Concilium Bulletin - December 2013
REPORTS
EUROPE
Portugal: Lisbon Senatus: Latest minutes, September. Nine praesidia and two curiae were visited on the island of Medeira by the Senatus President and correspondent. Extension visits were made in Castelo Branco. A praesidium in Lisbon with 8 praetorians and 9 adjutorians visits auxiliaries on their birthdays and to inform them of the Acies. They also prepared 100 sick persons for the Sacraments of Reconciliation, Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Sick and taught four ladies how to recite the Breviary. Several praesidia have an apostolate to the bereaved in mortuary chapels. Attendance of directly attached praesidia officers averages about 40%.
SPAIN
Madrid Senatus: Senatus minutes are sent 10 days after the monthly meeting which allows the Concilium correspondent’s letter to reach them in time for the next meeting. It is hard to gain access to those living in high-rise apartments. Parish Priests give legionaries letters of introduction, which help to open doors. The Curia of Granada visits hostels for homeless. Monthly reports on extension are taken. Last month all the praesidia of a curia took part in a Columban recruiting drive in preparation for setting up of a new praesidium. True Devotion to the Nation ventures include, cooking, sewing, reading and writing classes for the many immigrants in the Senatus area.
Barcelona Senatus: September minutes received. One praesidium has many Nuns, formerly legionaries in Kenya, as adjutorians. Another praesidium also has a convent of Nuns as adjutorians. They hold a monthly Mass in a residence. One member is a Catequista (Catechist). A praesidium in Majorca has members from France, Venezuala and Chile A praesidium reported 21 First Holy Communions and 4 Baptisms. Both groups have a representative on the Parish Council.
Bilbao Senatus: Average attendance is 72%. In June, Basauri Curia celebrated its golden jubilee. The curia does a lot of work with youth and got a “favourable report in the local Newspaper”. It has a junior praesidium and a group of pre-juveniles. A praesidium in Bilbao also celebrated its 50th anniversary; this praesidium has members from Guinea Equitorial and Columbia. They promote the True Devotion, visit the blind, Alzheimer’s sufferers and former prostitutes. The curia in Oviedo helped two deaf boys to learn sign language. An ex-drug prisoner is being helped and they sent Legion books to Paraguay. The curia in Durango is helping a family from Senegal – they work with Caritas, Mental Health and run formation meetings for immigrants, in conjunction with the Council.
ITALY
Rome Senatus: November minutes received. Following the Holy Father’s consecration of the world to the Immaculate Heart on October 13th, the Senatus is considering a suggestion of Br. Duff’s to go from house to house offering a visit of the Pilgrim Statue to any home that would accept it for one day. A Chinese legionary had won many converts in this way; he was one of the first to be executed in Tientsin.
Milan Regia: Over 100 persons, plus legionaries attended Catechesis sessions for the Year of Faith on, ‘The Faith of Mary, Mother of God’ and ‘The Faith of Frank Duff’.
Padova Comitium: Ongoing efforts are being made to extend the Legion in Bressanone, Voltabrusegana and Mandria. True Devotion to Mary features in reports. An active member was recruited at a railway station.
CYPRUS
Limassol: September minutes received. The average attendance at the weekly meeting is twenty. Home visitation, visits to the sick and dying, plus a number of church activities are included in the apostolate.
Nicosia has three praesidia. Minutes are fairly up to date for two of these. The apostolate includes works of service, church activities, hospital visitation, plus street and park contact. Many lapsed and those of other faiths and no faith are contacted. The legionaries were instrumental in the return of two people to the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
MALTA
Malta Regia: October minutes received. A praesidium of nine, four of whom are praetorians, held two retreats for Auxiliaries, with 55 in attendance. Three members of the praesidium teach Catechesis to children. They also organise the renewal of consecration of families to the Sacred Heart during a Mass, twice per year. As an initiative for the Year of Faith, a praesidium organised a Rosary before the Blessed Sacrament, to encourage spending time in prayer in the presence of Our Lord.
