This feast of St Maria Goretti reminds me of a story from the life of the SofG Frank Duff, miracle of grace. Many of you may know of his & the Legion of Mary’s rescuing women from prostitution & closing down Dublin’s red light district, believed to be the worst on Europe. 1/
Frank & one of his heroic companions in the Legion, Josephine Plunkett, decided to enter the district, know as the Monto, to see what they could do. They were given the name of one woman there, Mary Tate, who lived in the Brothel at No 8 Elliott Place: ‘Mary Tate at No 8’ as 2/
she became known. Despite being warned not to go in, they did, & made for No. 8. They went into the first room and found a group of prostitutes sitting around a woman in a bed. Though Frank & Josephine didn’t know Mary Tate, they asked for her; the women around the bed said 3/
that the woman in the bed was Mary Tate. She wasn’t looking so good. In fact, she was dying from venereal disease. Frank immediately sprang into action; got a car to take her to hospital & arranges for a priest to visit her. Mary lived for a few weeks, but died in hospital 4/
having being reconciled to God. Before she died she called on all those present to say the Rosary. Just finished, she said she was grateful to Frank & Josephine for saving her. Frank arranges a fine funeral, the best a prostitute ever had someone said. If Frank had not acted 5/
Mary would have died that day, without being reconciled, dying in squalor & misery. He not only saved her, the other women in the Monto saw his goodness & kindness, & it opened their hearts to him & the Legion. A miracle of grace for Mary Tate & so many others in that place. 6/6
Forgive the mistakes in those tweets. They are the fruit of an awkward keyboard on my phone, a mischievous autocorrect (with which I have a difficult relationship at the best of times!), and speed on my part, which I need to curb! Mea culpa.
