Concilium Bulletin August 2012

Concilium Bulletin August 2012
REPORTS
AFRICA

KENYA
Kenya Senatus: Rt. Rev. Philip Anyolo, Bishop of Homa Bay was Chief Celebrant at the Mass at Venerable Edel Quinn’s grave in May. Large numbers of Legionaries from Uganda and Tanzania and great crowds from Kenya attended.
Kisumu Regia reported 827 patients received the Sacrament of the sick, 528 marriages were validated, 2000 adults and 532 children were baptised, 2183 lapsed returned to the sacraments, 127 lapsed Legionaries returned to active membership and of 25 traditional brewers and 85 alcoholics contacted, 30 left the practice. A Comitium established a Curia and four praesidia. Rt. Rev. John Oballa Owaa, the new Bishop of Ngong Diocese said he is also a legionary.
UGANDA
Uganda Senatus: The January minutes, in particular show a wide spread of councils, from a Regia with over 21,000 each of juniors and seniors, a new Comitium giving a 4 month progress report, a Curia in a prison with 6 praesidia and a praesidium with 8 members and 2 junior and 1 youth praesidium attached. Activities during the period include visits to homes, hospitals, prisons, children’s and rescue homes, shops, markets, bars, salons, mosques, churches, factories, satanic shrines, organising juniors, preparing people for the sacraments and running Patricians. This has resulted in many conversions including some Muslims, many receiving the Sacraments and lapsed returning to the practice of their faith. It is intended to specially focus on prison ministry in 2012. The Correspondent is seeking further information on the caretakership of Ethiopia and Sudan by Uganda Senatus.
NIGERIA
Abuja Senatus: Average Attendance - Praesidia Officers was 73% and Council Officers 51%. Security is a major concern. Separated brethren were amazed at the Legion’s emphasis on Evangelisation. A praesidium in a police barracks had 5 lapsed returned, 8 marriages rectified and 7 conversions. Abuja was inaugurated as a Senatus on 22nd April 2012.
Ibadan Senatus: Attendance - Praesidia Officers was 46% and Council Officers 55%. A decision is to be made re the Senatus bus which is proving costly, but is a means of evangelisation. Two praesidia in the University Curia held Auxiliary rallies.
Lagos Regia: Praesidia Officers was 30% and Council Officers 70%. Brothel visitation comes up regularly in reports. One Comitium had 6 Muslims converted and 4 are now Legionaries, while a Curia had 90 conversions and 33 marriages rectified. Also 6 Curiae and 1 praesidium were formed.
Enugu Senatus: The Spiritual Director and President of the Senatus attended the IEC in Dublin and visited Concilium. The Senatus has over 72,000 seniors and 64,000 juniors and also almost 15,000 probationers. The Igbo Handbook has been translated. Many adults and children are prepared for the Sacraments e.g. members of Abakaliki Regia prepared almost 20,000 for various Sacraments.
In Onitsha Regia 83 members travelled to a remote area for a weeklong project. They visited 708 homes contacting 2,548 people of various beliefs and leaving much for follow-up by the Parish Priest and local Legionaries including 116 marriage cases.
A Comitium attached to Ikot Ekpene Regia has 2,445 members in 12 praesidia and 8 Curiae. They prepared 57 for Baptism, 388 for Holy Communion and 186 for Confirmation and had 12 converts in 6 months, while 18 members of a Comitium carried out a weeklong project in 5 distant outstations and recruited 36 members in the parish.
Jos Regia: The Legion apostolate continues in the Regia area despite many difficulties during the unrest there, prayers are requested for peace. Eleven deacons, all Legionaries were ordained to the priesthood. The Regia has had their accounts audited.
Kaduna Regia: Works include visitation of homes meeting people of many beliefs and none, hospitals, prisons, orphanages, preparing people for the Sacraments, organising juniors and Patricians. Eight Exploratio Dominicalis projects took place in the period and much visitation of councils and praesidia is undertaken. They reported on 101 Baptisms, 654 First Communions, 331 Confirmations, 37 Marriage cases settled, 137 Marriages blessed and 43 conversions including 19 Muslims and 134 lapsed returned to practice.
TANZANIA
Dar-Es-Salaam Regia: Preparations were ongoing for the inauguration of Dar-Es-Salaam Regia on 8th July. Good efforts are being made to strengthen Curiae and praesidia and improve attendance. An important recruiting initiative was the promotion of the Legion at Masses in 10 parishes by Seminarians with the support of Legionaries. This has proved most successful and they aim to retain new members with good follow up. A Praesidium of technical students with 25 members was revived. The Venerable Edel Quinn Anniversary Mass was well attended. Exploratio projects were planned for May and great emphasis is placed on the prohibition of material relief.
