Concilium Bulletin December 2011
Concilium Bulletin
December 2011
REPORTS
Europe
MALTA
Malta Regia: Archbishop Monsignor Cremona was chief celebrant at the Legion’s 90th Anniversary Mass and expressed gratitude to God and Our Lady for the Legion. Praesidia reported on home visitation, teaching catechism and contact with tourists. Three Retreats for auxiliaries had attendances of 30, 15 and 19. A young woman, contacted on home visitation, returned to the sacraments after being lapsed for a number of years. A Frank Duff prayer group meets monthly. A meeting for Spiritual Directors had an attendance of 23 priests. One of the attached Curiae celebrated 50 years as a Curia. Good contacts are reported with Moslems, Jehovah Witnesses and those of other faiths. A junior Curia with 15 praesidia had a twilight retreat and a barbecue. A 5-day apostolate resulted in 4 homes consecrations to the Sacred Heart, 6 auxiliary members and 4 new prospective active members.
Gozo Comitium had a retreat for junior and intermediate members. On Good Friday, 55 foreign residents, both Catholic and non-Catholic visited 7 different Churches and prayed at an altar of repose there. At Easter legionaries doing crowd contact invited people to attend Sunday Mass.
Countries under the caretakership of Malta
TURKEY
Three Maltese legionaries made a one-week visit in October. In Istanbul they organised workshops for the three praesidia there.
ALBANIA
The correspondent and two other legionaries visited the Skhroder Comitium. A Mass celebrating the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Legion in Albania was organised.
PORTUGAL
Lisbon Senatus: Up to 50% of some praesidia members are Praetorians. New praesidia in 5 different locations resulted from a day-long planning meeting of extension workers. Families are visited on the anniversaries of Baptisms and children recruited for catechism classes. The Bishop of Coimbra, Don Virgilio Autunes celebrated Mass to commemorate the Legion’s 90th anniversary. In Setubal 86 senior citizens being visited received the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Several Auxiliary Rallies were held. Many praesidia assist the bereaved in Mortuary Chapels. At Beja accommodation was found for 4 elderly needy people in Old Persons’ homes. They also held a formation day for 150 members in this area. Unemployed people are assisted in finding work. A legionary provided accommodation for the wives of men who were in hospital.
CYPRUS
The members of the 4 praesidia are mostly Filipinos plus a few Africans. They have received permission to visit a prison and a women’s ward in the General Hospital in Nicosia. Among the prisoners they met a foreign Catholic woman. They encouraged her and other prisoners to pray fervently. They spoke to Catholic and Orthodox hospital patients and one from the Philippines was very pleased to meet them.
SPAIN
Madrid Senatus is most grateful to the Concilium for the honour of going in their name to visit Guinea and also of having many of their legionaries being appointed Concilium correspondents. The Holy Father sent a medal to the Senatus as a token of his gratitude to the Legion for its work in preparing for and on the World Youth Day in August. They are now following up on the recommendations of the conference and using the words of the Holy Father in their contacts with youth. Some difficulties are being encountered on home visitation. Porters of some apartment blocks are instructed to stop non-residents from entering. In some cases legionaries have been permitted as they visit in the name of the local parish. Often families contacted are slow to open up and have a dialogue with the legionaries. In the University Faculty of Medicine legionaries invite students to say the Rosary once a week and then continue their contacts with the students in other faculties.
Barcelona Senatus: The Senatus celebrated the 90th Anniversary in October with a special Mass at which they had a large attendance. A praesidium, which works with the marginalized, reported visiting ex-prisoners who are suffering from AIDS. They also have regular contact with two drug addicts and encourage them to pray for the strength to give up drugs. Some of the legionaries are catechists. A 95-year old legionary is 56 years in the Legion and continues to attend her meeting and do her Legion work every week.
