MILLVILLE – At 15, Vincent Sparks is one of the youngest Legion of Mary members in the Diocese of Camden.
Part of the junior praesidium from Saint Gabriel the Archangel Parish in Carneys Point, he has been part of the organization since he was 8.
“I find it important to honor Mary and do her works,” said Sparks, who with his fellow junior legionaries, makes scapulars and rosaries that are distributed to local parishes.
The teenager joined dozens of fellow legionaries in affirming their commitment to and unity with the Mother of God during a Mass celebrated by Bishop Joseph A. Williams on March 23 at All Saints Parish.
“I am all yours, My Queen and Mother, and all that I have is yours,” the legionaries of all ages recited during the Mass that marked the Legion of Mary’s 70th Anniversary Acies of the Camden Comitium. In addition to the re-consecration, the celebration included Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, the recitation of the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary, and the singing of Marian hymns.
“Thank you … for imitating the apostles in making Jesus known and loved boldly,” Bishop Williams said, adding that in their fellowship, they “were living the mystery of the Upper Room … to be missionary disciples.”
“Our Catholic Church needs witnesses now more than ever,” he continued, grateful for South Jersey’s legionaries who spread the Gospel through door-to-door evangelization, visits to the sick and homebound, and more.
Begun in Dublin on September 7, 1921, the Legion of Mary was founded by Servant of God Frank Duff, who was inspired by French Catholic priest Saint Louis-Marie de Montfort and his work “True Devotion to Mary.”
In his manuscript, the 17th century saint wrote, “It was through the Blessed Virgin Mary that Jesus came into the world, and it is also through her that he must reign in the world.”
As Mary cared for God’s son, she also serves as protectress over His children, Saint Louis de Montfort postulated, “not only in what concerns their body … but also in what concerns their soul.”
Thus, the “Blessed Virgin is all the more necessary for men to attain their final end,” he continued; “the more [God] finds Mary his dear and inseparable spouse in a soul, the more powerful and effective He becomes in producing Jesus Christ in that soul and that soul in Jesus Christ.”
Today, in its mission to “bring Mary to the world as the infallible means of winning the world to Jesus,” the Legion of Mary has millions of members in an estimated 170 countries. They are engaged in prayer, drawing close to the Virgin, and carry out the work of the Church.
“Wherever people are, we bring them to Mary, to eternity, to heaven,” said Cynthia Hetzler, president of the Legion of Mary’s Camden Comitium, which started in 1955.
Today, the Camden Comitium counts 1,200 members, with 27 praesidia (chapters) spread out across the Diocese’s six counties.
“We all love Our Lady so much, and she in turn loves us and gives us so many graces. She’s always had such a positive impact on my life,” noted Emily Kraus, Sparks’ older sister. The two were joined at the Mass by their siblings – Joseph, Andrew and Mary – who are also part of the Legion of Mary.
Kraus is a member of Mater Ecclesiae Mission in Berlin and its Young Adult Praesidium. The praesidium’s weekly Wednesday evening meetings are where she met her husband of two years, Brian. Her husband and their 9-month old daughter, Rebekah, were also at the Mass.
Father Peter Idler, pastor of All Saints Parish and chaplain of the Camden Comitium, said that all the legionaries present, of varied ages and backgrounds, are proof that “the love and devotion and service to Our Lady is for everyone.”
It’s powerful work, inviting people to a relationship with the Blessed Mother and her son, Jesus, he said.
In addition, Bishop Williams’ presence to the legionaries during his first week as the Ninth Bishop of Camden is a sign of his closeness to the Legion of Mary’s work, Father Idler noted. “It means everything to us that he’s here with us to recognize the efforts of so many.”
Anne Fleming, secretary of the Camden Comitium, is confident the Bishop’s visit will bear much fruit going forward. “Bishop is with us, leading us.”
That’s not just important for Fleming, but for all the young legionaries, including her daughter, Maggie. The 11-year-old is part of the junior praesidium from Infant Jesus Parish in Woodbury Heights.
The youngster said she appreciates her fellow legionaries helping her “understand and be closer to Our Lady, who has become more and more a part of me.”
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