Slide 2 The Servant of God Frank Duff 1889 1980 Slide 3 Prayer
for the Beatification of the Servant of God Frank Duff God our
Father, You inspired your servant Frank Duff with a profound
insight into the mystery of your Church, the Body of Christ, and of
the place of Mary the Mother of Jesus in this mystery. In his
immense desire to share this insight with others and in filial
dependence on Mary he formed her Legion to be a sign of her
maternal love for the world and a means of enlisting all her
children in the Churchs evangelizing work. We thank you Father, for
the graces conferred on him and for the benefits accruing to the
Church from his courageous and shining faith. With confidence we
beg you that through his intercession you grant the petition we lay
before you We ask too that if it be in accordance with your will,
the holiness of his life may be acknowledged by the Church for the
glory of your name, through Christ Our Lord, Amen. Slide 4 Born
June 7, First Friday 1889 Died November 7, First Friday 1980 Cause
for beatification proposed by Archbishop of Dublin and declared
Servant of God, 1996 Slide 5 Dublin Slide 6 John Duff 1861 - 23 rd
Dec. 1918 Retired at 42 due to attack of Typhoid. Susan Letitia
(Letty) Freehill c. 12 th Nov. 1863 - 27 th Feb.1950 Married 5 th
Nov. 1888 Slide 7 Susan Duff & family. From left to right
Isabel, John as a baby, Eva Lucy and Frank c.July 1895. Slide 8
Frank attended Blackrock College from 1899 1907 and excelled at
Sport and in his academic studies. Slide 9 Frank at left the oldest
of seven children. Isabel Maud 9 th May 1891 - 10 th June 1949 Eva
Lucy & Letitia Anne b.30 th June 1893 Letitia d.18 th Mar. 1894
John Edwin 27 th Jan. 1895 - 20 th Aug. 1949 Sarah Geraldine 5 th
Sept. 1897 22 nd July 1975 Alice Mary 28 th Aug. 1902 - 22 nd Feb.
1951 Letita died in her infancy. Eva Lucy, shown 2 nd from right
was soon to be called home to God at the tender age of 13, 21 st
May 1907. c.1906/1907. Slide 10 Details of Duff family on the grave
headstone. Slide 11 Frank Duff c. 1912 Slide 12 Tenement Dwellers
Chancery Lane He used to walk up and down Whitefriar Street in
front of these houses and hed be proselytising [i.e. picketing] and
just saying the rosary all the time. Mr Duff tried to take the
girls from these houses [i.e. persuade the girls and enable them to
leave] and hed walk up and down all day praying and saying the
rosary. But he never interfered with them. Frank was a very, very
nice young man hell be beatified, sometime. May Hanaphy, Dublin
Tenement Life, p.219 Slide 13 Tenement Dwellings, Church Street
Slide 14 Frank Duff c. 1915. Slide 15 Tenement Living Conditions
Slide 16 Frank Duff c. 1916. Slide 17 Photo taken on Station
Island, Lough Derg. Frank Duff, second from right, standing behind
his sister. His mother/Mrs James Connolly is fifth from right, 2 nd
row, wearing dark hat. 1916. Slide 18 Frank at Lough Derg, Pettigo,
Co. Donegal. His first trip there was in 1915. He went on
pilgrimage here every year for 49 years. He said it was more
difficult every year! He had to give up at 74 years of age due to a
serious illness. c. 1920s. Slide 19 A street in the Monto area.
Slide 20 Frank Duff with Frs. Creedon and Toher, two of the early
Legion spiritual supporters and campaigners The Legion of Mary is a
Parish Based Organisation. The Laity have a vital role in
supporting the vocation of every priest, especially the priests of
the local parish. This is the Church. Slide 21 This is the original
1921 altar of the Legion of Mary. It was around this altar that
Frank Duff and all the ladies as well as Fr Togher knelt down to
pray to our Lady to guide them in serving her in a better way. Out
of this gathering developed the worldwide Legion of Mary we have
today. Slide 22 Stained Glass reproduction in Church in Lima, Peru.
