​Frank Duff was more than a Dublin maverick.

He was an unorthodox, unconventional, fearless non-conformist who lived by his own rules.

His defiance of the Irish Catholic Church's dictates sometimes made him deeply unpopular.

Driven by compassion, he fought to shelter and support prostitutes, homosexuals, single mothers, and homeless men, offering refuge in his Dublin hostels where none existed.

It led to fierce clashes with two Irish Archbishops.

My single mother and I were among the few thousand fortunate to find sanctuary, along with five thousand other mothers and their children made possible by Frank Duff. 

 His charitable work inspired a global movement of over

40 million laypeople. And yet, despite his extraordinary legacy, his name has faded from history.