Concilium Bulletin February 2008
REPORTS - North America
Philadelphia Senatus: A Spiritual Director looks after 4 praesidia as well as his parish commitments. The need for Spanish literature throughout the USA has been raised with the Senatus. Bucks County Curia had a booth at Township Community Day and had many contacts. A DVD presentation has been made about Venerable Edel Quinn and the Servant of God Alfie Lambe. Norristown Comitium runs a Brother House for homeless men twice a week.
Boston Senatus The Senatus has 3 prison praesidia and they teach Christian doctrine. One inmate is being instructed in the faith. Other works in the Senatus include: apostolate to the crowd, Rosary and non-Catholic visitation, and one suicide was prevented. Six new praesidia were started; two priests started 3 of them.
Chicago Senatus A Curia set up an 8-weeks project called “Landings” for the lapsed Catholics returning to the faith. Nursing home visits resulted in conversions to the faith.
Cincinnati SenatusWorks reported include teaching Catechism, Bible Study and Pilgrim Virgin visitation.
St. Louis Senatus Returns to the Church were reported in Denver and Kansas. 661 returned in Kansas. New members were recruited in several councils. One person was received into the Church.
San Francisco Senatus Membership of praesidia varies from 8 to 18 for 5 praesidia Seattle Comitium reported an 80-year-old agnostic receiving Confession. A Peregrinatio Pro Christo to Nevada was a wonderful spiritual experience for the legionaries. Works reported included door-to-door visitation and Patricians, visiting the sick and bringing Holy Communion to them.
New York Senatus Three adults and a family returned to the practice of the Faith. 300 contacts were made at Book Barrows and Miraculous Medals and other Sacramentals were distributed.
Houston Senatus A Chinese Curia organised an Asian Mass in Houston. The Spiritual Director advised the Senatus to “Dream big for Mary and plan, plan, plan!” A Columban Drive was organised by Lafayette Comitium. Extension in a parish had good results in New Orleans Comitium. In Bay Area Curia a praesidium had a fun day for auxiliaries.
Los Angeles Senatus West San Fernando Valley Korean Curia has 7 Patrician groups. Honolulu Comitium plan to do extension to the 4 islands. The Senatus is working hard on suggestions and recommendations resulting from their visit to Concilium and have made some good progress. Many councils are organising Congresses.
Arlington Regia Legionaries are involved in crowd contact in the tourist areas of Washington which include the subway station and the White House and Congress. Fairfax Korean Curia recruited 13 active and 19 auxiliary members in 2 months. A praesidium has church information placed in house sale brochures.
West Indies
Senatus Notre Dame de l’Assomption Haiti Correspondents attached to the Senatus visit their councils and hold training sessions. Works included are visiting prisons, contact with voodoo priests and youth work. One legionary has taken Religious Vows and another has entered Religious life.
San Juan Senatus, Puerto Rico Eight adult and 3 junior praesidia have been set up. A Protestant impressed by a statue of Our Lady of Sorrows distributed medals and his family now attend the Catholic Church. 193 children received First Holy Communion and 79 attended a Retreat for children. Two Spiritualists were converted. Prisoners are taken to Mass.
Santiago de los Caballeros
The region was badly hit by the hurricanes Noel and Olga. Much damage has been done. Prayers are requested for the area.
Canada
Montreal Senatus Plans are going ahead for the Eucharistic Congress in Quebec and legionaries in the Comitium are working hard for it. Extension continues in the Senatus and 30 active members were recruited. Works reported include bringing Holy Communion to the sick.
Toronto Regia New praesidia have been established in several councils. Works reported were Patricians, book barrow apostolate, home-to-home, prison and hospital visitation. Several returns to the sacraments were reported. Mississauga/Brampton was raised to Comitium in October 2007. They established 2 new praesidia. Their works include home and hospital visitation. They have 195 senior and 62 junior members and 1,475 auxiliary members.
Edmonton Comitium Four new praesidia were set up by attached Curiae. A praesidium of 4 members works with the priest.
Ontario Senatus A Columban Drive was held and works reported included teaching Catechism, preparing people for Baptism and Confirmation and market ministry.
Vancouver Comitium Extension resulted in new praesidia. 20 children were prepared for Confession and First Holy Communion and 2 people were Baptised. The Pilgrim Virgin Statue visitation brought great blessings to two families.
Africa
Burundi
Formation sessions are organised for legionaries. All the usual works continue including supporting the Christian Basic Communities in their work and helping the poor by manual labour.
Democratic Congo
Kananga Senatus: this Senaus has held elections and a new team of officers has been elected.
Kinshasa Senatus: The Archbishop has appointed a new Spiritual Director for the Senatus.
Lubumbashi Regia: They report that the Regia of Kolwezi has been inaugurated.
Central African Republic
Bangui Regia reported the re-appointment of Fr. Francis Athimon as their Spiritual Director. Good work at praesidium level continues and also the visitation of councils in the interior. The Regia President was recently kidnapped along with the local Spiritual Director during one of these visitations but were subsequently released unharmed.
Reunion Island
Works reported by St. Denis Comitium include home and hospital visitation, attendance at wakes to lead prayers, teaching catechism. A number of functions have been organised to celebrate the centenary of the birth of Venerable Edel Quinn.
