Mass was celebrated in the Cathedral of Christ the King, Mullingar on Sunday 22 January 2017 with members of the Legion of Mary from across the Diocese of Meath.
The homily was preached by Fr Martin Halpin, Parish Priest of Ballinabrackey, who spoke about the missionary work of Alfie Lambe.
A native of Tullamore, Alfie Lambe went to South America at the age of 20 years and he spent 6 years working with the Legion of Mary in Columbia, Venezuela and Argentina until his death at the age of 26 years in 1959.
Considerable efforts are being made to promote the canonisation of Alfie Lambe, whose holiness and faith have already been recognised in Ireland and several parts in South America.
Fr Halpin encouraged the congregation to discover more about the story of Alfie Lambe’s adventurous life and to pray that the cause for his sainthood will make good progress.
The Prayers of the Faithful were read by members of the Legion of Mary in the Diocese of Meath. The offertory gifts were presented by P J Horan from Tullamore, a nephew of Alfie Lambe, and his wife Ann. Also present was Noel Lynch from Dublin, who succeeded Alfie Lambe as Legion envoy in Argentina, and a group of 30 Legion members from USA, Mexico, Argentina and Costa Rica.
Prayer for the Beatification of the Servant of God Alfie Lambe:
O God, who by your infinite mercy inflamed the heart of your servant Alphonsus Lambe with an ardent love for you and for Mary our Mother, a love which revealed itself in a life of intense labour, prayer and sacrifice for the salvation of souls, grant if it be your will that we obtain by his intercession what we cannot obtain by our own merits. We ask this through Christ our Lord, Amen.
