Concilium Bulletin December 2008

REPORTS - Africa
Kenya: Senatus of Kenya Thirty-six legionaries attended the monthly prayers at Venerable Edel Quinn’s grave. A Curia in Nairobi reported that in the course of hospital visitation the priest was called to give the Sacrament of the Sick to 46 patients, and following visitation, 4 marriages were regularised, 6 returned to the sacraments and 6 adults were baptised, 50 orphans were contacted and bars were also visited. Nairobi Junior Curia has 7 Praesidia attached.

Uganda
Senatus of Uganda A successful Spiritual Directors’ Conference was held in October and 74 priests, many of them young, from all over Uganda attended. 46l members attended a transnight retreat to mark the Legion’s 87th anniversary, while the Venerable Edel Quinn’s centenary was also celebrated. The Translation Committee is very active and Legion literature in a number of languages is at various stages of translation and printing. Large numbers of conversions, returns to the Sacraments and regularisation of marriages were reported. The Legion is well established in many schools and tertiary institutions.

Nigeria
Ibadan Senatus: The university Curia is very involved in extension and reported 3 Muslims converted and 8 marriages rectified. In the Senatus area there were 447 conversions and 702 returns to the Church.

Enugu Senatus: Reports show much conversion work being done. Ikot Ekpene Regia: The Diamond Jubilee celebrations lasting 3 days were very successful. Two councils had a combined total of 22 conversions, 50 lapsed returned.

Abuja Regia: A Comitium with 6,863 seniors and 4,176 juniors reported 20 new praesidia, 490 conversions and 1,148 marriages rectified and another Comitium has grown from 590 seniors to 943 in 2 years and 16 praesidia were started in the year.

Lagos Regia: A Comitium with 5,717 seniors and 5,650 juniors and 2486 praetorians, had 277 conversions including 87 Muslims. 66 went on PPC. Another Comitium reported setting up 22 senior and 7 junior praesidia. Jos Regia: The reports from the attached councils show many conversions, including some Muslims. 3,500 from the Jos Archdiocese attended the anniversary Mass for Frank Duff and similar functions were held in 4 dioceses. Onitsha Regia: One Comitium recruited 200 senior members and established 20 junior praesidia. A Curia based in a college has 8 senior, 1 intermediate and 1 junior praesidia and reported preparing candidates for baptism, returns to the sacraments, etc. Another Comitium prepared many for the sacraments and helped 105 couples wed in church.

Malawi
Blantyre Regia: Lilongwe Diocese has 16 Comitia and Mzuzu 10 with more in prospect and training sessions were held for Comitia officers in both Dioceses. A very informative report for the year to March 2008 was received and membership is extensive. A seminary was visited as part of a plan to introduce the Legion to all seminarians. Celebrations to mark Venerable Edel Quinn’s centenary were held in 2 dioceses.

Zambia
Lusaka Regia: The Regia have a total membership of 22,63l senior, 1,794 junior and 824 auxiliary members. Works include prison visitation and 10 Legionaries attended the training programme to help HIV/AIDS sufferers. Kasama Regia: Visitation of councils and praesidia and recruitment is undertaken.

Tanzania
Dar-Es-Salaam Comitium: 2 praesidia have been revived. Songea Comitium: A new Curia was established so there are now 14 Curiae and a total of 103 Praesidia attached. A pilgrimage had over 300 in attendance. Mtwara Comitium: Activities include helping the sick and disabled and praying with them, encouraging the lapsed to return to practice, and couples to have their marriages rectified. They conduct devotions in small Christian Communities and they reported 3 lapsed returned to the sacraments and 2 conversions. Rombo Comitium: Three praesidia in primary schools and one in a secondary school were started. Hai Comitium: Although they have problems with distance and transport, they assist the clergy and do home and hospital visitation, organise Catechism classes and True Devotion to the Nation projects and as a result lapsed Catholics have returned to the Church and families have been reconciled.

