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"The Word Became Flesh": Benin City Legionaries Launch May Devotion with a Call to Spiritual Warfare

-By Ruben-Mario Brodrick 
Beneath the soaring arches of the Holy Cross Cathedral, the Archdiocese of Benin City ignited a month of profound grace on May 1st, 2026, as legionaries gathered for a powerful "Day with Mary."

 Marking the start of the month dedicated to the Blessed Virgin, the event seamlessly wove together the liturgical Feast of St. Joseph the Worker with a deep, communal immersion into Marian spirituality. From the rhythmic chanting of the Rosary and the solemnity of Eucharistic Adoration to the anointing of members, the atmosphere was one of intense devotion and a collective call to finish the long-awaited Legion House at Blessed Tansi Parish.

​The spiritual fire of the day was stoked by Rev. Fr. Alfred Agbonlahor, Vice Chairman of CAN in Edo State, who challenged the faithful to view the "Hail Mary" as the ultimate angelic salutation—a greeting so potent it paved the way for the Incarnation itself. He dismantled criticisms of "repetitive prayer" with a striking metaphor, noting that just as one must dig deep into the earth to find gold, the repetitive nature of the Rosary is a necessary "digging" into the divine mysteries.

 Fr. Agbonlahor’s message was a clarion call for reparation to the Immaculate Heart, even suggesting that First Saturdays across the Archdiocese be formally preserved for Marian Mass and devotion.

​Beyond mere piety, the exhortation took on a "combatant" edge. Fr. Agbonlahor urged the Legionaries to embrace the "spiritual warfare" of the Rosary, invoking the militant strength of Mary to achieve victory over life’s impossibilities. He reminded the congregation that the womb of Mary was the first living tabernacle, making her inseparable from the Holy Eucharist; to receive Jesus is to honor the Mother from whom His flesh was formed. 

He argued that just as the Church celebrates the Apostolic authority of the Chair of St. Peter, the womb that bore the Word deserves its own place of high honor and celebration.

​As the day drew to a close, Rev. Fr. James Ogbeiwe, the Archdiocesan Spiritual Director and Cathedral Administrator, grounded the high spiritual energy in a call for consistency.

 He reminded the devotees that love for Mary is proved not through hymns alone, but through presence and participation. He urged every Catholic to take the May Devotion seriously, asserting that Mary truly recognizes as her children those who refuse to neglect the days set aside in her honor.

 It was a day that began with a salutation and ended with a commitment: to walk through the month of May not just as observers, but as soldiers of Christ under the mantle of His Mother.

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