Hope of the World Curia: Legionaries reported the return of five persons to the Sacraments. One woman was persuaded not to have an abortion. Contact work is ongoing with tourists and refugees. A book barrow was set up in one parish with the aim of recruiting new members.
Mother of the Maltese Nation Curia: Over the summer months this council organised Eucharistic Adoration on the seafront, during which legionaries did contact work. Confessions were available. As a result of this apostolate, 30 youths went to Confession. The apostolate of a junior Curia with 12 praesidia includes contacting fellow students, with whom they promote the Sacrament of Confession and attendance at Sunday Mass. Two members gave a short talk to twelve-year-olds, who were about to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation. One of the junior praesidia organised an open-air Mass and weekend retreat.
Gozo Comitium: Weekend retreats for males, females and families had attendances of twelve at each retreat.
COUNTRIES UNDER THE CARETAKERSHIP OF MALTA
GREECE
The praesidium in Athens has difficulties because of the continual unrest on the streets, but meetings have continued throughout the summer. The praesidia in Rhodes and Kos have not yet taken up regular correspondence.
Correspondence with Thessalonica has improved, but the summer months proved difficult to hold regular meetings.
ALBANIA
Shkoder Comitium: This council carries out regular visits to praesidia, usually two, or more per month. The apostolate includes visits to the old and lonely in their homes, especially in the city, taking part in funerals, bringing people to the Sacraments and notifying the priest about housebound parishioners, who would like to receive the Sacraments. The sale of the new edition of the Handbook is going well. Frank Duff prayer leaflets are accessible in Albanian, but the prayer leaflets for Edel Quinn and Alfie Lambe are not yet available.
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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Boston Senatus: The Senatus promotes Legion membership after Masses and Adoration after other events. Extension yielded one senior and one junior praesidium. A jail ministry conducts a follow up apostolate to ex prisoners’ families. Three lapsed Catholics and a non-Catholic were received into the Church; the latter joined the Legion. A new senior praesidium was started in Vermont.
Philadelphia Senatus: A Congress theme, ‘Grant us a Lively Faith,’ had 65 present. The Senatus Spiritual Director, Fr Lendacky retired after years of faithful service. He contributed many articles to Maria Legionis and the Senatus has compiled his allocutios in book-form. Fr. Giuffre succeeded him. A Seminary praesidium with eleven members, engage in parish apostolate, ‘E’ days (Extension) and recruiting drives. Pittsburgh Regia and attached councils do extension. Greenburg Comitium has a prison praesidium. 25% of Metuchen Comitium members are praetorians. Camden Comitium had an attendance of 90 at their Congress. They do book barrow work on Ocean City boardwalk.
The Korean Comitium gained 9 active members.
Chicago Senatus: Mankato and two other councils staffed Legion booths at well-attended fairs. A new Korean Comitium, with 2 Curiae was established. Two expanding Hispanic Curiae in Rockford and Joliet subdivided and formed a Comitium. A pastor sought legionary’s help with parish hospitality at Christmas and Easter. Milwakee Comitium joined with Green Bay Curia to organise a Legion booth. Exploratio Dominicalis and crowd contact at the Navy Pier also feature.
Houston Senatus: A praesidium of 15 active and 40 Auxiliary members do home visitation. A bereaved couple and another family returned to the Church due to the loving concern of legionaries. A seventeen-year old was baptised. 226 male and 205 female prisoners were visited by legionaries. A PPC Conference with the theme, ‘Spreading the Light of Faith’, had 600 attendees.
St. Louis Senatus: Eleven new members were recruited and six new praesidia established. A Catholic Centre at University in Tulsa had six students return to the Faith. Elsewhere, 84 lapsed were contacted. A seventeen-year-old was received into the Catholic faith. Legionaries visit 431 prisoners.
