# This is the way: The Junior Legion of Mary
*2022-06-24*

> Bill Young and John O'Rourke discuss the importance of introducing children to Catholic values through the Junior Legion of Mary as a response to the current crisis in the school system.

## A Moment of Grace

I had a very exciting meeting today with the Legion of Mary, including Gabby and Yolanda. While I was using voice-to-text to enter contact information for one of our members—a wonderful artist in her 80s who is painting my experience at the canonization Mass of Mother Teresa—something amazing happened. After the phone recorded 'Legion of Mary,' it automatically added the words, 'Amen. Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.' It was a beautiful, unexpected moment of grace that happened right in front of everyone at the end of our meeting.

## The Power of Communal Prayer

I'll be honest, John, praying by myself these last few days hasn't been the same. While we are always with Jesus and the saints, there is something different about having other humans next to you, even if it is over Zoom. As the Scripture says, where two or more are gathered, He is there. That is why I value these moments of shared prayer, whether we are praying for the souls in purgatory or the Chaplet of Divine Mercy.

## Addressing the Crisis in Education

Recently, I've been praying for the victims of school shootings and reflecting on the general state of our school system. To be frank, the values being taught in many schools today are not aligned with Christian values. We need a way to reach children while they are young; we cannot wait until high school or after they have graduated. This is where the Junior Legion of Mary comes in.

## The Junior Legion of Mary

The Junior Legion of Mary is designed specifically for elementary students in Catholic schools. Before the pandemic, we discussed this with Father Steve, but due to various illnesses and the lockdowns, it never materialized. Now is the perfect time to restart. By establishing these groups in classrooms with the support of the principal and teachers, we can help children learn true Christian values from an early age. I have a brochure titled 'This is the Way,' written by a spiritual director of the Legion of Mary, which outlines how this program can be a tool for conquering the spiritual disaster we see in our country.

## From Prayer to Action

Prayer is essential—that is why we pray the Chaplet at 3 p.m. and seek the intercession of the Holy Spirit—but prayer must be accompanied by action. We have to ask ourselves: what are we willing to do? I encourage listeners to contact their local Catholic church or elementary school to see if a Junior Legion of Mary can be established. Whether it is for this term or starting in the fall, getting involved with the youth is a worthwhile mission.

*While prayer is our foundation, we must take concrete action by forming the hearts of children through programs like the Junior Legion of Mary to combat the crisis in our education system.*