Concilium Bulletin January 2019

AFRICA

TOGO

Lome Senatus: Two new correspondents were appointed, 1 for Senegal and 1 for Guinea, for which country they accepted caretaker ship for Concilium. The building of the Legion house in Baguida is soon to start. Nearly every council reporting had juniors attached. Two Curiae in Lome have a praesidium in the police barracks; 1 held a Congress and many Exploratoio Dominicalis projects took place. 1 Curia had 6 projects. Numerous Baptisms were reported; one lady was aged 83. 19 participated in the successful Ghana PPC project. The PPC to Badou in Togo had 18 participants and resulted in the setting up of a new praesidium. One Curia is trying to start a Pioneer group. Preparations to visit Senegal are on-going. They are waiting for Dakar to respond. Kara Regia has 21 directly attached praesidia, 2 Comitia and 14 Curiae. A new Curia is being set up; 14 new members were recruited and 10 conversions reported. There was a mention of a person healed after praying the Frank Duff Novena. Details are awaited.

IVORY COAST

During this period seven praesidia, one Curia and six Comitia reported. They have 6,657 active members including 1,189 Praetorians. They made a large number of visits to a variety of locations and contacted many thousands of people both Catholic and non-Catholic, visited many sick people in their homes and in hospitals. The fruit of their work included many families reconciled, marriages regularised, returns to Holy Mass and reception of the Sacraments. They recruited 820 Catechumens and have 239 legionaries teaching them the Catechism. In September 2018 the President of the Senatus in Abidjan, the Vice-President and another Legionary visited the Legion in the Republic of Mali. A second Comitium was established in the capital, Bamako, and preliminary work has begun on setting up a third Comitium. Minutes of the monthly meetings of the two Comitia are now being sent regularly to the Senatus in Abidjan.

CAMEROON

Douala Senatus: An election will take place for Vice President during the March 2019 Senatus meeting.

BURKINA FASO

An enquiry was received from Ouagadougou Comitium in Burkina on behalf of the Spiritual Director, Fr. Narcisse Guigma, checking if the communication lines were still open. This was replied to but no Minutes came. A member of the Comitium of Bobo-Dioulasso arranged for Senatus to send them Sr. Die Akissa-Aya, the former Abidjan Senatus President,Sr. Odette. She got the Bobo Comitium back on track and is currently holding Minutes from them awaiting instructions from Concilium.

GUINEA

Fr. Declan Lohan who had been Correspondent with Conakry Comitium in Guinea, recently visited Conakry on behalf of Concilium accompanied by one of the legionaries from Maynooth and two officers from the Senatus of Lomé in Togo, the result of which was a request from the Conakry officers for their Comitium to be affiliated to the Senatus of Lomé (Togo). Concilium gave its approval and we trust that this arrangement is in the course of implementation.

EQUATORIAL GUINEA

Regia of Malabo: Three praesidia and one Curia reported during this period. An attached Curia has 27 praesidia, 4 new praesidia were set up during this period including one junior with 25 members. They prepare small children for baptism, meet and engage with people of other religions and none.

REPUBLIC OF CONGO

Senatus of Brazzaville: Average membership among four reporting praesidia is 18 active and 12 auxiliaries. Works include home and hospital visitation and teaching catechism. People of different faiths are invited to pray in a Catholic Church and to consider instruction in the faith, resulting in many visiting a Church or enrolling in instruction. Mass was organised in a prison and at a hospital. 56 probationary members are among 6 Curiae. During the period July to October, visitation was carried out by Senatus to 3 praesidia, 5 Curiae, 6 Comitia and 2 Regiae.

MEXICO AND CENTRAL AMERICA

MEXICO

Mexico City Senatus: A new President and Vice President have been elected. A 13 year old girl prayed the Rosary for the return of her father to the family. After 5 years he turned up outside the Church on her 15th birthday. A Curia with 50 members including 19 probationers report 5 people returning to the Sacraments after more than 40 years away. Eight Jehovah Witnesses converted and are now legionaries. The new Comitium in the new Diocese of Izcalli is extending actively but there are still 51 parishes without the Legion. They report many returns to the Sacraments, 3 Jehovah Witnesses conversions, also enthronement to the Sacred Heart.