New York Senatus: The Senatus officers thanked Concilium for the hospitality and guidance received on a recent visit to Ireland; they hope to implement the many suggestions. Legionaries invited passers-by to visit their local church during Lent. Retired priests in nursing homes are asked for prayers and kept informed about the Legion apostolate.
Arlington Regia, Virginia: Five Patrician groups have been established in Washington Comitium area to increase knowledge of the Faith. Fairfax Comitium has three new junior praesidia. Fairfax Spanish Curia had 1,000 at a Retreat.
Miami Regia: Dade Boward junior Curia do Nursing Home visitation, make Rosary Beads, string Miraculous Medals, do booth duty at Youth Fair, make visits to the sick and teach the Rosary to classmates. A praesidium of 19 active and 247 Auxiliaries list 7 activities including, Junior work, Pilgrim Virgin visits and maintaining the Regia website. Savannah Curia has 1 junior and 2 senior praesidia. South Carolina has 18 senior praesidia. Jacksonville Comitium was visited. The Archbishop of Miami has directed his priests to consider the Legion of Mary as a response to Pope Francis’ appeal, “to go out into the streets”.
Los Angelus Senatus: Long Beach Curia, with ten praesidia, has four Patrician groups. The number of first-term officers taking responsibility is encouraging. The Los Angelus Korean Comitium has five senior, five junior praesidia and five Patrician groups. Their works comprise prison ministry, book barrow and contact of youth groups with the purpose of recruitment to the Legion.
San Franncisco Senatus: A praesidium of five members was formed in St Paul’s. North San Mateo, has a new senior and junior praesidium. The North West Korean Comitium continues to expand, with 11 praesidia and 5 Curiae attached. It has 418 active members in 48 praesidia. The Bishop of Portland is an auxiliary member. Extension work by Sacramento Comitium resulted in 2 new praesidia. Portland Curia held a True Devotion to Mary retreat. Legionaries do door-to-door visitation, crowd contact and run a junior group. Stockton Comitium works include promoting Catholic radio. San Jose Comitium hosted the Year of Faith Conference. Three junior praesidia thrive. People wanting RCIA and marriage validation were met during evangelisation to 696 homes.
CANADA
Toronto Senatus: The visit of legionaries to Newfoundland and New Brunswick greatly enthused those distant councils. In Scarborough Comitium, a stroke victim contacted by legionaries received the Sacraments and his wife began RCIA. Columban Drives showed promise in Ottawa and Hamilton. Our Lady of Lourdes Parish has 12 legionaries, with 4 praetorians doing Pilgrim Statue visitation and enthronement to the Sacred Heart. They also organised a TDM talk. Juniors in Holy Cross Parish do crowd contact. A school praesidium of 12 members recruited 9 new members and run a Catechism quiz.
Vancouver Comitium: Cloverdale Parish praesidium established a, “Kids of Jesus” club for 30-40 children. For the Year of Faith, 15 returns to the Church resulted from 480 homes visited by the praesidium doing the, “Catholics Come Home,” project in June/July2013. In its first year, the Chinese Martyrs Praesidium active membership reached eleven.
Montreal Senatus: Attendance ranged from 44% to 70% between July and October. Pilgrim Statue visitation, organising pilgrimages, Exploratio Dominicalis and outreach to students feature. A Curia with 6 praesidia in one parish gives invaluable assistance to the priest, registering new arrivals, helping with Church services, Church cleaning and preparing people for Baptism. Good visitation of attached praesidia, councils and correspondence with distant councils is evident.
WEST INDIES
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Senatus of Santo Domingo: All praesidia visit homes, prepare children for the Sacraments, bring Holy Communion to the sick, arrange with a priest for confessions and anointing. Some legionaries visit prisons and psychiatric hospitals. The Comitium, ‘Santa Maria Madre de Dios,’ with 13 Curiae and 6 praesidia, has 2,471 active members, 1,657 auxiliaries, 328 adjutorians and 229 praetorian members. The council recruited 60 active members, including 5 of the 8 couples whose marriages were regularised. One praesidium gave catechesis to 125 ex-prisoners in the Penetentiary Pastorate.