Bilbao Senatus is making an organised effort to recruit by systematically visiting every parish without the Legion. A number of young persons have been recruited in the Basauri Curia. The officers also spoke to the Parish Priest of the Cathedral Parish about nominating a Spiritual Director for the Senatus, which has been without one for some time. In Santander the Legion celebrated 50 years with a Mass celebrated by the Bishop and 16 priests. The Bishop in his homily spoke about the New Evangelisation and encouraged legionaries to be involved.
ITALY
Senatus of Rome: Sardinia has begun to rebuild having undertaken to fulfil the 7-point programme proposed by the Concilium for 2011. The 90th Anniversary of the Legion was celebrated in enthusiastic style when 1,500 legionaries from north and south and from Sardinia and Sicily attended the Holy Father’s Public Audience on 12th October, all waving their Legion “foulards” especially when the Holy Father addressed them as follows: “I salute the representatives of the Legio Mariae assembled for this meeting in large numbers and I exhort them to render as ever more incisive Christian witness in the various spheres of society, under the maternal eye of the Virgin Mary.” Afterwards the 1,500 legionaries from 20 cities of Italy gathered at the Church of Santa Maria in Traspontina for concelebrated Mass led by Msgr. La Rosa, Senatus Spiritual Director. The Anniversary Mass for the Servant of God, Frank Duff was being celebrated in St. John Lateran Basilica on Sunday 20th November presided over by Mgr. Paolo Mancini, Vicar General of Rome, with the Spiritual Directors of praesidia, Curiae and the Senatus.
Milan Regia: Mgr. Balconi broadcast on Radio Mater on “The Popes and the Legion” and Maria Bagnolo and Sr. Ada Cantalmo spoke on the Legion worldwide. A praesidium in Genoa called on 100 homes and had conversations in 50 of them resulting in the priest being able to visit 3 sick people in their homes. A praesidium in Milan has made contact with the local Chinese Catholic community. The Chinese Priest requested a school in Italian for the Chinese in the Parish. A praesidium in Desio organised a day for the sick, some of whom had not received the sacraments for a long time. They welcomed the Sacrament of the Sick.
Comitium of Turin has formed a new Filipino praesidium.
Padova Comitium: Sixty legionaries attended the general audience with the Pope on the 12th October. A new praesidium has been started. The Curia at Brunico has a stall at the Christmas Market.
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
St. Louis Senatus
The Officers travelled 2,000 miles to attend the 90th Anniversary celebration in Pueblo. They also visited Comitia meetings in Denver. Kansas City Comitium has a DVD titled “Science Test Faith”, this is being used in reaffirming belief in the Eucharist and resulted in returns to the Faith. In Davenport, jail visitation resulted in inmates conversions. In other reports returns to the Sacraments were reported. Through the intercession to Frank Duff a young man’s internal bleeding stopped.
San Francisco Senatus
A new Korean Comitium was started on 16th October in California. It comprises of 4 Curiae. The Senatus joined with other Catholic groups in a Family Rosary Rally. The Senatus has many attached councils and celebrated the 90th Anniversary with a Mass. Four praesidia reported and the works they are engaged in are: RCIA, door to door and nursing home visitation.
In Oakland Comitium 1,885 jail inmates were contacted.
In Anchorage Comitium the attendance is 55%. Three children were instructed for First Holy Communion and Confirmation.
Idaho Comitium has 13 attached praesidia with 73 active members. The North Utah Curia continues their efforts to extend to the Spanish population.
Seattle Comitium: Works include RCIA, Pilgrim Virgin apostolate, book barrow and county fairs.
In San Jose Comitium the Bishop and many priests encourage extension of the Legion. At present the diocese is caretaking Legion funds.
Houston Senatus
In New Orleans Regia one member is now studying for the priesthood and another started formation for the Permanent Diaconate. The Lafayette Comitium sent 53 legionaries to the PPC Conference in October. Sulphur Curia had a book-barrow at the La Salette Festival. Dallas Comitium reported that the Sherman Curia’s extension in Denison used ‘Meet the Legion’ DVD as an introduction. A praesidium in Corpus Christi Curia has restarted with 14 members and doing a varied range of works. A new young adult Patrician group began at the Co-Cathedral in Houston and had an average attendance of 50 attendees over 3 months. As a result of door-to-door visitation, a 92 year-old Baptist was met and prepared for reception into the Church. The Northern Curia has established a praesidium in the local gaol. In the Hispanic Comitium 234 homes were enthroned to the Sacred Heart with 78 in their attached Curia over a 3-months period. In Bay Area Curia legionaries visit a drug and alcohol unit and bible study is conducted.