Merida Senatus: A Comitium with 19 Curiae and 10 praesidia have 4,500 active legionaries with 188 probationers. 9 praesidia were set up recently and there are 15 junior praesidia. A number of the praesidia and councils report contact with the different Protestant groups. They discuss passages from Sacred Scripture and leave Catholic literature. An attached Comitium reports 24 Curiae, 1 junior Curia and 16 praesidia, including one praesidium set up in the prison.

Guadalajara Regia: During this period 3 Comitia, 2 Curiae and 2 praesidia reported. The 3 attached Comitia all report good membership. Attendance at wakes is reported from a number of councils where they lead prayers and speak to family members. Prison visitation is widespread; legionaries lead prayers and where requested they prepare prisoners for the Sacraments. Legionaries administer injections, change dressings for the sick as well as encouraging them to receive the priest for the Sacraments. Others give catechism classes to children and young adults.

Durango Regia: Residents in a home, and 12 teenagers were confirmed. The Regia has problems reaching the distant praesidia and Curiae. Legionaries were involved with parish preparations and celebration of ceremonies for Christmas.

Monterrey Regia: Three praesidia transferred to a different Curia for travel reasons. Ceremonies were held to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the Legion in Monterrey. Street contact is carried out. Pilgrim statue visitation is carried out with positive results. The sick receive the Sacrament of the Sick at an outdoor Mass organised in different areas of the parish. On home visitation families are invited to have their homes consecrated to the Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Most praesidia and councils report home visitation and street contact work.

NICARAGUA

Managua Regia: Due to political problems, attendance at the Regia meeting is 41% Steps are being taken to reopen a junior Curia with some praesidia already in place. Another attached Curia cannot for the present hold the Curia meetings. The praesidia are meeting in family homes. A praesidium of young adult catechists prepares young people for the Sacraments of First Communion and Confirmation.

COSTA RICA

Costa Rica Senatus: Three Comitia, 4 Curiae and 1 praesidium reported. Arising from the visitation of homes 84 families accepted the consecration of the homes to the Sacred Heart. A legionary, for work reasons transferred to another part of the country. She is now extending the Legion in that area with the help of extension workers from the Senatus.

EL SALVADOR

Senatus of San Salvador: Both extension and a PPC project were carried out but there are no details. Some praesidia reported difficulty in attending their praesidia or doing work due to the political problems in the country. A National Conference was organised with attendance of 3,500 legionaries.

PANAMA

Panama Regia: World Youth Day will take place in Panama. Sr. Noelia Garcia will attend with one of the Regia Officers. She organised a stand and some of the legionaries will help her while others are helping in parishes. Visitation of the distant Curiae and Comitia is difficult due to poor transport and bad roads. After World Youth Day Sr, Noelia will stay on for a short period and with local legionaries she will organise visitation of outlying areas.

IRISH PROVINCIAL REPORT

COMITIA

Dromore Comitium has 5 praesidia and one Curia attached. Warrenmount praesidium has one new member. Their Annual Retreat was well attended.

Navan Comitium has 7 praesidia attached. Kentstown praesidium has 10 members, including 4 Praetorians. They are in constant contact with their 57 auxiliaries. In November they visited 36 homes of the First Communion children with a Pilgrim Statue and recited the Rosary with them and their families. 4 members helped to organise and participate in the “Be My Witness” programme for Confirmation children. The Rosary was recited 4 times during the school year with the sixth class in the local school. Visitation of all homes in 9 estates was undertaken during the summer to invite them to a public Rosary. Trim Curia has 6 praesidia. Legionaries assisted Fr. Horneck, Parish Priest, Dunderry and Robinstown in distributing prayer cards and Rosaries after Masses on the first weekend in October. Mullingar Curia has 7 praesidia. Mullingar praesidium visited approximately 250 homes in various parts of the town during the year. For 3 Fridays during the summer a statue of Our Lady was displayed in the town square and hundreds of contacts were made.

