(Mass at St. Mary's Cathedral 14 February 2004 Celebrated by Archbishop Doyle)

As some of you know, during the month of January, I was able to take the opportunity to travel to England, and to spend time at a place of reflection and renewal. Hawkstone Hall, which is in the county of Shropshire. On more than one occasion, when speaking with the other participants, I was questioned about my family origins, which are predominantly Irish. I did say however that my paternal Grandfather, William Doyle, was born in Liverpool, although of Irish parents. He came to Australia as an 18 year old.

The link he had here in Hobart was with a man who had migrated earlier. by the name of George Kelly. We are not sure whether the relationship was of stepbrothers or half brothers, but it was one or the other. Our family has always recognised a link with the descendants of the Kelly family. One of the daughters of George Kelly was Beatice Kelly, known as Trix, who was a member of this Cathedral Parish. In the history of 70 years of the Legion of Mary in Tasmania, Beatrice Kelly is recognised as the President of the first Praesidium when the Legion began in February 1934. The Secretary was Mollie Darcey, a niece of Beatrice Kelly. They both are people who feature clearly in my childhood memories.

Today we have come together to give thanks to God and to the Blessed Virgin Mary, for this remarkable history of now seventy continuous years of the Legion in Tasmania. Soon after the foundation, other praesidia were formed in both the north and the south of the State. History shows that there have been periods of dec1ine but that they too have passed. Today, we note a situation of steady growth, and a continuation still of the spirit of the Legion and the particular spiritual emphases which it encourages among the members.

In the historical outline which was kindly prepared by Mr. Tom Dempsey, there is reference to the link between the Legion of Mary and the founding Sisters of the Missionary Sisters of Service. The four original members of the Congregation, Srs. Gwen Morse, Alice Carroll, Joyce O'Brien and Kath Moore were all members of the Legion before they answered the invitation of God through the vision of Fr. John Wallis.

There is, I believe, something very moving about this particular passage of the St Luke's Gospel. After Mary had become aware of the truly remarkable plans that God had for her, she embarks on a journey of comfort and support for her cousin Elizabeth, who, as we know, was destined to give birth herse1f in rather extraordinary circumstances.

There is recognition on the part of the two expectant mothers of the extraordinary events which surrounded their pregnancies. But it also appears that the two sons, still to be born, recognise each other as well. Elizabeth, Mary and John the Baptist are all moved in some way, by the events and because of the presence of Jesus.

In his version of the Gospel, St. Luke is at pains to build a bridge between the story of Israel and the story or the Church. In all, four personalities of the Old Testament, Zechariah, Elizabeth, Simeon and Anna, according to St. Luke, travel across the bridge in two stories, to meet Mary and Jesus. It was on the occasion of the visit of Mary to Elizabeth, and the occasion of the visit of Mary and Joseph to the temple, that these meetings occurred.

I do not ever believe that we can underestimate the profound significance of visitation at any level in our lives. The visits we make to family and friends, or that they make to us, the visits that we make to those who are sick or in need. the countless visits that the members of the Legion of Mary have made over 70 years, impart a message which cannot be equalled. The message is that for those minutes, hours or days, the receiver of the visit, is being given top priority in the life of the one who is making the call. No letter, phone-call, card or email can ever replace the significance of that gesture, and the Legion of Mary has understood this message better that many of us.

In the account of the visit of Mary to Elizabeth, it is obvious that the Holy Spirit is stirred into action. Elizabeth makes her loud statement "why should I be visited by the Mother of my Lord"; Mary begins the recitation of her now much loved hymn, the Magnificat, and John the Baptist clearly recognises that he is in the presence of the one whose presence he will announce some thirty years later.

At the moment of crossing the bridge, at the point of visitation, we too can be mindful of the presence of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of all. I am sure there are many experiences over now seventy years, where the Holy Spirit was clearly part of the experience of visitation of the members of the Legion of Mary .I am sure that it was through the Holy Spirit that members received that additional measure of courage and conviction, when about to ring a doorbell, without any knowledge of what might be the reaction from the other side of the door.

Let us remember today, during this Mass, the many members of the Legion who have passed into Eternal Life. There must be many hundreds of them. We remember them with gratitude for their generosity and commitment.

I wish to thank all of you for your own generosity and commitment, and the continuation of your great love of Mary, which you express during your meetings, in your spirituality , and in your ministry.

We are called to "'proclaim the greatness of the Lord" and to rejoice in "God our Saviour." We have no better guide, no better inspiration or model than Mary, the Mother of Jesus. May the Mother of God continue to do that for us, and be that for us, as the Legion moves on towards the celebration of three-quarters of a century of service, in five year's time.