Chicago Senatus
A large congregation attended Mass on the 5th November to commemorate the Servant of God, Frank Duff. A successful Congress was organised by one Curia at which 43 attended. Winter contact is done in Laundromat where Miraculous Medals and the Parish Bulletin are distributed. The Korean Comitium had 147 conversions and 6 returns to the Sacraments.
Philadelphia Senatus
“A Monday Night at the Movies” attracts a good attendance where religious topics are shown. The praesidium in St. Charles Borromeo Seminary has 13 members and 23 auxiliaries of whom 11 are Adjutorians. They visit the sick and the homeless and are involved in schools and colleges. One Curia increased their number of praesidia from 3 to 6. Camden Comitium, New Jersey has 4 book barrows and visit 7 prisons. Many returns to the Sacraments and conversions are reported. A new Korean Comitium was raised in October attaching 2 Curiae to it and reported on 4 conversions, 8 returns to the faith and 7 adult Baptisms. Regina Pacis Hispanic Curia does street contact and visit prisons and funeral homes. Six Marriages were validated. An E Day in a Parish covered 400 homes including a Protestant Bible study group where the legionaries spoke on Our Lady.
Miami Regia
Extension continues in Alabama and in Birmingham now has 5 praesidia with openings for more and requests a Peregrinatio Pro Christo team.
CANADA
Montreal Senatus
Contact is made with young adults in a park and one young person returned to the Sacraments after 20 years. Parents are encouraged to have their children Baptised and receive First Holy Communion. The Rosary is said at funerals. Mass for the 90th Anniversary of the Legion took place on 24th September.
Ontario Senatus
Three reporting praesidia have 22 active and 97 auxiliary members. Elementary schools are visited teaching the Rosary. Market Ministry is undertaken. Mass for the 90th Anniversary of the Legion had an attendance of 45 legionaries. A pilgrimage for handicapped had 21 in attendance; the programme included Mass, Confession and a candle light procession. Auxiliaries are kept in touch with and some have been enrolled in the Rosary Confraternity.
Edmonton Comitium
The Archbishop celebrated Mass for the 90th Anniversary of the Legion.
WEST INDIES
Santiago de los Caballeros Senatus
A proposed visit to the Dominican Republic has been postponed due to civil unrest. Legionaries work with the priests in contacting the lapsed. They have prepared them for First Holy Communion, Confirmation and Matrimony. An attached Comitium has 5 Curiae and 8 praesidia attached with 583 active members, 460 auxiliaries and 42 Praetorians. An Evangelical couple was visited and the Priest was brought to them, they received the Sacraments and are now good members of the Church. A Protestant family was taught the Rosary and is now active Catholics.
Senatus of Notre Dame de L’Assomption, Haiti
Two visitors from the Paris Regia visited this council on behalf of Concilium. They visited camps where people are still living after the earthquake. The people are living in very poor conditions. The legionaries are making great efforts to restore the Senatus headquarters and they were delighted with the container of Legion materials which was of assistance.
Trinidad Regia
A Peregrinatio Pro Christo project took place to Guyana and Antigua. A book-barrow is set up in a busy place. Mass for the 90th Anniversary took place on the 6th September. A Legion Sunday was held in October. Reporting praesidia are involved in visiting the sick and shut-ins, religious instruction in 2 Government schools and home-to-home visitation.
