THE LEGION OF MARY
OUR LADY OF VICTORY PRAESIDIUM
The Legion of Mary is an organization of Catholic lay men and women who, under the auspices of Mary most holy, Mother of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, carry out different spiritual and evangelization programs both in and out of the Parish confines. The Legion has its weekly meeting at 9:30 AM every Wednesday in the Canon Pérez Parish Hall and counts among its apostolic works: CCD; nursing home and shut-in visitations; visitation of homes and new families of the Parish; a book barrow occasionally at one of the local flea markets or other venues of large crowds. Its goal is the personal sanctification of its own members who go to Jesus through Mary and the evangelization of everyone they encounter. Other than the weekly meeting, active members carry out an apostolate for two hours each week as assigned by the President of the Legion and the Spiritual Director. The are also auxiliary members who pray the Rosary and the prayers of the Legion, called the Tessera, each day, for the spiritual support of all Legionaries throughout the world. At present it is estimated that there are about seven million Legionaries in the world. Blessed Pope John XXIII called the Legion “the true face of the Catholic Church.”
The Parish chapter of the Legion is called a “praesidium”. The Praesidium of St. Stephen Parish is called Our Lady of Victory referring to the victory at Lepanto when a small Catholic fleet defeated a much larger Turkish fleet in 1570. (The original title of the Feast of the Holy Rosary on October 7th was Our Lady of Victory). Our Lady of Victory Praesidium was founded by the late Pastor of St. Stephen, Fr. James J. Gilligan in 1985. The present Pastor of our Parish, the Rev. Dr., Canon Héctor R.G. Pérez, who has been in the Legion since he was about 7 years old, is the Spiritual Director now as well as the Spiritual Director of the Pensacola Comitium – which includes Northwest Florida, and some of southern Alabama. He conducts a yearly weekend retreat at Sacred Heart Monastery of the Visitation Nuns, usually in October or November. Each year sometime near the Solemnity of the Annunciation, the Legionaries renew their promises to Jesus through Mary at a ceremony called the “Acies.” It is a very impressive ceremony which includes a procession, the renewal of promises before the Altar and Solemn Vespers of the Annuntiation and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. Afterwards a great feast is enjoyed by all. Every practicing Catholic man or woman is invited to join the Legion of Mary at St. Stephen Parish.