Asia

Indonesia
Malang Senatus: A Comitium in Manado, Sulswesi Island oversees 4 Curiae plus 2 praesidia on a distant Island. Surakarta Comitium oversees 5 Curiae; Surbaya Comitium oversees 9 Curiae and 12 praesidia with 981 active members, 1,247 auxiliaries, 50 praetorians and 37 adjutorians. Works include visitation of prison, hospital, senior citizens homes, the poor and homeless. A summary of Malang Senatus shows 1 Regia, 7 Comitia with a total of 175 Curiae, 1,200 senior praesidia, 30 junior praesidia, 18,886 active and an estimated 37,000 auxiliaries.

Japan
Osaka Senatus. Legionaries participate on Parish Councils. Non-Christians are reached out to and newcomers are welcomed to the Church.

Taiwan Senatus: Taiwan, with great joy, are celebrating 150 years of Catholicism. An annual general reunion for all legionaries took place on the 16th - 18th November, it was part of 150 years of Catholic teaching, with a campaign of prayer and commitment. Much work is being carried out in penitentiaries, which resulted in the baptism of 20 prisoners with follow-up on release.

Malaysia
Kuala Lumpor Regia: Works include conducting a Novena to Our Lady, visiting a village for pastoral care, teaching catechism, Bible classes, RCIA course, saying the Divine Mercy prayers with terminally ill people and transportation to Mass for the needy. Other works reported in the Council were the visitation of mentally ill, handicapped, orphanages, leprosy centre, book-barrow apostolate, assisting with Holy Communion to the sick in their homes and in hospital and conducting Holy Hours.

Hong Kong Comitium: Reports mention of crowd contact at a book fair where 16,000 contacts were made in the 7 days of whom 2,000 were Protestants and 1,000 Catholics, almost all met were non-practicing. Books and other items introducing the Catholic Church were distributed free. Illegal immigrants are visited monthly in a women’s prison. Through hospital visitation, a group of 9 people were under instruction, 2 were baptised.

Seoul Senatus: Cardinal Cheong celebrated Mass on the 6th October to mark the 30th Anniversary of the Senatus. The three new Regiae in Seoul were inaugurated with Mass on the first three Sundays in Advent, one on each Sunday. Substantial numbers of Baptisms and returns to the Sacraments were recorded. Churheon Regia and Daejon Regia had between 5,583 Baptisms and 5,641 returns to the sacrament, and a new Curia was established. Daejon increased the number of their senior and junior praesidia.

Gwanju Senatus: Legionaries invited many contacts to Church and to the sacraments. A Curia in one parish helped 86 persons to come into the Church. A Comitium has 95 praesidia, 200 members of another Comitium transferred to other parishes due to a residential environmental improvement project, however, 173 new members were recruited.

Daegu Senatus: Membership in Yougchon Comitium is growing due to the recruitment of young employees at an industrial complex. Reports of two praesidia in a prison were presented. The attached Regia is working hard to recruit catechumens, including street mission work.

South America

Argentina
Buenos Aires Senatus: Celebrations are being planned for the 50th anniversary of the death of the Servant of God, Alfie Lambe, and many legionaries who had the privilege to work with him are hoping to be present. Many topics including correspondence were discussed at a meeting of Senatus officers with officers of their three attached Regiae. Promoting Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and contact with non-Catholics figure in many reports.

Cordoba Senatus: A Curia in the interior carried out Exploratio Dominicalis and special visits were made to single mothers inviting them to baptize children. Two of the councils in the Senatus held Congresses, which were very well attended. A junior Curia has a slot on a radio station and set up two new praesidia.

Salta Senatus: A new Comitium is being set up to take in various rural Curiae. All the legionaries of the area intend to be present at the inaugural meeting. This will entail many legionaries walking great distances and even sleeping on the side of the road at night while traveling to the meeting.

Corrientes Regia: Extension is being carried out in Chaco. Several reports mention the visitation of jails and one shows that three prisoners were baptized. Formosa Comitium is endeavoring to set up a new Curia for distant praesidia. They held a Congress.