AFRICA
KENYA
Senatus of Kenya: Celebrations were held to mark the 75th anniversary of the starting of the first praesidium in Nairobi by Venerable Edel Quinn on 8th December 1936. Bishop David Kamau was the chief celebrant at Mass in the Basilica where the praesidium was founded. Prayers are said monthly at Venerable Edel’s grave. The main work is visitation and many are encouraged to return to the sacraments and couples to marry in church; many join the instruction classes. The Legion is very active in Queen of Apostles’ junior seminary.
UGANDA
Senatus of Uganda: The 90th Anniversary of the Legion was celebrated at all levels. Works include visitation of homes, hospitals, health centres, prisons, orphanages, people with disabilities, salons, bars, taxi parks, bikers, prostitutes, homeless people and those involved in witchcraft, resulting in many conversions, returns to the Church and many couples wed in Church. The youth do chores for elderly people and teach the Rosary to young people. The Chief Celebrant at the Mass for Frank Duff was His Eminence Emmanuel Cardinal Wamala.
MALAWI
Blantyre Senatus: A Curia in Blantyre Archdiocese has been raised to Comitium and the Senatus now governs 11 Comitia and 15 Curiae in the Archdiocese, and 9 Comitia plus 4 Regia in other dioceses. A youth praesidium reported visiting the sick and doing parish work. Bishop Pagani was the chief celebrant at the Mass for the 90th Anniversary in Lilongwe Regia and this was preceded by a 4 day retreat. 826 attended including Legionaries from Mozambique. The Regia in Mzuzu Diocese arranged a conference and Masses to commemorate the life of Frank Duff and the Legion’s anniversary.
NIGERIA
Abuja Regia: The average attendance of council officers is 53% and praesidia Officers 82.5%. One Comitium reported 18 prisoners released with the help of the prison chaplain. The Regia organizes computer training for members.
Ibadan Senatus: The average attendance of council officers is 54% and praesidia Officers 47%. A new Yoruba Curia was set up and the University of Ibadan Curia had 12 marriages rectified, 7 conversions, set up 2 praesidia and held an Auxiliary Rally, while one Comitium established a junior Curia and 2 senior and 4 junior praesidia.
Lagos Regia: Attendance of council officers is 65% but praesidia Officers is only 26%. The Regia has been informed that its position may have to be reviewed if attendance does not substantially improve. Novenas were held to celebrate the Legion’s 90th Anniversary. In one Comitium 4 junior Curiae, 14 senior and 11 junior praesidia were started and 20 marriages were rectified and 8 converted.
Kaduna Regia: Reports show 54 conversions including 12 Muslims, 124 lapsed returned, 75 marriage cases settled and many received the Sacraments and were recruited. The Acies, Retreats, Reunions, Patricians, Venerable Edel Quinn and Frank Duff Masses and a Congress featured in reports.
Enugu Senatus: A Comitium with 3,753 seniors of whom 1,445 are Praetorians reports many people received into the Church and being prepared for the sacraments. They recruited 1,032 and have 6,395 junior members.
Awaka Regia celebrated the 70th Anniversary of the Legion in the diocese with Mass attended by 5,675 legionaries. In his homily the Bishop, Most Rev Dr Paulinus Ezeokafor commended the legionaries for “the wonderful work they are doing in the diocese through their legionary work, through which many souls have been led to heaven”. He encouraged them “to remain steadfast till the end.”
Onitsha Regia: 626 members of a Comitium attached to the Regia participated in various Exploratio Dominicalis projects, one, at a school hostel and staff quarters yielded 17 Catechumens. Another Comitium has 2 Curiae at a University and reports include preparation of many adults and children for the Sacraments and encouraging couples to have their marriages blessed. Thirty converted to the Catholic Faith. The Regia celebrated the 90th Anniversary with a Mass, 2 talks and a quiz based on the Handbook and life of Frank Duff.
Jos Regia: One Comitium established 3 new Curiae.
ZAMBIA:
Lusaka Regia: The Legion continues to grow and enjoys the support of the Clergy. The Regia covers Lusaka Archdiocese and 6 dioceses. Works include visiting the sick, the elderly and prisoners and organising catechism classes and retreats. They have submitted details regarding planned extension to the Concilium.
