Concilium Bulletin February 2010
REPORTS - Mexico
Mexico City Senatus: An attached Comitium in Puebla has been raised to Regia status. This particular Comitium was very active; they set up a new Curia and three new praesidia recently. A retreat to prepare parents and godparents of children making their Confirmation was organised by the Legion.
Merida Senatus: Extensive home visitation and crowd contact is done throughout the Senatus area. Many who have changed over to the sects are met, resulting in some cases in the return to the practice of the Catholic faith. Legionaries accompany the priest when he celebrates Mass in the prison. They also visit separately and prepare the prisoners for the Sacraments. The attached Comitium in Campeche has 21 senior and one junior Curiae. Two new praesidia were set up. The ‘True Devotion to Mary’ was mentioned in a number of reports. The Legion Causes are promoted on all Legion works.
Acapulco Regia: A Curia of 11 senior and 4 junior praesidia in an indigenous area with no priest, teaches catechism and leads Sunday service. Dialogue with members of the sects has been very positive in this area, 21 returned to the Catholic faith. Some praesidia promote True Devotion to the Nation by encouraging residents to clean up the streets. A third praesidium has been set up in the jail.
Leon Regia: A new praesidium in the jail provides a lending library service. One prisoner was received into the Church; his family (wife and 4 children) then took instruction and also received the Sacraments. The prison legionaries help other prisoners to read and write. A special effort has been made by all legionaries during the year of the Priest to encourage prayer for priests and vocations.
Hermosillo Regia: A new Curia was set up in the Diocese of Ciudad Obregan. On Ash Wednesday legionaries distribute ashes on street contact. A Curia was assigned to follow up a request from the inmates of a female prison to visit them and set up the Legion. The inmates said the Legion presence was a sign of God’ mercy for them. The Archbishop asked legionaries to contact the families of prisoners as well.
Durango Regia: The President with other legionaries gives talks to young people every Friday with the hope of encouraging them to consider junior membership. A youth Bible group has 20 children between 4 and 10 years. The attached Comitium of Mazathlan reported for the first time in many years, they organise Lectio Divina, pre-Sacrament talks and catechism.
Monterrey Regia: There are plans to visit the neighbouring Diocese of Linares where there is only one praesidium. A praesidium in the city was about to close but with the help of another praesidium they recruited 8 new members.
Central America
Honduras Senatus: A new Treasurer has been elected. The country is going through a difficult period but the correspondent has assured the Senatus of our prayers.
Camotan Regia, Guatemala: Recently two legionaries from Merida Senatus, Mexico visited the Regia on behalf of the Concilium to take part in the 50 years celebrations in October 2009. The celebrations included Holy Mass celebrated by the Bishop Monsignor Rosolino Bianchetti Boffelli and a large number of priests. The Bishop thanked the Legionaries for their great contribution to the apostolate and to the Church. The two visiting legionaries visited a number of praesidia and meet officers both in Camotan Jalapa and Guatemala. In the attached Comitium of Jalapa there are 16 Curiae.
Nicaragua Regia of Managua: The Regia has made efforts to promote the True Devotion to Our Lady. To encourage more devotion to Our Lady they recite the Rosary in the homes when convenient. Prayer groups have been formed with, among others, auxiliary members. Extension has been carried out in three parishes.
Panama Comitium: A very comprehensive report on the Legion was received from Panama. The Legion is established in five of the nine Dioceses. Many praesidia and Curiae function in communities where there are no priests but the legionaries lead a Sunday service and generally keep the faith alive in those areas. The remote three Dioceses where the Legion is still to be established includes reservations and remote jungle areas with different cultures and where travelling is difficult.
El Salvador: Reports from the Senatus of San Salvador indicate that legionaries are reaching out to everybody including the lapsed and those who have gone over to the sects and other religions. A number have returned and received the Sacraments. A one-day retreat resulted in 400 people going to Confession.
