The Legio Maria Church split from the Catholic Church in 1963, founded by Luo Catholics who wanted worship in their own language and cultural terms. They kept the saints, the liturgy, and the structure, but rejected European missionary authority. Legio Maria became one of Kenya's most distinctive independent churches, blending Catholicism with Luo cosmology, healing practices, and prophecy. It is strongest in Nyanza, where it offers a version of Christianity that feels both ancient and modern, universal and deeply local.