Derry Comitium: A reporting praesidium has 3 members and 132 auxiliaries. Their main work is Pilgrim statue and home visitation. A praesidium in Long Tower covers a great amount of work. A number of new ideas were proposed for recruiting in the New Year. Our Lady of Zion Curia has 5 praesidia attached. Mater Dei Curia has 11 praesidia in this cross- border zone.

Annunciata Comitium (Diocese of Down & Connor): Two new members joined Regina Coeli praesidium as a result of a recent recruiting drive. A Mass was celebrated for the Servant of God Frank Duff. A course on The Joy of the Gospel had an attendance of 30/40. The praesidium attached to Queen’s University has 8 members and 8 auxiliaries. They work closely with the Chaplaincy. Works include visiting homes in nearby areas, undertaking a census of religious practice, reciting the Rosary in October at the Chaplaincy and at Divers Towers and they help organise the Youth Conference. North Antrim Curia has 8 senior and one junior praesidium with an average of 8 in each praesidium. Prior to Examinations a Mass for the youth was celebrated which was very well attended.

Raphoe Comitium: The Correspondent and a Concilium Officer visited the January meeting. Efforts are to be made by Comitium to revive the Irish-speaking praesidium in Cnoc Fola. Attendance at the Comitium meeting was good despite some having to travel long distances from scattered locations. The Annual Reunion was hosted by Carrigart and an annual Retreat in Ards was attended by 42 people. 3 Legionaries visited Dublin for the PPC Conference. The Comitium is paying attention to the Child Safeguarding requirements. A junior praesidium in Creeslough presented its 6th Annual Report. Two members serve at Mass and one member sings in the Church choir. Juniors also attend Eucharistic Adoration and a Cenacolo prayer meeting. The juniors occasionally accompany senior members on visits to a nursing home where they lead the Rosary and Divine Mercy chaplet. Spiritual formation is done through discussion and explanation of the Handbook. Causes of Frank Duff, Alfie Lambe and Edel Quinn as well as auxiliary membership are promoted among family and friends. Members have presented their research into the lives of Frank Duff, Alfie Lambe and Edel Quinn to the meeting. An annual audit was carried out. Efforts at recruiting brought in 2 new members to both Ardaghey and Donegal Town. A praesidium in Letterkenny does home visitation, runs a book barrow during the summer, recites the Rosary in housing estates during the month of May and helps out in parish activities.

CURIAE

Leitrim Curia: Longford praesidium has 5 members and 30 auxiliaries. Works include home and Pilgrim statue visitation, praying the Rosary with 20 students in the local school and making Rosary beads in nursing homes. First Holy Communion classes in local schools are visited. They organised a bus to Croagh Patrick and handed out Miraculous Medals and Rosaries to pilgrims climbing the “Reek.” Clogher Curia has 10 presidia attached. Enniskillen legionaries visit the sick and housebound and nursing homes. Derrygonnelly praesidium has 5 members who bring copies of the Parish Bulletin and religious magazines to the housebound. They provide transport to Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, hospital appointments and shopping for people in need.

Kilmore Curia: A letter was received from Bishop Leo O’Reilly thanking the Curia for its report. 50 pilgrims travelled to Knock Shrine on 30th September. On the Feast of the Immaculate Conception 8th December 150 Miraculous Medals were given out at Masses in the Cathedral in Cavan.

Clonmacnoise Curia has 19 members attached to the 3 praesidia. All the legionaries visit their retired members, most of whom become auxiliaries. A Child Safeguarding course was held in Athlone with an attendance of 14.

Drogheda Curia (Archdiocese of Armagh): A recruiting drive was held on 6th October in the Scotch Hall Shopping Centre. Mosney praesidium has 5 members, 4 probationers, 18 auxiliaries and one Adjutorian member. Works include bringing Holy Communion to the housebound, and up to recently, visitation of a nursing home in the parish for which separate Garda Vetting Clearance will in future be needed. Street contact is a big part of the work of a praesidium in Drogheda with 6 members and 60 auxiliaries. They often have 2 pairs on the streets at a time. They organised a Procession in honour of Our Lady of the Rosary around the Church on Sunday 7th October, started a social event on one Saturday a month with music, song, prayer and a cup of tea. All are welcome, not just legionaries.