Mtwara Comitium: Members of a junior school praesidium invite other students to recite the Legion Prayers and counsel them to attend religious instructions. They lead a weekly Rosary in school. A 7 member praesidium visits the sick, aged, unmarried couples and teaches children prayers and brings them to Mass. They reported 6 lapsed returned to practice and 6 received various Sacraments.
Kahama Comitium: After a long silence a report on the Acies and up-date on the Comitium were received. It has 5 Curiae and works include visiting homes, the sick, preparing people for the Sacraments and teaching catechism to children. As a result, 3 families returned to the Church, 5 couples married in church and 2 had their marriages regularised. A Curia prepared 200 for Holy Communion and 2 people in danger of death were baptised. Good recruiting efforts are made especially among the young and a new praesidium was formed.
Hai Moshi Comitium: Works include home/hospital visitation, preparing adults and children for the Sacraments and teaching children prayers resulting in many returns to the Sacraments and marriages blessed. The council is very active and making great efforts to extend. The Seminarians in Kibosho Seminary are translating articles from the Concilium bulletins into Kiswahili.
ZAMBIA
Lusaka Regia: Visits took place to Ndola and Mongu Dioceses aiming to support the Legionaries; establish the strengths and weaknesses of the councils; provide training and meet with clergy. The meeting in Ndola was held in Kitwe Comitium, 350 kilometres from Lusaka, a 4-hour bus journey. There are over 4,500 members with 9 Comitia. Mongu is about 550 kilometres from Lusaka and 7 hours by bus. It was difficult to get a true picture of the councils here as the majority were unable to travel due to distance and transport costs. There is need for instruction and some splitting of praesidia. A workshop was held in Mongu and members asked for more training. The Diocesan Pastoral Co-ordinator spent the day with them.
THE GAMBIA
Brusubi praesidium, a new praesidium attached to Banjul Curia hosted the Acies. They hoped to use the opportunity to ‘fish’ out some new members.
MALAWI
Blantyre Senatus: The Senatus is working well. It is based on 12 directly attached praesidia, 9 Curiae and 16 Comitia in the Archdiocese of Blantyre and it also governs 4 Regia and 9 Comitia in the dioceses of Malawi. A meeting was held between the Senatus officers and the Diocesan Chaplains of the Legion in Malawi and among the points discussed were working in harmony with other Catholic Church groups and the importance of knowing the Handbook. Chisitu Comitium held a Youth Conference, the purpose of which was to publicise and introduce the Legion to the youth of the area. Some of the talks were based on prayer, obedience and faithfulness to the Church.
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
MASSACHUSETTS
Boston Senatus: Visitations of Comitium and Curiae have been completed. In the Archdiocese the Legion is flourishing among the Korean, Vietnamese and Portuguese. Recently a group of twelve Legion members attended a day of Evangelisation in Rhode Island. 200 volunteered and 1,400 homes were visited.
PHILADELPHIA
Philadelphia Senatus: Camden Comitium has 4 book barrows and visits 7 prisons. There were 8 conversions and 7 returns to the Sacraments. After teaching catechism to a Methodist man he became a Catholic. Allentown Curia: Two women returned to the practice of their faith, one was a Pentecostal. Delaware Legionaries visit 2 prisons and organise a Patrician group. The Hispanic Curia arranged 13 Baptisms, 4 returned to the faith and there were 2 marriage validations. Harrisburg Comitium had a table at a Diocesan Men’s Conference where they made good contacts among the 500 attending, many not realising that men could join the Legion of Mary. Norristown Comitium continues to serve the street people at their Brother House twice a week. Book barrow, Patricians, nursing homes, prisons and a psychiatric hospital, feature among their works.
LOUISANNA
St. Louis Senatus: 106 new members were gained during this period. Extension is on-going in 3 parishes. Prayer services are conducted in the male and female juvenile detention centres and Confessions arranged. Reports also mention 9 under instruction, 83 returns to the faith and 2 conversions to the Church. Eucharistic adoration features prominently in reports. Religious literature is sent to military personnel abroad.
