Works of the Legion of Mary include the three primary areas of conversion, conservation and consolation.
Conversion includes extending a friendly invitation to everyone we have met to come to the Catholic Church and to answer questions people may have. These contacts can be made through visitation to each home in an area, through other contacts in hospitals, nursing homes, at funerals, and in casual contacts in our everyday life. Our personal witness to our Faith can be a powerful means of converting others to Catholicism.
Conservation is important in helping our fellow Catholics to develop a deeper love and knowledge of God and of our Faith. It involves reaching out with kindness to our brothers and sisters who are lax in practicing the Faith or who have strayed away. Our Christian witness to our Faith and kindness in encouraging them to grow closer to the Lord can be powerful in bringing them into a closer union with Our Lord and His Church.
Consolation is reaching out to the lonely, the ill, and the aged. These contacts are made where they reside, through visits and/or bringing Holy Communion to them, doing works of service for them, or providing transportation to church, doctor’s appointments and grocery, etc. Visits to hospitals and nursing homes are important to let patients and residents know they are loved and remembered by their parish. Persons of other faiths can also be visited, especially in nursing/retirement homes—many of whom are lonely. Consolation is also shown to family members of a deceased parishioner at the visitation, Mass, or in visits to them several weeks after the death. A prayer offered for the person at the time of the visit is usually welcomed.