Dundalk Curia: One praesidium is involved in the Children of the Eucharist programme. A praesidium with 5 members has been asked by their Parish Priest to help him in visiting 125 homes in Strabannon parish. They visit 6 to 8 homes of people living alone and also a nursing home, and organise a tea and coffee group where they teach crafts. Miraculous Medals were given to 100 children in the National School during Mass for the beginning of the year.

DUBLIN NORTHSIDE

Veneranda Curia: A junior praesidium with three junior and three senior members gave their first Annual Report. Works include a monthly Youthjoy Teen club which aims to bring young people together in a friendly atmosphere for fun activities and encouragement in the faith. Members also promoted the Rosary and Pilgrim statues on home visitation and helped deliver parish Christmas and Easter envelopes. One praesidium oversees the financial affairs of the Maria Legionis journal which has a total circulation of approximately 19,000 copies – circa 4,000 to Dublin, 3,000 to the rest of Ireland and the remainder worldwide. Weekly street apostolate is undertaken by four members in the city centre and the great value of attending Sunday Mass is explained to people and a Miraculous Medal offered. One active and two auxiliary members were recruited as a result of an Exploratio Dominicalis project.

Bethlehem Curia: 500 homes were visited over the year in one parish, and over 2,600 people were met on street contact. Public Rosaries and home visitation is undertaken at local flat complexes and 20 families accepted the Pilgrim statue. Many people said that Our Lady’s statue was given to them at a time when they most needed prayers. Works of a praesidium of five full and two probationers include helping out at Mother Teresa’s Sisters hostel, English classes for Polish people, home visitation, Bible study group for children and a monthly public Rosary.

Porta Coeli Curia: Two nursing homes are visited by a seven-member praesidium and the Maria Legionis journal is promoted. Pilgrim statue visitation is undertaken. Members support other praesidia in the Curia by attending an extra meeting weekly. One praesidium presented its first Annual Report. There are five members on roll, one on leave of absence and two from other praesidia. Weekly home and nursing home visitation is undertaken, plus street and park contact.

Exaltata Curia: A praesidium of five active and fifteen auxiliaries conducts public Rosaries in local estates during the summer months with a majority attendance of children. Parish envelopes are distributed and Eucharistic Adoration is supported.

Presentata Curia: Nine members undertake cleaning, kitchen and laundry duties in the Regina Coeli hostel and serve tea to residents twice weekly. Practical advice and spiritual encouragement is offered in friendly conversation with residents. A street book barrow apostolate was begun in 2018. 27 attended 2 Patrician meetings.

Consolata Curia: Seven pairs of legionaries took part in an Exploratio project to one parish, visiting over 200 homes. Many people were very receptive to the legionaries’ message and accepted Miraculous Medals and prayer leaflets. A praesidium with seven full, one probationary and thirty-eight auxiliary members does home visitation and conducts the Sacramental classes of a local school which they also visit annually to speak about the Apparition of Fatima and offer the Miraculous Medal. To mark the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, the Rosary was prayed at a local grotto on the hour every hour from 9.30am to 9.30pm. Other works include a May Procession, Faith and Fun Summer Camp for children, Bereavement visitation and staffing the Church repository after weekend Masses.

ASIA

Holy Land

Works undertaken include promoting Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and bringing the Pilgrim statue to homes. Members helped a lady in a retirement home. A programme is being put together for their Congress due to be held on 1st March. To this end the Comitium President has been visiting all the praesidia.

SRI LANKA

PPC projects were carried out with 1,270 homes visited. Extension is undertaken. Approximately 22,000 attended a Rosary Rally. People are prepared for the Sacraments on home visitation. Hospitals, prisons and other institutions are visited.