ILLINOIS
Chicago Senatus: The annual ‘May Gathering’ had representatives from many distant councils, including the Dakotas’, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Illinois. During the week-end, the visiting legionaries did crowd contact in downtown Chicago. At the Senatus meeting mention was made of the Baptism of 2 women in prison, 18 inmates being confirmed and one receiving first Holy Communion. In Duluth Curia, a 19 member prison praesidium invites fellow inmates to Mass, Perpetual Adoration, bible study and daily recitation of the Divine Office. The Korean Comitium brought 4 converts into the Church. Joliet Curia started 4 new praesidia. Milwaukee Comitium helped with a Columban Drive in Green Bay. A former junior was recently ordained to the priesthood. In Lake County Curia Hispanics and juniors are growing in number.
FLORIDA
Miami Regia: The Haitian Curia has 16 praesidia, continues to do well with door to door visitation, hospital and nursing home visits and street apostolate. Adults and juniors are in formation. The Spanish speaking Regina Pacis Comitium has 46 praesidia and 3 more in formation as well as 3 dependent Curiae. All were encouraged to do more home to home visitation. A new praesidium was affilicated to the Regia in June.
TEXAS
Houston Senatus undertook a successful Peregrinatio Pro Christo project in a parish in Dublin, Ireland in the week preceding the International Eucharistic Congress in June. Spanish legionaries had 232 enthronements to the Sacred Heart in the last 3 months. A new Curia was established in the Pharr Comitium. San Antonio Comitium reported that the visit of their Pilgrim Statue excited 3 teenagers to pray the Rosary. The Houston and Arlington Vietnamese Curiae have high numbers in their praesidia with 15 to 18 members each. A function for their auxiliaries and works with street people at the drop-in centre in downtown Houston was also reported upon.
NEW YORK
New York Senatus: A recruiting drive gained 32 for a Spanish praesidium and 23 for an English one. Rockville Comitium is placing new emphasis on visitation of praesidia. They had 15 returns to the Sacraments and 12 enthronements to the Sacred Heart. Lower Manhattan had 10 returns to Confession following hospital visitation, while Watertown Curia, due to their efforts, had 4 persons received into the Church at Easter.
VIRGINIA
Arlington Regia: Concern is growing in Legion circles in regard to the introduction by the Government of “The Affordable Care Act”. The U.S. Bishops have taken a strong position opposing it as it affects the right of conscience and religious liberty. They are calling for all Catholic faithful to oppose this act vigorously with the implication that everyone be involved, “with all the energies the Catholic Community can muster”. Legionaries are encouraged to give their support not as the Legion of Mary but as concerned Catholics in an individual capacity.
SAN FRANCISCO
San Francisco Senatus: San Jose Comitium works hard on extension with 2 new parishes hosting 2 recruiting drives. Oakland Comitium has a Chinese Curia with 5 praesidia and continues to extend. The Korean Comitium has formed 3 new praesidia in Oakland, San Jose and San Francisco. North San Mateo Curia has 24 attached praesidia with 249 members and is doing extension in 2 parishes.
Los Angeles Senatus; In Honolulu more than half the praesidia have undertaken Exploratio Dominicalis projects which includes island hopping, because of their extension efforts a new praesidium started on the island of Maui. A function to honour the Servant of God Frank Duff had 1,200 in attendance.
CANADA
Vancouver Comitium: Works include street contact, nursing home and hospital visitation, Family Rosary Crusade and Pilgrim Statue apostolate. One praesidium has a Friday Movie Night, screening Catholic films. Special works include visitation of “Skid Row”, contact with street girls, drug addicts and alcoholics, many requested prayers. There was a recent celebration of the 75th Anniversary of the Legion in the Archdiocese of Vancouver.
Toronto Senatus: Works include visitation of prison/jail, homes, hospitals, nursing homes, community sick, enthronements of the Sacred Heart and crowd contact apostolate. Patrician meetings have 20-40 attendees. A lapsed Catholic man, who was sick, after having a Pilgrim Statue visit, went to Confession. Inmates at Hamilton Detention Centre are visited regularly. A two-day Retreat was held at St. Augustine’s Seminary to renew and rediscover the spirit of the Legion of Mary.
Edmonton Comitium: The Comitium makes regular visitation of the three Curiae attached Queen of the Most Holy Rosary Curia, Calgary, has 18 attached praesidia. They took part in crowd contact at the annual ‘Stampede Week’. Our Lady of Lourdes Curia urged that Exploratio Dominicalis be held annually by praesidia. Three praesidia were represented at a Legion booth at the ‘Family Life’ Conference. A Patrician meeting is held monthly.