Slide 23 Tony Macri in his barber shop with a wood burning Legion
representation, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Stained Glass
reproduction at the Legion Center, formerly St. Marys Catholic
Church, Fort Walton Beach, Florida. Slide 24 Stained Glass
reproduction Church in Hungary Slide 25 Frank said to Mary Rowe at
the Regina Coeli hostel one day that if he ever got married he
would lose his religion because he would be so intensely wrapped up
in his children. Slide 26 Frank Duff in 1936 with Mary Everett,
Vice-President of the Senatus of India. The first Legion Praesidium
in India was started by Mrs Muriel Mackenzie Smith and met in the
Little Flower Convent, Teynampet, Madras, on the 2nd of February
1931 (Maria Legionis 9th of 1964) Slide 27 With Edel aboard ship,
Tilbury, London. 1936 Slide 28 Frank Duff with Hilda Firtel, Dublin
Airport. Envoy to Germany 1945 Slide 29 Fr. Creedon, Veronica O
Brien (Envoy to France), Frank Duff & Fr. Toher. c.1942 Slide
30 89 Photographs of Envoys on wall of Concilium Front Office The
Rogues Gallery Slide 31 His bicycle was his chief mode of
transport. Franks driving career was very short. Slide 32 Front
Row: Paddy Sanfey, Paddy Stenson, Tom Doyle, Sid Quinn, Anne Heade,
Bert Niall, Andy O Higgins (standing on right) Back Row: (?), Tom
Cowley?, Noel Murphy, Alfie Lambe, Fr. Toher, Seamus Grace, Frank
Duff, John Boyne (with hat), Jack MacNamara, Jack Nagle Outside
Regina Coeli Hostel. c.1952 Slide 33 On one of his many summer
outings to Mount Melleray. Doris Hansard, Frank Duff, Frankie
Morris and Brendan Crowley Slide 34 Giving a talk on Edel Quinn at
the opening of the Edel Quinn Hall, Kanturk, Co. Cork 1955 Slide 35
Having a word with the President of Ireland, Eamon de Valera at the
conferring of his Honorary Doctorate by the National University of
Ireland. In 1956, Frank received The Marianist Award from Dayton
University, Ohio. Slide 36 Frank Duff in 1957 Slide 37 Sally
Sharkey, Peg McDonnell, John Nagle, Frank Duff and Maria Diepen,
envoy to South America. c. late 1950s Slide 38 Fr. Francis Jordan,
former indoor brother Morning Star Hostel giving his first blessing
to Fr. Kelly and Frank Duff. Ordained 19 th June 1960 Slide 39 The
sprockets on tour! Frank Duff, Eileen Sheehy (Boylan/Billane) -
Africa, John Gavin, Una Twomey - Bolivia and Eileen O Connor Slide
40 Canon Philip O Boyle, Donegal Slide 41 Slide 42 The Big Six
Frank Duff at the Garden Centenary Party Reunion of Blackrock
College Students on 10th July 1960, with from left to Right Dr. C
Heerey CSSp., Archbishop of Onitsha, Mgr. Alfred O Rahilly,
Cardinal DAlton, Primate of Ireland, Eamonn de Valera, Uachtarn na
hEireann and Dr. John Charles McQuaid, Archbishop of Dublin. Slide
43 Throughout his life, Frank Duff was a prodigious writer. He
authored around 200 published articles, reproduced in collected
form in 5 books; His first work Can We be Saints? is itself a
masterpiece; and, ranking among the spiritual classics is, of
course, the Legion Handbook, to date translated into at least 75
languages. It is estimated that he wrote around 30,000 letters.
There are around 2,000 handwritten scripts of his Congress and
Reunion addresses, allocutios and talks, also on file. Slide 44
Frank showing an African Legionary the original Legion Altar in
Concilium Slide 45 Bro. Duff meets Pope Paul VI, after Vatican
Council II, December 1965 Slide 46 Frank in jovial humour 1971.
Slide 47 John Murray, Brian McKeone, Archbishop John Charles
McQuaid of Dublin, Jimmy Cummins & Frank Duff c. early 1970s
Slide 48 Outside Regina Coeli Hostel. Late 1970s. Still Holding on!
to his ideals, apostolic zeal and action. Slide 49 With Archbishop
Gaetano Alibrandi, Apostolic Nuncio to Ireland. 1970s Slide 50 A
cycling tour with Mary McAndrew in his later years Slide 51 Frank
at gate of his house in Morning Star Avenue. c.1979. Slide 52 Frank
praying in the chapel of the Regina Coeli hostel for homeless
women. c. 1979. Slide 53 The Spirituality of The Servant of God,
Frank Duff Frank prayed the entire Office of the Church every day.
He attended one if not two Masses daily. Made an annual retreat in
Mount Melleray, a Cistercian Monastery and an annual pilgrimage to
Lough Derg. Slide 54 The Spirituality of The Servant of God, Frank
Duff Can We be Saints? (1916) True Devotion to Mary The De Montfort
Way (1937) Legion Handbook Slide 55 The Spirituality of The Servant
of God, Frank Duff If the sum of the experiences of those who teach
and understand and practise the True Devotion is of value, it seems
unquestionable that it deepens the interior life, sealing it with
the special character of unselfishness and purity of intention.
There is a sense of guidance and protection: a joyful certainty
that now ones life is being employed to the best advantage. There
is a supernatural outlook, a definite courage, a firmer faith,
which make one a mainstay of any enterprise. There is a tenderness
and a wisdom which keep strength in its proper place. There is,
too, the protectress of them all, a sweet humility. Graces come
which one cannot but realise are out of common. Frequently, there
is a call to a great work, which is patently beyond ones merits and
natural capacity. Yet with it come such helps as enable that
glorious but heavy burden to be borne without faltering. In a word,
in exchange for the splendid sacrifice which is made in the True
Devotion by selling oneself into the species of slavery, there is
gained the hundredfold which is promised to those who despoil
themselves for the greater glory of God. Legion Handbook, 1993
Edition, p.39. Slide 56 Favours received through the intercession
of The Servant of God, Frank Duff Serious cancer diagnosis and
pending operation cancelled. - Ireland Total lifting of depression-
Netherlands Medical exams passed - Italy Severe continuous bleeding
stopped - Ireland Complete recovery from illness and return to
faith - Nigeria Entrance to University obtained in difficult
circumstances - Vietnam 4 month old baby recovery from pneumonia-
USA Return of grand-daughter who had left with undesirable people -
USA Malignant oesophagus tumour - inoperable - complete recovery -
Ireland cf. Maria Legionis, No.2, 2002 cf. Maria Legionis, No.2,
2002. Slide 57