Senatus of Santiago de los Caballeros: There were many returns to the Sacraments, conversions from evangelical sects and marriages regularised. A Curia in Trinidad with 10 praesidia, 117 members, 122 auxiliaries and 20 praetorians, had a young evangelical received into the Church on his death bed. A young drug addict was rehabilitated and became a Catholic. A number of people leading dissolute lives were instructed in the faith, baptised and now frequent the Sacraments.
Trinidad and Tobago Regia: The works done are home, hospital and prison visitation. Religious instruction resulted in one lapsed Catholic returning to the Sacraments. Eight people received Baptism. A Baptist lady recites the Rosary with Legionaries. Other works include, counselling taxi drivers and at-risk young men. Extension to Tobago was undertaken in August, with 6 legionaries taking part.
Senatus of Haiti: Minutes to September 2013 received, covering reports from 4 Comitia and 2 praesidia, one of the latter being in a Seminary. Youth and juniors feature. One Curia works for street children. Four extension missions were very well received.
Puerto Rico Senatus: A man of 70 made his first Holy Communion. The sick are minded in their homes. In the Virgin Islands, the Rosary is recited in notorious areas of drugs and violence. During Lent, the Stations of the Cross were enacted through the streets. Curia, ‘Toa Alto’ reported juniors training as catechesis. Enthronement of the Sacred Heart has brought 14 people back to practice.
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AFRICA
MALAWI
Blantyre Senatus: October 2013 minutes received. A copy of the annual report was sent to the country’s two Archbishops and six Bishops. Training workshops for council officers continued during the Year of Faith. A conference for the Senatus Officers and Spiritual Directors had, ‘elections’ among its topics and it was agreed that Spiritual Directors would explain election procedure to their fellow-priests and highlight the need for the Legion to be allowed govern its councils as prescribed in the Handbook. During the period under review, reports were taken from Regiae in the Archdiocese of Lilongwe and four other Dioceses which govern 58 Comitia. A Comitium in Blantyre reported a number of couples married in Church and returns to the Sacraments. A small number of youth praesidia visit the sick and lapsed and also help in Church.
KENYA
Senatus of Kenya: October 2013 minutes received. The Senatus advised all its councils to organise a Mass to mark the death of the Servant of God, Frank Duff.
Kisumu Regia visited the Diocese of Lodwar and set up two praesidia. The praesidium in Nairobi University has 25 members. A new College praesidium has 30 members. Works include home, hospital and prison visitation, resulting in many returns to the Sacraments and a large number undertaking instruction. The Correspondents meet on a regular basis.
UGANDA
Uganda Senatus: July and August minutes received; these showed a strong emphasis on youth as the five reports included those from the Tertiary Institutions Curia, City Schools Curia and a University praesidium. One of the other praesidia was commended on its efforts to start junior groups. An increase in membership and the setting up of four praesidia has led to lengthy meetings of the Tertiary Curia, which plans to split. The importance of this level of youth activity in the present, as well as in the future, was borne out by a comment made by a Brother attending Senatus for the first time, who said he learned about the Legion from his Primary School son. As a follow up to the National Spiritual Director’s Conference, Kabale and Mbarara Regiae were due to hold Spiritual Director’s Conferences in August and November.
NIGERIA
Enugu Senatus: One Comitium has 19 attached praesidia, 18 senior and 11 junior Curiae. As a result of Exploratio Dominicalis projects, 191 people were prepared for First Holy Communion. Eight lapsed Catholics returned to the Sacraments. 52 couples got married in Church and many more Legion contacts were prepared for the various Sacraments. A praesidium in Enugu Prison has nine members and as a result of their work, three adults were baptised. An Anglican was received into the Roman Catholic Church.
