Frank Duff was born in Dublin, Ireland, on June 7th 1889, the eldest of seven children. In 1913, Frank Duff joined the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and was greatly influenced by the spirit of the Society. As a member, he gradually came to have a great love for the poor and underprivileged in whom, as in everybody he met, Frank recognized and honored Christ. In 1916, aged 27, Frank Duff published
his first pamphlet "Can we be Saints?" In Frank expressed one of the strongest convictions of his life, namely, that all without exception area called to be saints and that through our Catholic faith we have available all the means necessary to attain this. In 1917 Frank Duff came to know the Treatise of St. Louis Marie de Montfort on the True Devotion to Mary, a work which changed his life completely. On September 7th, 1921 Frank Duff founded the Legion of Mary. This is a lay apostolic organization at the service of the Church, under ecclesiastical guidance. Its twofold purpose is the spiritual development of its members and advancing the reign of Christ trough Our Lady. The Legion, which is to be found in almost every country in the world, has nearly 3 million active members and many more auxiliary (praying) members. In 1965 Pope Paul VI invited Frank Duff to attend the Second Vatican Council as a Lay Observer, an honor by which the Pope recognized and affirmed his enormous work for the lay apostolate. On November 7th 1980, Frank Duff died and is buried in Glasnevin Cemetery Dublin
In July 1996 the cause of his canonization was introduced by the Archbishop of Dublin, Dr. Desmond Connell.
