Legion of Mary

The Legion of Mary is an association of Catholic laity who serve the Church on a voluntary basis in almost every country.

• Do you want to learn more about the Catholic faith?
• Do you want to enrich your prayer life?
• Do you want to develop close Catholic friendships?
• Do you want to grow closer to Jesus and His Mother?

Then come as a guest to a Legion of Mary meeting, Wednesday mornings at 9:45 a.m. in the Parish Hall.

The Legion of Mary is the largest apostolic organization of lay people in the Catholic Church, with well over 3 million active members in almost every country of the world. It has been active in the United States since 1931, has been approved by the last 6 Popes, and was endorsed by the Second Vatican Council. The main purpose of the Legion of Mary is to give glory to God through the sanctification of its members.

Members become instruments of the Holy Spirit through a balanced program of prayer and service. Works include door-to-door evangelization, parishioner visitation, , visitation of the sick or aged, crowd contact, religious education, prison ministry, visiting the newly baptized and meeting the other spiritual needs of the parish community. Legionaries are under the guidance of a spiritual director who is usually the pastor. The Legion is, in essence, an extension of the heart and hands of the pastor.

Members meet once a week for prayer, planning and discussion in a family setting. Then they do two hours of definite work each week in pairs and under the guidance of their spiritual director.

The Legion of Mary is open to all Catholics who:

• Faithfully practice their religion.
• Are animated by the desire to participate in the Church’s apostolate through membership in the Legion.
• Are prepared to fulfill each and every duty which active membership in the Legion involves.

The first step is to be a guest at a meeting of the Legion of Mary. Guests are always welcome and can go on one of the work assignments with an experienced member if they choose.

For more information call the parish office at (760) 438-3393.

Other Parish Ministries -- Liturgy

Art and Environment

Assist in preparing the Church for Masses and Special Liturgies.

Altar Committee

Responsible for preparing altar linens.

Altar Servers

The ministry of the altar server is to serve at the altar, assisting the priest. The particular duties of altar servers include the preparation of the altar and the vessels for Mass and the special duties of cross-bearer, censer bearer and candle-bearers. Altar servers also bear the bread, wine, water and the thurible.

Participation in the weekly masses is actively promoted by Father Coleman and there has been evident a strong growth in the number of young people volunteering as altar servers. We currently have 25 young people rostered to serve at least once a month, with many serving twice. Periodic training sessions are conducted for new recruits as required, and detailed instruction sheets have been prepared to help them remember their duties.

Altar Service is one of the most effective ways of deepening young parishioners’ understanding of their faith and helping them to recognize that active participation is rewarding to them at many levels.

Eucharistic Ministers

Assisting with the distribution of Communion at Mass.

Lectors

Proclaiming the word of God at Mass.

Ushers

Welcome parish members and visitors at Mass.

For more information on these ministries, please call the Parish Office at (760) 438-3393.

Other Parish Ministries -- Sick and Homebound

Visitations to the sick and homebound. Call the Parish Office at (760) 438-3393.

Other Parish Ministries -- Sacramental Preparation

Baptismal Preparation

Classes prepare parents and sponsors for responsibilities accepted when having a child baptized. Please call the Parish Office at (760) 438- 3393 for information, times, and dates of baptisms.

Marriage Preparation

Marriage preparation and services are available to parish members. Please arrange the wedding date nine months prior. Please contact the Parish Office at (760) 438-3393 nine months in advance for more information. Please contact the Wedding Coordinator four to six months prior.