MYANMAR

Works include home and hospital visitation, 10 couples prepared for marriage, 11 adults and 21 children prepared for Baptism, and 24 lapsed visited. Extension is on-going in a Comitium with 6 Curiae and a total of 64 praesidia.

THAILAND

Two council and 2 praesidia reports are taken each month. Members of a college praesidium contact fellow students, and invite non-Catholic friends to attend Mass. Students also help at wakes and funerals. Passive Catholics are encouraged to become more active. Impoverished children and Hill Tribe people are visited.

INDIA

Pondicherry Senatus: Where the Legion is strong enough to be raised to higher status this is done (with Concilium approval) to avoid, as in one case, Curia officers travelling 7 hours to attend the Comitium. Now this Curia is a Comitium with 17 Curiae and 10 directly affiliated praesidia. Chennai Regia: Visiting the sick brings legionaries into contact not only with Catholics but people of many different religions. Catechism is taught, auxiliary members recruited, and homes enthroned to the Sacred Heart.

Kerala Senatus: Most legionaries hail from the Syro-Malabar rite but there are also members from other rites and plenty of scope for extension. The correspondent has asked for details of which Dioceses have and don’t have the Legion.

Mumbai Senatus: A former legionary now ordained has been appointed as Senatus Spiritual Director. Prisons were visited and many marriages were rectified.

Kottar Regia held an inaugural function to start preparations for the Legion’s Centenary. A Seminar on ‘Save Nature’ and other Seminars had between 8 and 68 present. 2 priests and 400 legionaries attended a cultural programme on Br. Duff in June. 2 new Curiae were set up.

Karnataka Senatus: Three elections were held recently for Treasurer and two Assistant Secretaries. One Comitium held their 9th Legion Congress. Extension is on-going and visitation by Senatus of its councils is regularly done.

NEPAL now has 3 junior praesidia with 50 members thanks to the encouragement and help given by Mumbai legionaries.

VIETNAM

A Regia giving its 5th report has 6 Comitia in an area of 500 square km. The council has 754,000 Catholics. There is a total of 62 Curiae with 10,281 senior members; 1,866 are Praetorians and they have 3,322 junior members. Extension is hampered by the need to be able to speak ethnic minority languages and mountainous terrain. Members of a Comitium with 11 senior Curiae have to contend with many rivers and streams which hampers home visitation. The Senatus provided its statistics for 2018 Altogether they have 67,965 seniors and 16,406 juniors with 92,442 auxiliaries. In Campuchia they care for 2 Curiae with 274 members and in Laos 5 Curiae have a total of 543 members and 1,485 auxiliaries.

EUROPE

FRANCE

Paris Senatus: Four paesidia featured in reports at the November meeting. 3 specified membership of 7, 4 and 2. Works include home visits, hospital and nursing home visitation and encouragement for those who are lonely. Members of one praesidium visits parents of newly born children and arranged 3 Baptisms. Members of another praesidium participated in evangelisation work at a Festival in the city of Dax, which included street contact work, inviting those met to visit the Cathedral, light a candle and pray before the Blessed Sacrament. Many lively discussions with young people took place and Legionaries were encouraged by the demeanour of those who visited the Cathedral. Miraculous Medals were also distributed, a Muslim lady accepting one. The Vietnamese Curia comprises 8 praesidia totalling 76 active and 175 auxiliaries. Included in works are helping those unemployed to find work and helping the recently baptised to deepen their faith by reading the Bible.

BELGIUM

Brussels Senatus: Praesidium visitation is carried out regularly and all are found to be working the Legion system according to rule. A praesidium at Forest, Brussels, has recruiting as its top priority and got 3 new members in the past year. In tandem with another praesidium apostolate to street girls is carried out during which Miraculous Medals and Rosaries are offered and nearly always accepted. The Curia of St. Vith comprises 7 praesidia and works include visitation of elderly in their homes, distribution of Miraculous Medals to 1st Holy Communicants and handing out 300 copies of a booklet on Fatima.