Europe
Netherlands
Amsterdam Senatus: A praesidium for the English community in Amsterdam runs a Patrician group as well as a book barrow and parishioners are visited at the request of a priest. A block Rosary was organised and 2 pilgrim statues were circulated with a view to promoting auxiliary membership. A Mass was organised for an interested group and they agreed to become auxiliaries. A Cape Verdian praesidium recites the Rosary with children in Rotterdam.
Belgium
Antwerp Senatus: A new praesidium for Africans, mainly from Rwanda, was set up. Auxiliaries are visited and help is given with the Liturgy.
Brussels Senatus: A praesidium gained 3 new members as a result of promoting the prayer for the Servant of God, Frank Duff. A Peregrinatio Pro Christo project was carried out in Kockelberg in 2009 by Irish and local legionaries and they met people of many nationalities.
Scandinavia
The praesidium in Tonsberg, Norway carries out a varied apostolate in the parish and another praesidium has been set up in Drammon. In Copenhagen, Denmark, the 15 members of the praesidium celebrated its 30th birthday in 2009. The Chaldean community in the Stockholm area in Sweden is visited. A number of children are being instructed in the faith.
Germany
Munich Senatus: Directly attached are 2 Comitia, 10 Curiae, 13 praesidia with a total of 533 active and 5,620 auxiliary members. The entire number of praesidia is 80 and the Legion is in 8 out of 10 Dioceses. There are some Praetorian and Adjutorian members. Legionaries are constantly contacting priests to interest them in starting praesidia. Visits are made to new residents, the sick, bereaved, families of new baptised and reports mention street apostolate, book barrow work and preparing children for First Holy Communion.
Frankfurt Senatus: Extension efforts continue including an approach to the Indonesian community in Frankfurt Roedelheim and new praesidia have been set up in Krefeld and Kaiserlautern as well as a Croatian praesidium in Neuss. The Korean Curia in Frankfurt has a new praesidium in Kronberg bringing its total strength to 10 praesidia. In Berlin the Korean Curia has 5 praesidia including a student one; it teaches Catechism and 6 adults have been baptised. An international child Rosary meeting was held in Berlin with 300 children attending and Curia Darmstadt organised a two-week Rosary crusade for the year of the priest. Cologne Regia is growing and is now has 2 Comitia, 5 Curiae and 9 directly attached praesidia with a total of 290 active members.
Switzerland
Curia Zurich has 9 praesidia including a Tamil speaking one in Basel. Works include a Patrician group and street contact. Curia Luzern has 3 praesidia and Curia Olten has 2. An officer’s day for all German speaking Switzerland was held in 2009.
Siberia
Two legionaries from Frankfurt Senatus spend 2 weeks in October visiting praesidia in Bratsk, Atschinsk, Bogotol and held a autumn school.
France
Strasbourg Senatus: There is a total of 24 praesidia including 2 junior ones comprising 123 active and 436 auxiliary members. The Legion is in 4 of the 9 Dioceses. Legionaries organised an annual day for the sick which includes the Sacrament of the sick followed by a meal. Visitation of the lapsed resulted in a few persons returning to Church.
Aire and Dax Regia: There is a Curia at Bordeaux and works of service are done.
Paris Regia: The Vietnamese Curia reports on home and hospital visitation, organising pilgrimages and helping to run the Catholic Vietnamese Centre in Paris. This Curia recruited 5 new members and had one adult Baptism. There is a newly established praesidium in a secondary school and has about 15 members aged 12 to 14 years. The newly appointed correspondents with Guadeloupe and Martinique have made contact with their councils. The Comitium in Guadeloupe has a total of 850 members.
Valence Regia: The attached Curia at Nice has 8 praesidia spanning a number of Dioceses including Monaco. Works include some street contact, teaching Catechism, visiting nursing homes and bringing Holy Communion to the sick. A meeting with Mgr. Bagnard, the Bishop responsible for the Legion and some other lay organisations in France, was held in Paris in November. There were more than 100 legionaries from different parts of France in attendance, including a good number of young people.