WEST INDIES
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Santo Domingo Senatus: Reports include home and prison visitation, street contact, the visitation of the sick in homes, hospitals, and clinics. Comitium “Reina de los Mártires”, with 15 senior, 1 intermediate and 2 junior praesidia has 6 attached Curiae, with 678 active members, 1100 auxiliaries, 88 adjutorians, 153 praetorians and 18 probationaries. 300 children were catechised. Curia Immaculado Corazón de María with 5 praesidia has 56 members, 138 auxiliaries, 25 adjutorians, 14 praetorians and 5 probationers. They report 12 adults and 43 children baptised, 2 marriages regularised, 35 adults and young people brought to confession and the sacrament of the sick to 9 people. Patricians were also mentioned.
Senatus of Santiago de los Caballeros: Most praesidia help with the Church Pastoral plan of visiting homes seeking children for Baptism and Communion. Home visitation, visiting hospitals, cancer clinics, prisons, and the bereaved were among the works mentioned. Curia Dulce Corazón de María with 13 praesidia conducts pre-baptismal talks for parents and god-parents. They report the case of a young drug addict, who didn’t know of the existence of God and who, through the efforts of the legionaries was baptised and confirmed. He now goes to confession and Holy Communion and is cured of his addiction.
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
Trinidad and Tobago Senatus: a praesidium of 9 active members (with 52 auxiliaries) undertake home visitation, catechises for 47 children, 11 were received into the Church. Hospital visitation and supervising the children’s liturgy at Sunday Mass were also mentioned.
HAITI
Haiti Senatus: Attendance 63% to 80%. A Comitium, 2 Curiae and a praesidium reported. Many families are still living in tents. Works include visitation of homes, hospitals and other community institutions, prisons, visits of condolence, to the sick and elderly at home, mortuary vigils and accompanying priests on sick calls. They also run junior praesidia and courses for catechism resulting in many receiving the Sacraments and some lapsed Catholics returning to the faith.
PUERTO RICO
Puerto Rico Senatus continue to promote the Causes. They help with ecumenical meetings at the request of the clergy. The audit has been completed. The Comitium of Caguas report work being done for abused women and children, for AIDS and cancer patients. Under the heading of True Devotion to the Nation, legionaries are dealing with water and electricity supplies to poor areas. Juniors share the faith with their friends and help with musical events and act as altar servers. There was a report of one return from witchcraft.
EUROPE
PORTUGAL
Lisbon Senatus: At Buraca 3 adults were baptised and confirmed and large numbers went to Confession. The sick and elderly are assisted at home, in health centres and hospitals. Drug addicts and their families are visited and given encouragement. A praesidium of two members grew to eight following a Columban type campaign. A new praesidium was also set up. A praesidium of 8 members, all praetorians, have 24 auxiliaries for whom 2 reunions are held each year. Three young people were prepared for Baptism and Holy Communion, 16 adults for First Communion and 146 returned to the Sacrament of Reconciliation. In the Azores the 90th anniversary celebrations of the Legion was led by the Bishop and 12 priests with 400 participants. A new junior Curia with 9 praesidia was set up at Vila Nova de Famalicao and a new junior praesidium at Montijo. Legionaries are engaged in prison visitation. A new praesidium was set up at Funchal in Maderia.
SPAIN
Madrid Senatus: The Bishop of Tenerife, Canary Islands, wants the Comitium to visit 15 parishes with a view to setting up the Legion. A Peregrinatio Pro Christo project is planned for the month of October to Ceuta, North Africa where there are some praesidia. Many Muslims contacts are made there and local legionaries will help the peregrini. As a follow-up to World Youth Day a parish in Madrid has started Nocturnal Eucharistic Adoration for Youth. The Curia Virgin de la Paloma reported many visits to a Jehovah Witness family who eventually returned to the Church and one of its members became an active legionary.
Barcelona Senatus: A praesidium Spiritual Director does weekly work with the members. Works include “door duty” at the churches, help in the parish and in food centres. A man aged 31, who is in prison and visited by a legionary, is to be baptised and married in church.
Bilbao Senatus: All ten praesidia in Leon Curia have Spiritual Directors. A new praesidium has been set up and efforts made for a junior praesidium. This Curia has 35 auxiliaries, 39 praetorians and 209 adjutorians. They care for down and outs, do jail visitation and recite the Rosary on the Radio.
