“There is no greater Eucharistic missionary than Our Lady,” Father Kevin Estabrook told those gathered for Mass and a Eucharistic procession on Aug. 31 in the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist.
Dozens of members of the Legion of Mary, Diocese of Cleveland attended Mass, participated in a Eucharistic procession through the streets of downtown Cleveland and returned to the cathedral for prayer including the rosary and benediction. Father Estabrook, pastor of St. Ignatius of Antioch Parish in Cleveland, was joined by concelebrant Father Kevin Fox, parochial vicar at St. Charles Borromeo Parish in Parma. Father Estabrook is the legion’s spiritual director.
(See photo gallery above.)
The event traditionally takes place the Saturday of Labor Day weekend, which is near the nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Sept. 8).
Despite early morning rain, the day was bright and sunny with blue skies as the procession formed after Mass outside the cathedral.
Father Estabrook reminded the legionaries that this is a year of renewal. He encouraged them to ask the Blessed Mother for the grace to live out their mission. There is a need for the legionaries to come together, he said.
“At Mass, we are united with God in our oblation that we might become an oblation,” he added.
As reinforced during the recent National Eucharistic Congress, the ongoing National Eucharistic Revival is an initiative that aims to inspire, educate and unite, Father Estabrook noted, adding, “we are all called to evangelize.”
As Mass was celebrated, he said the Blessed Mother was with then and she also was with them as they carried her son, Jesus, in the monstrance through the streets of Cleveland.
The legion, a lay apostolate, is committed to the spiritual formation of its members, who in turn reach out to the world through spiritual works of mercy. It was founded by Frank Duff in Dublin, Ireland in 1921.
For more information on the Legion of Mary, visit legionofmarynorthernohio.org.