Legion of Mary

Rev. Sidney O. Speaks, a native of Baltimore and the oldest of nine, is the son of the late Sidney Oscar and Lillie Speaks. As a young boy, he attended many Legion of Mary Retreats with his family at Malvern. Sidney felt that the Lord was calling him to serve as a priest at sixteen. Soon after, he began priestly formation for the Josephite Fathers and Brothers, a religious community dedicated to evangelizing African-Americans (since 1873). After completing his Masters of Divinity in Washington DC, he was ordained a Josephite priest in 1999. Father Speaks currently serves as the pastor of St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Church in Marrero, Louisiana, where he is also the Spiritual Director of a Legion of Mary praesidium.

“Deacon Cody has become increasingly engaged both nationally and internationally as a spiritual director in the work of recruitment and formation for the Legion of Mary. Deacon Cody is a musician, a missionary troubadour like his guiding force, St. Louis Marie de Montfort. It was not surprising that Cody was led to this work since the charism of the Legion’s founder Frank Duff was inspired by Montfort’s spirituality of “True Devotion.” Deacon Cody has been active in formation work at the praesidium, Senatus, Comitium, Concilium levels of the Legion.”