wider Legion structure and that all financial practices follow official guidelines.
By faithfully performing these duties, the Praesidium Treasurer safeguards the Praesidium’s resources, enabling Legionaries to focus on prayer, service, and evangelization with confidence that their financial contributions are managed responsibly and transparently.
Spiritual Director
The Legion of Mary Spiritual Director serves as the spiritual guide to nurture an intense love for God, foster a deep devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, ensuring fidelity to the teachings of the Magisterium, and safeguarding apostolic work is done to meet the needs of the parish while following the Legion of Mary Handbook. The Spiritual Director leads the Opening Prayers of the meeting with the rosary, reads the spiritual reading, leads the Catena, gives a brief reflection on the reading (Allocutio), listens attentively at the meeting, provides guidance and mentorship, leads the closing prayer, gives a blessing to the entire group, then closes the meeting with prayer for the beatification of its founder, Frank Duff. The Spiritual Director works closely with the officers to ensure proper functioning and spiritual focus of the group.
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