"'Anyone willing to shed his blood for Christ, be in the Rectory this Thursday evening, January 25, 1935!'

     With these words, spoken during a novena service from the pulpit of St. Anthony of Padua Church at 832 East 166th Street, the Bronx, Fr. Anthony Rothlauf announced what was to be the first Legion of Mary meeting on New York.

     Fourteen persons of varying ages and backgrounds responded to that inviting challenge.  Thus, on January 25, 1935, Mother of Divine Grace Praesidium began the first of its many weekly meetings.

     Fr. Rothlauf had read an article by Fr. Joseph Donovan, C.M., reprinted in the London Ecclesiastical Review, entitled, 'Is This The Long Looked For Church Society?'

     In 1932 Fr. Rothlauf had written to Ireland for information about the article and Frank Duff and John Murray responded.  In 1934, Father had a chance to meet Mary Duffy, a Legionary from Dublin, Ireland, working on extension in New England.  She encouraged him to work with all available parishioners.  His promise to start the Legion was kept one year later."

     Sr. Gertrude Berry and her sister, Mary, were among the fourteen at that first meeting in 1935.  Fr. Rothlauf instructed them from a paper-covered Handbook.  They met for nine months, and toward the end of 1935, Bro. John Murray arrived from Ireland.  He encouraged them and instructed them to start visiting homes.  They were advised that Christ and Our Lady would help them to know what to say.  They were assigned in pairs to visit a section of one and two family homes.  They felt nervous at the first door, but took courage and carried out the assignment, finding many non-Church goers and encouraging them to return to the Sacraments.  Home visitations continued to be one of their basic work assignments.

     From 1935 to 1944 there was no Legion Council as such in New York.  By 1940, 11 other praesidia had been formed throughout the city.  on September 10th, under the close guidance of Bro. John Murray, an Extension Worker from the Concilium, who spent several years in the U.S. doing organization and extension, the Legion Extension Committee was formed.  The other Concilium representative who assisted was Mary Duffy.  The purpose of the Committee was to organize the work of extending the Legion.  Father Rothlauf, who had been the first to start the Legion in New York, became the Spiritual Director and Gertrude Berry was elected as President. The New York Extension Committee began meeting in September, 1940 at St. Anthony's and later at Leo House with 100 or more members from the various praesidia in attendance.

     By 1944, about 34 praesidia (5 Junior) had been set up.  On November 6, 1944 the Archdiocesan Commission of New York gave permission to start a Curia of the Legion of Mary in New York.  Bro. Murray met with Msgr. Rothlauf to plan for that first council.  The first meeting of the New York Curia was held in St. Joseph's auditorium on east 87th Street, where Fr. Rothlauf was assigned, on Sunday. November 26, 1944.  The meeting took place on the eve of the Feast of the Miraculous Medal.  Bro. Murray was again present as he had been at many of the meetings of each praesidium.  Gertrude Berry was elected the first president.  There was as yet no officially appointed Spiritual Director, although Fr. Rothlauf was acting.  There were 13 other Spiritual Directors present.  Some of the items discussed were the serious obligation of the praesidium officers to attend the Curia Meeting, and harmony among the members.  Permission was asked and given to hold a Junior Officers Meeting.  The first Curia meeting lasted just 2 hours and 45 minutes.

     At this time Msgr. John Casey was the Director of the Sodality in NY.  He was not familiar with the Legion yet and feared that this new society was taking members away from the tried and true Sodality.  He complained to Cardinal Spellman and asked him to close down this foreign organization.  The Cardinal, who some years later was to send a letter to all the Pastors of the Archdiocese recommending the Legion, told Msgr. Casey that he would appoint him Spiritual Director of the Legion and if he thought it should be closed down, he should do it.     

    At a regular meeting of the new Curia, shortly thereafter, Msgr Casey sat in the front row of the body, facing the officers.  He was waiting for the end of the meeting, when he would make his announcement closing down the Legion in New York.  Towards the end of the meeting a report was given by a Junior praesidium.  They described how they had patiently visited a particular family over a long period of time.  There were the father and mother and many children, none of whom were Baptized.  The Junior Legionaries would visit them together with the Seniors and the family would always agree, but there would always be some excuse.  One of the family members would be absent or sick, or they wouldn't have the proper clothes or they had to go out.  Finally, one day, the Legionaries arrived and everyone was ready.  They proceeded to the Church and all received the Sacrament of Baptism.  Afterwards, they all went back to the house and had a great celebration.  That night, the Juniors reported, the boiler blew up in the basement and instantly killed all in the house.  At these words, a Legionary who was sitting behind Msgr. Casey said that when he heard that report he sat up straight as if hit by lightning.  At that moment he was completely converted to the Legion.  At the end of that very meeting he told the story to the members assembled there of his intent to close the Legion and his conversion.

     Msgr. Casey remained as Spiritual Director of the Curia until his death in 1953.  Cardinal Spellman wrote the the then Curia president, saying that the Legion had surely smoothed Msgr. Casey's way into Heaven.  On January 12th, 1954, the Cardinal wrote to Father Rothlauf appointing him as Spiritual Director.  John Murray, then vice-president of the Concilium, wrote to Father Rothlauf, sending hi his joyous congratulations.

     During this period. Alfie Lambe, new envoy to South America, visited the New York Curia on his way to his assignment.  Alfie, whose cause for beatification would be introduced some years later, addressed the New York Legionaries on July 16th, 1953.

     In May of 1954, a letter was received from John Murray enclosing a Spiritual Bouquet card sent to Edel Quinn by one of the early Junior Praesidia, Mystical Rose, located at St. John the Evangelist in Manhattan.  The card was dated October, 1936, the very month that Edel left for Africa.  Bro. Murray said that she had carried the card throughout her travels there and must have treasured it.

     On February 11, 1956 Florence Fitzinger wrote to then Msgr Rothlauf saying that the Concilium had elevated the New York Comitium to the status of a Senatus, the territory to include New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.  The New England states were added later.  In the future these areas would become the Philadelphia and Boston Senatus.

from A Brief History of the New York Curia of the Legion of Mary