Rosario Regia: Celebrations were held to mark the 50th anniversary of the Legion in Concordia. Reports show home and hospital visitation being undertaken. Parana Comitium undertakes the visitation of prisons and catechesis for young people and adults. Street contact work is done at Christmas. A Curia also reported on prison visitation and street contact.

Brazil
Belo Horizonte Senatus: Nine priests attended a Spiritual Directors’ conference. Enthronement of the Sacred Heart in shops resulted in the return to the Sacraments of a customer. Young drug addicts are contacted under city viaducts and taxi drivers are contacted on the feast of St. Christopher. Two prisoners asked to be taught the Rosary. Three Exploratio Dominicalis projects resulted in three new praesidia.

Fortaleza Senatus: The Senatus has been mourning the death of its Spiritual Director, the retired Bishop, Dom Coutinho, R.I.P. Legionaries are engaged in home and hospital visitation and teaching catechism. One Curia over a three months period recorded 1,100 home visits and the preparation of 125 children for baptism.

Ponta Grossa Senatus: The Guarapuava Comitium, which has a total of about 1,000 young legionaries, set up three new praesidia of young people and two new Curiae.

Recife Senatus: A team is being formed to visit parishes without the Legion. Meanwhile a new Comitium and a junior praesidium have been set up. During a year following a Peregrinatio Pro Christo project, 11 new praesidia were set up. Results from the legionary apostolate include the recovery of a father and son from alcoholism. 155 juniors took part in an all night Retreat with Eucharistic Adoration. Many men took part in Street Rosaries.

Rio de Janeiro Senatus: The Brazilian Bishops’ Conference appointed as their representative to the Legion, the Spiritual Director of Rio Senatus, His Lordship Bishop Edson de Castro Homem, Auxiliary Bishop of Rio. A weekly Rosary is recited at a metro station before a statue of Our Lady. Niteroi Comitium had 450 at a Legion youth conference. Belem Regia reported over 600 young people taught Catechism and the monthly recitation of the Rosary in the State Parliament.

Salvador Senatus: Besides house-to-house visitation and street contact, legionaries on Peregrinatio Pro Christo visited schools, hospitals, health centers and the jail. In one school most of the children declared themselves evangelicals but after hearing the Legionaries asked to be given catechism. Legionaries in many areas prepare parents and godparents for their parental catechetical roles. Juniors visit the old and sick and teach children the Rosary.

São Luis Senatus: Two new Curiae were set up in the city of São Luis and a second Comitium was set up in Brejo Diocese. Special needs persons are brought to Sunday Mass. Work continues among the destitute, prostitutes and addicts. 74 Cenacles were set up among families. 29 men were prepared for First Holy Communion and were taught the Rosary which they now recite together at a weekly meeting. 211 Exploratio Dominicalis projects were organized.

São Paulo Senatus: A Comitium reported that ten families returned to the practice of Catholicism and another Comitium has a report of Mass in a prison with 36 prisoners receiving the sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Communion. The Santa Maria Regia reported over 30,000 people contacted on home visitation and over 10,000 visits to the sick.

Brasilia Regia: 7,000 legionaries attended the Golden Jubilee celebrations of the Legion there. Scripture readings are done in homes and on street contacts. The bereaved are visited. In Araguatins, 180 meetings were held in streets and chapels during a week to celebrate family values.

Europe

Austria Senatus: Some of the works undertaken by legionaries in 3 Comitia and 4 Curiae who reported are contacting street girls and visitation of a home for former prisoners.

Slovakia
Zseliz Comitium has 10 praesidia and 2 attached Curia with 3 and 12 praesidia. A new Curia was formed by splitting an existing Curia. The first Slovakian speaking praesidium has been established in the mainly Hungarian speaking Comitium. Works include contacting the Roma community.