England
Senatus of Birmingham: Directly attached are 10 praesidia, 4 senior Curiae and 1 junior Curia. Meetings have been held with the priests and visits are paid to the homes of the children preparing for Baptism. Returns to the Sacraments have resulted from regular visitation of homes and 6 children from the travelling community have been prepared for First Holy Communion. First Saturday all-day Adoration for priest has been organised in the Coventry Deanery.
Westminster Archdiocese: Praesidia in the Central London Curia visit homes and nursing home and bring Holy Communion to patients. The Rosary is recited publicly at Speakers Corner in Hyde Park. The praesidium in St. Patrick’s Parish, Soho has 6 members who visit homes and do some street contact apostolate. A half-day retreat was held based on the True Devotion to Mary. Hammersmith Curia with 8 praesidia, one of which is in Shepherd’s Bush has 9 active and 50 auxiliaries. The latter are visited 4 times a year. Among the works of 3 reporting praesidia in West Middlesex Curia with 17 members is the organisation of an annual Mass for the anointing of the sick and devotions to Our Lady of Sorrows on Good Fridays.
Brentwood Comitium: A new junior praesidium has been established in Brentwood East Curia and a new praesidium will start in Chelmsford in March. Many auxiliary members were recruited at a Legion stall during a parish mission and a newly set up Youth group meets monthly. Recruiting is directed to people met on visitation of homes, after Masses and new members received into the Church at Easter time. Events for the Causes are mentioned in many reports and works undertaken by most praesidia are home visitation where people of many faiths and none are met and legionaries speak to them of belief in God and in the Eucharist; visiting the elderly in their homes, nursing homes and bringing them Holy Communion.
Northampton Diocese: Both Curiae are working well. Worthwhile contacts are made with prisoners during prison visitation and the daughter of a lady visited regularly for 14 years decided to become a Catholic and asked a legionary to be her sponsor.
Southwark Comitium: Reports included details of 3 junior praesidia with a total membership of 56 and an intermediate one of 30 members who teach catechism, train altar servers, organise a monthly Rosary procession and a Faith study for youth.
Liverpool Senatus: The Archbishop, Most Rev. Patrick A. Kelly attended the September Senatus meeting. New praesidia have been set up and a Rosary club for children has resulted in the instruction of a child and its mother in the Faith. The Rosary is recited in Wakefield prison with about 18 men.
Senatus of Scotland: During contacts made at Fresher’s Day in Dundee University, names were got of 20 prospective legionaries. The praesidium, which runs the Wayside Club in Glasgow, has 19 members who cater for the spiritual and other needs of those who attend. Following extension and Peregrinatio Pro Christo work in Aberdeen, a praesidium has been set up with 32 possible members and 16 new auxiliaries.
Wales: Swansea Curia includes in its apostolate the running of a drop-in centre. A number of parishes in the Diocese have been approached for extension. Wrexham Curia has gained a new praesidium.
Visit to Concilium by Liverpool Senatus Officers
On Friday 12th February a meeting took place in Concilium with the Senatus President, Treasurer and Assistant Secretary of Liverpool Senatus as well as their correspondent and Concilium Officers. Attached to the Senatus are 15 praesidia, 8 Curiae and 5 Comitia and there is a Legion presence in 5 of the six Suffragan Dioceses. They are also caretakers for Sweden, Cardiff and Wrexham.
The main objective of the Senatus for the past two years has been extension and their efforts have been blessed with success in a number of the Liverpool City Parishes as well as two new praesidia established in North Lancaster. Visitation and keeping in close touch with their attached Councils was recommended as well as making a visit to each of the Bishops in the six Suffragan Dioceses.
In Sweden there are now 6 praesidia, which includes one in Lund University. They plan to visit Sweden in the coming year. In Wales there is a new praesidium in Cardiff University and a new praesidium has also been established in Wrexham.
Thanks were extended to the legionaries for the great Legion work they are undertaking and for their visit to Ireland.