HOLLAND

Amsterdam Regia: Extension is on-going. One praesidium does home and hospital visitation. 2 praesidia reported holding Patrician meetings. Cape Verde Curia reported visiting new families to the parish and encouraging them to come to Church and have their children baptised.

ENGLAND

Birmingham Senatus: Crowd contact and apostolate to homosexuals continues monthly with many good contacts were reported. 3 praesidia featured in reports and their apostolate includes home visitation and book barrow work. 100 homes were visited and several good contacts made in the course of an Exploratio Dominicalis project carried out by 2 praesidia in Oxford. A recruiting drive organised by West Birmingham Curia resulted in 4 new members from 67 contacts. One return to the Sacraments after many years was recorded. The President and Vice President of Bristol Curia were warmly received by the Bishop when they visited him to update him on all Legion activities in the Diocese and Centenary of the Legion in 2021.

Councils under caretakership of Birmingham Senatus.

Northampton Comitium has 6 praesidia attached and one Curia with 5 praesidia. Efforts are in train to start a praesidium in Dunstable. Works include an outreach to Jehovah Witnesses. In Swansea Curia crowd contact, homosexual apostolate and street rescue on Swansea high street are part of the apostolate. In an effort to attract mothers of school children to membership meetings are held at 1.pm.

Liverpool Senatus: Middlesbrough Comitium has 3 praesidia and Billingham Curia has 5 praesidia attached. Solid Legion work is being done including home visitation and book barrow work. Wirral Curia has 5 senior and 1 junior praesidia attached; the latter is in St. Anslem’s College, Birkinhead. The boys teach the Rosary to younger students and operate a book barrow in the school grounds. The former President of the praesidium is going to Rome to study for the priesthood. Legionaries in Leigh Curia assist with Baptism preparation. Visit to Sweden: The correspondent received a report from Br. Kirstian and his wife on their visit to Sweden from 26th Sept. to 10th Oct. They had a meeting with Cardinal Anders who gave them a warm welcome. They brought him up to date with Legion in Sweden and told him of their hopes of its continued growth. The Kirstians attended the Curia meeting and some praesidia meetings including 2 Arabic meetings which have 13 and 5 members. They also met the new Iraqi Bishop who blessed their project and spoke very highly of the Legion group in the parish. The visitors felt that all groups were strengthened and that the true spirit of the Legion was very much present.

London: Brentwood Comitium set up 2 new praesidia and a successful recruiting drive was held in Harlow. Membership in their 3 praesidia is 14, 11 and 10. Southwark Comitium: eight senior and one junior praesidia reported with membership of 40 senior and 21 junior members. Works include door to door visitation, street contact and helping with RCIA courses. Attached Curiae, Croyden has 6 praesidia has full officership and gained 7 new members, and Central London Curia has 5 praesidia with membership of 4, 6, 8 10 and 13. Works include home visitation, participation in Night Fever and Prayer in the Square events. Legionaries in one praesidium accompany the prison chaplain when he celebrates Mass in the prison and they make contact with the prisoners and offer Miraculous Medals. Hammersmith Curia: Five active members and 1 auxiliary were recruited recently. Brent and Harrow Curia: Members discussed ideas from the Congress held recently in conjunction with Enfield and Harringay Curia.

SCOTLAND

Senatus of Scotland: Many efforts at extension were made and priests were very supportive. There are 4 newly established praesidia. Greenock Curia has 9 praesidia with a total of 45 Active and 410 auxiliary members. Home visitation, book barrow and contact work were reported.

GERMANY

Frankfurt Senatus: In Curia Darmstadt works include visitation of the sick and elderly, homes of newly born babies, baptismal visits, and visits to newly married. They also assist refugees with language lessons, driving and with children’s homework. A weekly prayer meeting “A Mother’s Prayer Group” is organised. Plans are in progress to establish a youth praesidium in Lorsch. 37 legionaries took part in an Autumn PPC weekend Conference; reports included Erfurt, Pritzwalk, Berlin, Bergen and Hamburg, visitation to Kazakstan and Siberia.