Moldova
Chisinau Curia set up 2 junior praesidia. Croatia: The Austrian Senatus officers plan to attend the first meeting of the new Regia in December. There is a new junior Curia in Zagreb Comitium.

Ukraine
Zhitomir Comitium reports 18 people prepared for Confession, 10 for Baptism, 12 for Confirmation and 13 couples for Matrimony. The main work undertaken is teaching people to pray.

Belrus Comitium. Extension programmes are being organised. Works carried out are visitation of homes, women’s consultation clinics, orphan asylums, a woman’s prison and Christmas visitation with their priest. All councils give excellent attention to junior praesidia and it is proposed to hold a Youth Congress in January. The Comitium visitors to Vitebsk Curia were greeted by Bishop Vladislav Blin and the Apostolic Legate who was there for the unveiling of a monument to the Servant of God, Pope John Paul II. Two brothers from the Comitium have entered the seminary in Pinsk. Metropolitan Kondrusevich with a number of Spiritual Directors attended the Legion celebrations on 6th September in Budslav.

Hungary
Budapest Regia: Two new praesidia have been established. A praesidium of 7 members promotes chastity among the young and married couples. They distribute the “ring of chastity”. A former legionary of Zalaegesszeg Comitium has been ordained a Priest.

Latvia
Eight persons attended an information meeting following a visitation in Talsi and a date has been set with the Parish Priest for the first praesidium meeting.

Lithuania
A praesidium of 10 members recruited 20 auxiliary members during the year. Four lapsed Catholics resumed practice as a result of follow-up on home visitation.

Poland
Lublin Regia: Works include care of the sick, home-to-home visitation which consist of formation of Rosary Circles, Baptisms, 4 prepared for First Holy Communion, 17 received the Sacrament of Reconciliation and one couple received the Sacrament of Matrimony. Two Bishops and 70 Spiritual Directors were present at the annual pilgrimage in Czestochowa. Bishop Roman Marcinkowski described the Legion work as indispensable to the Church.

Warsaw: Mother of Mercy Comitium minutes show praesidia averaging 10 members each with several praetorians, some with up to 60 auxiliary members and extension at Curia level is ongoing. Warsaw-Praga Comitium has extension on their agenda as a priority and all Polish Councils are putting every effort into concentrating on solid weekly apostolic assignments

Bernardo de Nardo - Envoy for Central Asia
Ecclesiastical permission has been given for the start of the Legion in Georgia and many priests contacted showed great interest to have praesidia and an area was assigned for the birthplace of the Legion in that country.

During the month Bernardo worked with the legionaries of Yerevan, capital of Armenia, and they are doing all the usual works of home and hospital visitation. To crown their efforts two girls, who were instructed by the legionaries, will be baptised at the Christmas Vigil Mass. The praesidium is organising a retreat. With a lot of hard work the Armenian Handbook is already printed and in the hands of the legionaries. We ask you to keep Bernardo in your prayers.

Visit to Mexico by a Concilium Officer and a Legionary Ann Murray with Pat O`Donoghue visited the Legion in Mexico from the 21 August to 16 September.
Legion general: There are large numbers in the Legion throughout Mexico, mostly female but there are men, also an increase in the young legionaries and there are many married couples. Teaching catechism is high on the list of works, also visiting hospitals but they seem to reach the whole family. Home visitation, sometimes with the statue of Our Lady, jail visitation and some street and market contact apostolate are undertaken.

We visited 7 councils and the officers of three councils came to meet us in Guadalajara. The president of the Senatus of Mexico city accompanied us on some of the visits. In Mexico city we attended the Senatus meeting. There were almost 100 at the meeting and some had set out as early as 5.30 that morning. We also attended a conference for the lay organisations in Mexico and at that Conference we met the Cardinal. The Cardinal in his talk encouraged all the organisations to take the New Evangelisation seriously and go out to meet the families who have lapsed or who have joined other groups or sects.