Kasama Regia: Plans for visitation of councils have been submitted to Concilium. The Correspondent has asked for more information regarding an election problem.
LIBERIA
As there is no postal service, contact with the council is very difficult. Four praesidia reported at the August meeting. Twenty legionaries attended the annual retreat in August. The officers are to meet with the Archbishop in relation to a Spiritual Director.
TANZANIA
Mtwara Comitium: Extension visits to 3 parishes are planned. It appears the Comitium only holds quarterly meetings and the correspondence is dealing with this.
Bukoba Comitium: Bishop Kilaine and over 400 Legionaries attended the Acies. Three primary schools were visited in the hope of starting the Legion. A lapsed council was re-launched and a priest has promised to bring a Legionary to the outstations for extension purposes. There are seminars and retreats organised and the Comitium Officers seem to be striving to implement the Legion programme.
Dar-Es-Salaam Comitium: At Mass during a pilgrimage Auxiliary Bishop Rt. Rev. Salutaris Libena called on those present to promote the Rosary and pilgrimages. Preparations are ongoing for Peregrinatio Pro Christo to Zanzibar and Councils were reminded to arrange Frank Duff Anniversary Masses.
Hai Moshi Comitium reports include home and hospital visitation with many returns to the Sacraments and marriages blessed and also preparing adults and children for the Sacraments.
Rombo Comitium reports on teaching prayers to children and adults. 1,500 families were met on home visitation and many were encouraged to have their marriages blessed.
THE GAMBIA
Banjul Curia established a praesidium of 14 in a new housing estate, which has a Church. Irregular and traditional marriages (where men live with 2 wives) prevent many from joining the Legion.
ELISABETH KRISS - EXTENSION WORKER
While awaiting her visa for Kazakhstan, Elisabeth Kriss is working for the Senatus of Austria in East Tyrol in an effort to revive a small Curia with weak praesidia in a mountainous area.
In November she sent a report on her work in Ukraine. The first Mass in the Greek Catholic Church for the beatification of Frank Duff took place on the 8th November in Weliki Mosti with 2 priests and about 20 legionaries and auxiliary members.
Bishop Markian has given permission for the Legion to start in Lutsk and Bishop Leon in Kamienetz Podolski gave permission for a praesidium in the seminary. A short distance from Brody a new praesidium has also been established.
Please do keep Elisabeth in your prayers and thank you.
Prayer for the Beatification of
The Servant of God, Frank Duff
God our Father, You inspired your servant Frank Duff with a profound insight into the mystery of your Church, the Body of Christ, and of the place of Mary the Mother of Jesus in this mystery.
In his immense desire to share this insight with others and in filial dependence on Mary he formed her Legion to be a sign of her maternal love for the world and a means of enlisting all her children in the Church’s evangelising work.
We thank you Father for the graces conferred on him and for the benefits accruing to the Church from his courageous and shining faith.
With confidence we beg you that through his intercession you grant the petition we lay before you …
We ask too that if it be in accordance with your will, the holiness of his life may be acknowledged by the Church for the glory of your Name,
through Christ Our Lord, Amen.
Cause of The Servant of God, Frank Duff
The prayer for Beatification can be obtained from the Legion of Mary website:
www.legion-of-mary.ie
or from Concilium Legionis Mariae
All Legion Councils, praesidia and individual legionaries are encouraged to actively promote the Cause of the Servant of God, Frank Duff, through the widespread dissemination of the Frank Duff prayer leaflets to legionaries and to the general public; through the organising of Frank Duff prayer groups and the holding of Masses to commemorate his life.
Favours attributed to the intercession of
The Servant of God, Frank Duff
Should be reported to:
Legion of Mary,
De Montfort House,
Morning Star Avenue,
Dublin 7, IRELAND.
N O T I C E
Any Legion council officers who are registering for the International Eucharistic Congress in Dublin are asked to note that the
June 2012 Concilium meeting will take place on
SATURDAY 9th June 2012 at 3.00 pm
in Legion headquarters