Cologne Regia: A praesidium which was inactive has become active again and four officers appointed. New correspondents were also found for the Senatus. One member of a praesidium is active in a Facebook apostolate. A former Spiritual Director is regularly visited. Works undertaken by the Regia include city centre street apostolate with Rosary beads assembly stands and newspaper stands. A Rosary beads station was also set up in front of a Church in Dusseldorf. Following the release in Bonn of the premiere of the German film “Fatima, the Last Secret”, two legionaries maintained an information and book stand during a discussion on the film. A Legion stand was maintained at the German Lutheran Church Day Conference. Eucharistic Adoration was organised during a Eucharistic Faith Week Conference.

Berlin Comitium: works include organisation of services of the word in nursing homes, Eucharistic prayer services, visits to hospitals and nursing homes, visits to graveyards, holding of a monthly Eucharistic prayer for the cause of Frank Duff, assisting with the sisters of Mother Teresa in a soup kitchen for the homeless, street apostolate and distribution of the Miraculous Medal, visits to the lapsed, and monthly 11km pilgrim walk with the Rosa Mystica Madonna. In all parishes with praesidia, the Frank Duff prayer leaflets are displayed. A Spanish-speaking and Korean- speaking praesidium also operate. Korean Curia has 152 members who are involved in the Korean parish life. 100 legionaries took part in a Retreat on the theme of the Holy Spirit. To celebrate 25 years of the Curia, 21 legionaries undertook a Pilgrimage to Dublin to better understand the Legion. 5 Korean legionaries in Geneva took the Legion Promise. The Miraculous Medal is distributed.

Extension: the priest of the Maronite is very favourably disposed to the Legion and it will be presented to the Maronite community in January 2019. In February, a presentation is planned for the Slovak community. Other works: regular visitation of a blind MS patient, distribution of parish newsletters, visiting sick and elderly parishioners at Christmas and Easter. In Freiburg, legionaries assist with Confirmation preparation. Two patrician groups are organised monthly. One legionary visits the Curiae of Kazakstan and Siberia on behalf of the Senatus.

SWITZERLAND

Comitium of Zurich includes 11 praesidia with 60 active legionaries and a Curia in Norway with 5 praesidia. 25 people took part in a procession in honour of Our Lady on 9th September is St. Gall. 57 people took part in a weekend Legion Pilgrimage to France in September. One legionary took part in a weekend for sacramentally married and deserted married couples in a centre “Families with Christ”. 5 legionaries and a spiritual director took part in a PPC project to Majorca. Curia Bergen: 8 legionaries are due to take the Legion promise. The praesidium in Bern gained 2 members with the help of a religious sister, and plans for a 2nd praesidium are in discussion.

KAZAKSTAN

Curia of Kazakstan: 12 legionaries attended the Curia meeting in Kokschetau. Works include visits to the sick and elderly. A new praesidium has been founded in Sowetwensko and a praesidium of nine meets in Korneewka. The Parish Priest enquired about the progress of the three Legion causes. He expressed interest in establishing a new praesidium in the area. He also wants to present the Legion to other areas of his Diocese. The Church there is just 25 years old. The legionaries met with Archbishop Peta and Bishop Athanasius Schneider who showed tremendous interest in their work.

SIBERIA

Curia of Siberia: Extension is planned for the diocese of Irkutsk. Legion works include visits to the sick and elderly, working with special needs, helping in the Church and the distribution of the Miraculous Medal. The number of active legionaries in Siberia is growing. The priest in Novosibirisk showed great interest in the Legion and wanted to know more about it and will seek to secure the Legion through the establishment of a praesidium.The two visiting legionaries will undertake a private Russian language course to assist them with future visitations.

Praesidia directly attached to Concilium.

NORWAY. Tonsberg praesidium has 9 Active and 24 auxiliary members. Legionaries participated in a two-day Retreat. The praesidium in Drammen has 8 active and 15 auxiliaries. A traditional Filipino Advent activity which included a 9 Day Novena of Masses was organised for the first time. The response was positive with a very good attendance of Filipino and many other nationalities.