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| The St. Vincent de Paul Society |
| Early in 1957, at the request of the Pastor, Father Herlihy, the Canadian Martyrs Conference of the Society was established in the parish. The purpose of the Society was to supply food, clothing, furniture, etc. to the poor families in the parish as well as to give counseling in the management of their affairs. |
| Although there is no longer a Conference of St. Vincent de Paul in the parish, liaison is maintained with the Society on behalf of needy persons in the area. |
| The Holy Name Society. |
| The Holy Name Society was one of the first to be formed in the new parish. The main objective of the Society was the promotion of the spiritual welfare of the men of the parish. As the new parish grew, the Society grew with it and became an important element in the development of the parish community. Activities such as regular communion breakfasts, an annual outdoor public rally and closed retreats were features of its program. |
| During the 35 years that the Holy Name Society was active in the parish, it provided inestimable spiritual benefits and fellowship in good works for its members. Along with its other activities, the Society provided the nucleus for a men's parish club, known as the Canadian Martyrs Taxpayers' Association. This group dealt effectively with many of the temporal affairs of the parish and aided in the support of the parish through sponsorship and operation of parish social events such as bingos and bazaars. |
| A factor which led to the decline in activity of the Holy Name Society was the growing need for greater recognition of the family unit in the Church and in society generally. New organizations came into being, such as the Christian Family Movement, Cursillo, Marriage Encounter, prayer groups, etc. Although the Society has become inactive in this archdiocese, it continues to flourish elsewhere. However, the annual retreat program, begun by the Holy Name Society, continues to be a popular event in the archdiocese. |
| The Legion of Mary (Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Praesidium) |
| The Legion of Mary is an association of Catholics under the powerful leadership of Mary Immaculate. Each unit of the Legion is called a Praesidium. |
| The first enrolment of Legionaries of Mary took place in Dublin, Ireland, in September 1921. The first enrolment in Canadian Martyrs parish took place in 1946 under the spiritual directorship of the pastor, Father Herlihy. Other spiritual directors have been: Fathers Kevin McNamara and D.J. Brennan, and until his retirement, Father G.E. Cousineau, who was a most faithful and devoted spiritual director and friend of the Legion for many years. |
| The object of the Legion of Mary is the personal sanctification of its
members by prayer and active cooperation. The spirit of the Legion is that
of Mary herself. The work of the Legion consists in visiting the sick and
shut-ins in their homes, in local hospitals, nursing and retirement homes.
Each member of a Praesidium must attend a weekly meeting and report on the
work performed during the past week. |
| Unfortunately membership in the Legion at Canadian Martyrs has dropped during the past few years. |