Visit of UK Organisers of Peregrinatio Pro Christo and Council Officers to Concilium
On Saturday 13th February a meeting was held with the UK organisers of Peregrinatio Pro Christo and officers of the Senatus of Birmingham, Liverpool and Scotland. Also in attendance were the members of the Peregrinatio Pro Christo Committee and Concilium Officers.
A review of the 2009 projects indicated that a total of 325 volunteers participated. In relation to long-term evangelisation, legionaries in Scotland visit areas where there is no Legion presence, in the Liverpool vicinity it is proposed to organise regional conferences in areas, which are weak. The Birmingham council have an annual project to Berlin and Amsterdam.
A discussion took place on the main purpose of PPC - conversion work. It was suggested that officers of each council should focus on a parish where a PPC project has been completed and extension should be discussed with the Parish Priest and obtain permission to set up a praesidium. Follow-up is an important element of Peregrinatio Pro Christo. Birmingham officers put forward a challenge for 2010 that more organisers should be recruited so that a personal approach could be made to priest when proposing Peregrinatio Pro Christo to them.
Sincere thanks was expressed to all those who took part in the meeting.
Prayer for Christian Unity
On Saturday 23rd January 2010 in St. Theresa’s Church, Clarendon Street, Dublin prayers for Christian Unity were held. A Holy Hour conducted by Rev. Father Peter Sexton, SJ, University Chaplin T.C.D. was followed by Concelebrated Mass, the principal Celebrant and Homilist was Rev. Monsignor James Cassin, Executive Secretary, Episcopal Commission for Education.
In his introduction, Monsignor Cassin said, “This year emphasis is placed on the link between missionary endeavour and the desire for Christian Unity. The missionary commitment of the Church goes hand in hand with its ecumenical commitment. Because of our Baptism we are already one body and we are called to live in communion. God has made us brothers and sisters in Christ. This is the fundamental witness that we are called to. We pray God’s blessing on the work of Christian Unity. We ask pardon for our part in the things that divide us.”
A large attendance was present at this function and the Concilium thanked the legionaries in Assumpta Curia, Dublin for organising this successful event.
Commemoration Mass for the Servant of God, Alphonsus Lambe
To commemorate the 51st Anniversary of the death of The Servant of God Alfie Lambe, a Commemoration Mass took place in the Church of Our Lady of the Assumption, Kinnagad, Co. Westmeath on Sunday 24th January 2010 at 3.00 pm.
Fr Emmanuel Abue from Northern Nigeria, currently studying in Maynooth, was the main celebrant, Fr Oliver Skelly PP, Vice Postulator for the Cause also concelebrated. Nine of the juniors from the local praesidium read the prayers of the faithful. All those in attendance were greatly impressed by the enthusiasm of Fr Emmanuel who was greatly influenced by the missionary work and life of the young Irish Man, Alfie Lambe, in South America.
Everyone was invited to the refreshments afterwards and they were delighted to hear about the great promotion of Alfie Lambe’s Cause in Argentina in a short talk given by Edel Garcia and Laura Emilia Rodriguez, two former Concilium extension workers from Argentina.
Request for articles for Maria Legionis
In a recent issue of the Maria Legionis it was stated: “Since set up by Frank Duff in 1937 the magazine has been the voice of the Legion of Mary, bringing to life its spirit through articles on doctrine, devotion and practice combined with news of Legionary activities throughout the world.”
In order that the magazine should continue to fulfil this purpose legionaries are invited to send in articles (of not more than 800 words) dealing with the apostolate and mission of the Legion of Mary. Cameos and short narratives, based on legionary activities and experience, depicting interesting legionary apostolates, contacts or functions will be welcomed for consideration for possible publication in Maria Legionis. It would be helpful to have good photographs to accompany and illustrate the articles, which should be addressed to: The Editor, Maria Legionis, De Montfort House, Morning Star Avenue, Brunswick Street, Dublin 7, Ireland. e-mail address: [email protected]
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.
This prayer can be obtained from the Legion of Mary website
www.legion-of-mary.ie
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,
North Brunswick Street,
Dublin 7, IRELAND