ITALY
Rome Senatus: This council has 13 praesidia. It governs 7 other Curiae in the city, 9 distant Curiae and 4 Comitia in Sardinia, Sicily, Calabria and on the Adriatic Coast. There are currently about 800 active members in Rome and about 3,000 in the Senatus area. Recent reports indicate a growing interest on the part of Bishops. The Bishop of Frascati asked for a praesidium to be set up in his diocese and personally follows its progress. A Russian Orthodox priest has expressed the desire to work with the Legion.
Milan Regia: There were a large number of legionaries present at the launch of Cardinal Scola’s book “La Vita Buona” to whom Mgr. Balconi presented a copy of Fr. Bradshaw’s book on Frank Duff. There is an average attendance of 18 at a Patrician group. The Parish Priest asked legionaries to help with a teenage girl who suffered from severe depression and was a recluse. They got her work with the Little Sisters of the Poor. She now finds herself useful and partakes in the community activities. There is a new Filipino praesidium in Turin.
Padova Comitium: Nazareth groups for under 10 year-old children feature in Tyrol reports. A talk on the Legion was given in a High School. There were big attendances at public Rosaries in the courtyards of apartment blocks during May. Auxiliary reunions are held and greetings sent to them on their birthdays, at Christmas and Easter. Extension efforts are made but results are slow. The region needs an extension worker.
CYPRUS
Two praesidia in Nicosia undertake crowd contact at the bus station, in parks and in the markets. They visit a Community Care Clinic. Miraculous medals are gratefully received and legionaries pray with the residents. In Limassol legionaries taught catechism and helped to prepare the Church for first Holy Communion. They visited homes with the statue of Our Lady, promoted the recitation of the Rosary and advised families to have their homes consecrated to the Sacred Heart.
MALTA
Malta Regia has 10 praesidia, 1 Comitium, 9 senior and 2 junior Curiae affiliated. A praesidium of 8 works at the apostolate of the Sea where good contacts are made. This praesidium also has charge of a praesidium of 10 members in a corrective facility whose apostolate includes contact with fellow inmates. Three new members in an Italian-speaking praesidium recently took their promise. Two retreats for auxiliary members had 47 in attendance, while another retreat was attended by three married couples. Affiliated Curiae report visitation and contact with divorced and separated families as well as drug addicts and lapsed. One woman returned to the practice of her faith after 47 years. A mother and daughter were reconciled following the visits of legionaries. Aftercare was done with Muslims who had converted to the Catholic faith.
Gozo Comitium: The Bishop of Gozo attended the Acies and a meeting for Spiritual Directors with 20 in attendance. Fourteen legionaries took part in a day’s apostolate in a parish on Malta Island where 79 families were contacted.
ALBANIA
The Skhroder Comitium has been meeting regularly. The Apostolate of the legionaries includes visits to sick people in their homes, five members from two praesidia teach catechism and visit sick children. One praesidium holds prayer meetings for families during which the Handbook is studied.

Proposal for Regia in Maputo, Mozambique

The proposal is to raise Curia Nossa Senhora Estrela de Manha (Our Lady Morning Star) in the Parish of São Joaquim, Maputo, Moçambique to Regia to govern the Legion in the Archdiocese of Maputo and its two Suffragan Dioceses, Xai Xai and Inhambane. The Curia has seven praesidia. There are 29 Curiae in the Archdiocese of Maputo. The Archbishop of Maputo has approved the new Regia. This Regia will replace the former Regia Immaculada Conceição of Maputo and will govern the territory as shown above.

This proposal was seconded and agreed by the Concilium. Sile Ni Chochlain, on behalf of Concilium wished the new Regia every grace and blessing.

ELISABETH KRISS - EXTENSION WORKER

Elisabeth Kriss has completed her year’s extension work in the Ukraine since 10th August. On 19th July she had a very cordial meeting with the Secretary to the Patriarch in Kiev. Two of the Greek Catholic praesidia are working very well and visiting old people and preparing them for the Sacraments. A new Greek Catholic praesidium was also started in one town.
She visited most of the Roman Catholic Curiae and isolated praesidia, bringing them the greeting of the Concilium and showing them pictures of the International Eucharistic Congress and history of the Legion. In one town a new praesidium was set up. Last year she visited a Greek Catholic shrine in Zarwanitsi in the Ukraine to ask for blessing for her year’s extension and in her last week this year she visited the Roman Catholic shrine of Berditshew to thank Our Lady.

She asked that all the legionaries be thanked for their prayers.