Mauritius
Mauritius Regia has 2 Comitia, 6 Curiae and 20 Praesidia attached. Works include an active apostolate to non-Catholics.
South America
Peru
Senatus of Lima: members of the Senatus took part in a Peregrinatio Pro Christo project organised to Buenos Aires. The attached Comitium of Trujillo runs nursery groups. These groups of children and their parents come each week for religious classes, which include art and games. This gives the legionaries the opportunity to instruct the parents as well as the children. A curia with 15 praesidia reported the return of 695 contacts to the Sacraments. They also visit a home for children who have AIDS.
Ecuador
Senatus of Quito: the Comitium Milagro has 11 Curiae including a junior Curia attached. Cuenca Regia reported setting up 17 praesidia in the past 12 months. The 14 junior praesidia attached held a musical festival for youth with the aim of recruiting juniors. There are praesidia in three jails.
Uruguay
Senatus of Montevideo: Venerable Edel Quinn is being widely promoted, as well as distributing the paper leaflets they encourage people to read the books and pamphlets. Records are kept of favours and miracles received with medical proof where relevant. A new Comitium in the Diocese of Mercedes was set up in December.
Venezuela
Senatus of Caracas: there are 2 Regiae, 5 Comitia and 10 Curiae attached. In the women’s jail the legionaries conduct classes to prepare the women for the Sacraments. A 3-day Exploratio Dominicalis project resulted in 6 adults and 19 young people being recruited.
Chile
Senatus of Santiago: The Senatus officers made a courtesy call to the Nuncio who was pleased to receive their report. Works carried out in the Temuco Regia area include contact with stallholders in the open-air markets and visitation of the homes of evangelical families. In an area where there is no Church, 80 people attend the liturgy organised by legionaries. Extension features in most reports.
Colombia
Senatus of Bogota: the Regia of Barranquilla together with legionaries from Venezuela carried out an extension to the mission/Amazonian area, 28 praesidia were set up and 6 praesidia were set up in another Comitium area. Some of the councils are organising their apostolate in conjunction with the Diocesan plan for evangelisation.
Cuba
Havana Comitium: Extension has been carried out extensively in the city area but due to poor transport, extension in the provinces is more difficult, however, Nigerian nuns have set up a few praesidia in the Diocese of Colon where a Curia has existed for some time.
Bolivia
Senatus of La Paz: during the month of October the Legion promoted the saying of the Rosary. This was done in homes and hospitals as well as street contact where the Rosary was explained and a Rosary Beads was donated. Exploratio Dominicalis is done by most praesidia in outlying areas where there is little contact with the parish Church.
Paraguay
Senatus of Asuncion: each Curia and praesidium has been encouraged to examine their areas and examine the possibility of expansion during 2008, in particular areas where there is no Legion. Stress has been laid on Peregrinatio Pro Christo and the recruiting of juniors.
Peregrinatio Pro Christo Conference in Strasbourg
18 to 20 January 2008
Representatives from the Concilium, Eddie Evers and his wife Ann were present at this conference. Approximately 100 people attended from French, Belgium, German and Swiss councils.
Frankfurt and Munich councils organised 3 projects with 14 peregrini, 1 in Belgium and the other 2 in Germany. They also reported on 3 projects carried out by Austrian legionaries in Germany. Belgium organised a Peregrinatio Pro Christo to Beauraing to coincide with the 75th anniversary of the apparitions of Our Lady. Twenty legionaries joined, either for the full week or part of it.
Twelve peregrini set out for the sun in Provence with Father Elias from Germany as their Spiritual Director. Marie Claire Brethous of Mont de Marsan Regia gave a report on the Irish PPC to Seneac. Mont de Marsan Regia are organising a youth week in Lourdes, to coincide with world youth day in Sydney. French legionaries were invited to join in the Irish projects to Great Britain.
Monsignor Grallet, Archbishop of Strasbourg, encouraged the legionaries during his homily: he said “God wants you, God sent you on a mission” and he greeted the two Irish legionaries “I welcome you with an international smile”.
New Senatus in Brazil
Regia of Recife was raised to Senatus to administer the Legion in three States: firstly, the State of Pernambuco - already its territory as Regia - that includes at present its archdiocese and 8 dioceses with 19 Comitia, 13 Curiae and 18 praesidia directly attached. The two States to be added to its territory are the State of Alagoas, which has a Regia for the Archdiocese of Maceio and two suffragan dioceses, Palmeira and Penedo and the State of Sergipe also with a Regia for its Archdiocese of Aracaju and two suffragan dioceses Estancia and Propria. The total area will then have three archdioceses and 12 dioceses. This area was formerly part of the Senatus of Salvador, which administers the Legion in 36 dioceses with 4 Regiae, 11 Comitia, 23 Curiae and 41 praesidia directly attached.
Bernardo de Nardo - Envoy for Central Asia
While in Cordoba, Argentina, Bernardo de Nardo, apart from his huge correspondence with many legionaries in Asia, has been in contact with Cordoba Senatus Officers giving them very valuable suggestions.
Extension Worker for Argentina
Edel Teresa Garcia was appointed extension worker to work in the Senatus of Cordoba for six months. Cordoba is the city where the Servant of God Alfie Lambe carried out his last extension mission just three weeks before his death.
Please keep our Envoys and extension workers in your prayers.
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