Abuja Senatus: Minutes received to October 2013. Average attendance for council officers was 61% and praesidium officers 64%. 43 new praesidia were formed in one Comitium over a period of two years. A University praesidium split and also started a second group as a result of a Columban Drive. A praesidium of 19 full members, plus 7 probationers, 9 of whom are praetorians, reported three marriages rectified, six lapsed returned to the Sacraments and one conversion.
Ibadan Senatus: Minutes to October received. Average attendance for council officers was 68% and praesidium officers 59%. Six senior Curiae and seven junior praesidia were set up in Benin City Regia area. One praesidium had 119 contacts in a brothel, seven of whom are Catholics. A Comitium reported eight conversions, including an old Muslim lady, who died soon afterwards and had a Catholic burial.
Lagos Regia: Minutes to August received. Average attendance for council officers was 62% and praesidium officers 48%. A Curia with 428 members has only 7% over 40 years of age. One Comitium reported 17 marriages rectified and 44 conversions, while another Comitium reported 25 marriages rectified. 88 people received Baptism and Confirmation through the RCIA.
Jos Regia: This Regia and many of its attached councils have suffered greatly due to the political upheaval in Northern Nigeria. Many people, including legionaries have had to leave their areas. Prayers are requested.
Onitsha Regia: One Comitium prepared 395 people for Baptism, 1,296 for Holy Communion, and 718 for Confirmation. 112 couples were helped towards getting married in Church. Eight senior and twelve junior praesidia were set up. The Comitium has 15 praesidia, plus 26 senior and 3 junior Curiae attached. The junior Curiae have in excess of 2,700 members.
Ikot Ekpene Regia: There has been great improvement in sending monthly minutes. The correspondent has asked that more detail be included in the minutes.
TANZANIA
Dar-es-Salaam Regia: Praesidia set up following a recruiting drive by the Seminary Legionaries continue to be monitored and it was hoped to honour Our Lady in a practical way by recruiting as many Legionaries as possible in her special month. Plans are in the pipeline to hold a Junior Congress in June and a PPC project to Zanzibar in July. The importance of following the rule on material relief was again stressed.
Mtwara Comitium: August minutes received. The correspondent is following up on some problems with recent elections of Legion officers.
Mbeya Comitium has five curiae and a membership of 1,691. Works include caring for youth praesidia, visiting the sick at home and in hospital and helping those with marriage difficulties.
Mbinga Comitium: A report covering a two year period to June 2013 was received. A General Assembly was held in April, where the Year of Faith figured prominently. They also discussed administrative matters. In October 2012 they decided to establish a praesidium in every Secondary School. Six schools now have a praesidium. One Curia marked its Golden Jubilee with Mass, celebrated by Bishop Emeritus Emmanuel Mapunda. No news from Songea, Njombe and Kilema for a considerable time.
Hai Moshi Comitium: Reports include home/hospital visitation, looking after junior praesidia, visitation of schools, contact with drug and alcoholic addicts, helping to settle marriage disputes, preparing adults and children for the Sacraments and teaching children Catechism. Many returns to the Sacraments and marriages blessed, were reported.
ZAMBIA
Lusaka Regia: Very comprehensive reports were received on visits to Monze Diocese in September and Chipata Diocese in November by three Regia officers and a correspondent. The aims in both cases were to listen to the legionaries and discuss the running of the organisation; also to establish the strength of the Legion, with a view to some reorganisation, as distance is a big problem with some curiae 150kms apart within Comitia. In Monze they briefly met the Bishop and Pastoral Co-ordinator and held a workshop on True Devotion. In Chipata they supervised the Comitium elections. It was hoped to raise a Curia to Comitium status, but further steps are needed before this is finalised.
LIBERIA
A brief e-mail from the Secretary indicates great difficulties in the area; literature sent by Concilium, which they badly need, has not arrived.
GAMBIA
The growth in a praesidium with a weekly attendance of 14-16 is being attributed to prayer to Frank Duff.
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