In Acapulco the legionaries had a well-prepared programme for us. There is a new Regia in Acapulco affiliated to Concilium. We visited the small distant communities and attended some of the Curia meetings. We attended the praesidium in the Dominican seminary. Some of the seminarians were legionaries before they entered and said that the Legion helped them to decide their vocation. The highlight of the visit to Acapulco was the visit to the jail. They had arranged that we would be present at one of the meetings. There are 3 praesidia in the jail. It was a special experience. There were about 20 present, most of them young men, all had great devotion to Our Lady. They knew the legion very well and were very proud of the handbook. They recruit for the weekly Mass in the jail, promote the Eucharistic Adoration which takes place in the prison chapel once a week and the bible study which takes place once a week also. The Archbishop Bishop attended the Acies in the Jail. We also met the Archbishop Bishop in Acapulco, he was a Spiritual Director when he was a priest.

In Merida we attended the Senatus meeting, here again there was a large attendance at the meeting. We also had the opportunity to meet the Archbishop Bishop. Ten legionaries in Merida had just returned from a PPC project to Guatemala. They travelled about 36 hours by bus to and from Guatemala. They were very excited about the project.

Campeche Comitium: In Campeche we attended the 50th anniversary of the Legion in that area. It was a very well planned occasion and about 1,000 attended. Started at 3 o`clock on Saturday with a procession from the town to the Stadium followed by Mass, Adoration, Rosary etc. Again on Sunday morning it started with a Dawn Rosary at 6 am and continued until 1.00pm with Eucharistic Adoration, Homilies, Testimonies and closed with Mass. We met the Bishop`s representative, he had great praise for the Legion particularly their work in the communities where they prepare and lead the Eucharistic service when there is no Sunday Mass.

Jalapa Comitium: The Spiritual Director of the Comitium emphasised the need to recruit more men and to direct some of our work specifically to men. We had an informal meeting with all the legionaries, very positive, many in from the communities including a number of men. Here too there is a praesidium in the jail. In Leon there is a new Regia affiliated to Concilium. A big number of legionaries came to meet us when we arrived on Saturday and we had a very valuable exchange of experiences. On Sunday we attended the Regia meeting, a very good meeting with great participation and a large number of young legionaries.

The underlying thread in all the councils was the devotion to Our Blessed Lady. They have great devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe. They were very interested in the progress of the Cause of Frank Duff. Thanks for all the prayers, at all times we were very aware of the power of prayer. We thank the Concilium for the opportunity to carry out the visit, it was a great privilege.

Priests Conference Book
The book The New Evangelisation: Priests and Laity -The Great Challenge of the New Millennium was launched on 5 December 2008 at Jury’s Croke Park Hotel by His Eminence Seán Cardinal Brady, Archbishop of Armagh, Primate of All Ireland in the presence of The Apostolic Nuncio, His Excellency Archbishop Giuseppe Leanza. Over 20 priests attended the launch along with many Dublin Curia presidents and Concilium officers. Fr Bede McGregor outlined the reason for the conference, and called for closer working between priests and the Legion in undertaking the New Evangelisation. Cardinal Brady gave an inspiring address and thanked the Legion for all it has done for the church down the years. Br Tommy McCabe who acted as MC, thanked the Cardinal for launching the book, the Nuncio and all the priests for their attendance.

The talks contained in this book, which were presented at a Conference for Priests: organised by the Concilium in May 2007, include those by Most Reverend Diarmuid Martin, Archbishop of Dublin and Primate of Ireland, and two Cardinals from the Vatican, His Eminence Francis Cardinal Arinze, Prefect, Congregation for Divine Worship, and His Eminence Ivan Cardinal Dias, Prefect, Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples. The contents of this book show us in a profound way, the mind of the Church in regard to Evangelisation at this time and that the talks merit close study by priests and laity and should, if reflected upon and acted upon, prove to be a very valuable instrument in the New Evangelisation, which is so important in the mission of the Church today.

The book is available on the legion website www.legion-of-mary.ie and contains the address given by Cardinal Brady.

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.

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