Concilium Bulletin July 2014
SOUTH AMERICA
Paraguay
Senatus of Asuncion: A prison praesidium of 12 members, 12 probationers and 4 auxiliaries in the National Penitentiary teaches catechism and prepares other prisoners for First Communion and Confirmation. Many praesidia visit clinics, asylums and street people. Enthronement to the Sacred Heart of homes is undertaken on a wide scale. On home visitation, Rosaries are recited with many families. One Comitium has 20 praesidia attached, 26 senior curiae and 13 junior curiae, with 5962 active and 5840 auxiliary members and 7 Patrician groups. Masses to commemorate Alfie Lambe are celebrated throughout Paraguay.
Uruguay
Senatus of Montevideo: Alfie Lambe’s cause is widely promoted. A revised edition of Hilda Firtel’s book on Alfie’s life is soon to be published. They also hope to launch a new book using unpublished material from various sources including the Archbishop’s archives. They mention having shown a DVD on Frank Duff and have asked for copies of Gems of Wisdom for translation. The Tessera exists in Braille. At the Uruguayan Bishop’s Conference a bishop thanked God for the Legion of Mary.
Venezuela
Senatus of Caracas: Mention was made of two returns to the faith after 30 years. Also a young drug addict converted and made a full recovery. They visit a leper colony. The death has occurred of Bishop Emeritus Mgr. Villasmil of Punto Figo, who held the position of Senatus Vice President before entering the Seminary. Other apostolates include talks to Seminarians, catechesis to indigenous youths, evangelisation of policemen and National Guard members and recitation of the Rosary with professors and students in two Universities.
Ecuador
Senatus of Quito: Much reference is made to the visitation of indigenous peoples. The Comitium of Portoviejo has 25 junior praesidia working well and involved in parish activities. A new junior praesidium has been set up recently and efforts are underway to start juniors in another council.
Chile
Senatus of Santiago: Many Spiritual Directors have expressed their willingness to attend the National Senatus Legion Congress in October. Themes are being prepared to ensure a full participation of all those attending. Monthly reports are prepared by the correspondents of distant councils so that the body is aware of how those councils are working. It has been noticed that the number of junior legionaries is increasing and that on reaching 18 all are passing into senior praesidia. There is much contact with street people. The typical attendance at Patrician meetings is 15 to 20. Prison visitation is done and preparation for the Sacraments is carried out by the legionaries.
Bolivia
Senatus of La Paz: Each month contact with non-Catholics is mentioned not only on door to door visitation but especially at funerals. The Comitium of Sucre had a special mission to the sick, which embraced hospitals, private clinics and the house-bound. Legionaries often spend the night with the very sick people they visit. Many legionaries speak the native languages of people in rural areas and have literature to distribute to them. The Chaplet of Divine Mercy is taught to those families visited. Legionaries stress that they are putting into practice Pope Francis’ words to spread the Gospel with joy to all, especially the forgotten and the poor. Children’s Clubs are run by legionaries and are called, ‘Mary’s Little Nest’.
Peru
Senatus of Lima: An attached Curia recently started a book barrow apostolate. They meet many young people and individuals whom they would not normally encounter on home visitation. Three Curiae reported having Patrician Groups. Another Curia reported that of the 54 people recruited during the year 12 made their promise. There are many reports of returns to and preparation for, the Sacraments including the Baptism of 5 children who live in prison with their mother.
Columbia
Senatus of Bogota: All councils and praesidia have continued to indicate the number of legionaries between the ages of 18 and 40 since the request for statistics. In some cases it is a wake-up call. There are 82 only in this category in a Regia with 3700 active members. However, a praesidium reported that 10 of its 13 members are less than 40 years of age. The same Regia reported that the Legion exists in 43 of the 52 parishes in its area. Legionaries organise the Christmas novena for the market venders. The Legion exists in 21 of the 24 parishes in an attached Comitium. All reports indicate that auxiliary membership is well promoted.
ASIA
AUSTRALIA
Melbourne Senatus: A Summer school was held in February, titled “What does the Legion of Mary offer to Young People”. Bishop Vincent Long spoke, also a junior praesidium President from Sydney. Eight attached praesidia reported with membership of 5 to 10. Works included, Pilgrim Statue visitation, care of auxiliaries, visitation to sick and elderly at home and in hospital, baptismal work, visits to a prison and Correction Centre. Senatus representatives visited the Legion in Tasmania and Adelaide for its 80th.Anniversary. Catechesis is given to 7 government schools in Albury/Woodonga Comitium. A Patrician group has an attendance of 15 to 25. A Congress was held in 2013. Two new praesidia hold regular meetings for their auxiliary members where they pray the Legion prayers. Reports were received from the Pacific Islands Comitia.
Sydney Senatus: The Vietnamese Comitium promotes Mass, Confession, scripture instruction to children and home visitation with excellent results.
East Timor: .A praesidium of 31 members (with a view to divide) undertakes home visitation. Three extension drives had good results. Solomon Island was visited by boat, a journey which took 7 hours. A Comitium with 15 praesidia and 3 Curiae attached was established.
Brisbane Comitium: Extension resulted in a new praesidium started on 12th.April with 14 members. Works include home and nursing home visitation. In Carina a new praesidium started in May with work also including home visitation. Reporting praesidia had membership of 6,9,14 and undertake home visitation, teaching catechism in schools, training altar servers, praying the Rosary before funerals and helping residents to get to Mass in nursing homes. A Vietnamese praesidium has14 members.
NEW ZEALAND
Auckland Senatus: An Officers Training Day had a good attendance of seniors and juniors. Legionaries staffed a stand at the Eucharistic Convention. Christchurch Korean Curia has 8 praesidia and 78 members. Wellington Comitium has 16 senior and 2 junior praesidia with 105 members. A book barrow was organised at a pilgrimage to a Shrine of Our Lady. A prison is visited. A Chinese praesidium of 13 in Auckland include in their work distribution of Catholic information at the New Year Market.
PHILIPPINES
Senatus of Northern Philippines: 2014 has been proclaimed, ‘Year of the Laity’. Monsignor Ditan urged legionaries to encourage youths to become priests, and to prepare for the Jubilee Celebration in 2021. Manila Comitium has 44 parishes with 10 senior Curiae and 127 praesidia. Jail apostolate to 4200 inmates by 7 praesidia was undertaken and there is a Patrician group in the city jail. Contact is made with street dwellers, security guards, seafarers and beggars. In Dagupan Comitium junior Curia legionaries encouraged 10 teenagers who were playing basketball in the street to receive the Sacrament of Confession; they are now members of a junior praesidium. Many reports feature returns to the Sacraments, plus adults and teenagers converted from sects. A man and his daughter were baptised and received First Holy Communion. Makati Comitium reported that one junior member entered a Seminary and three seniors entered a Convent, Four juniors graduated to senior rank. Jail apostolate is successful. Bar apostolate is done regularly.
Western Visayas Senatus: The first two quarterly reports from the Regia of Negros Occidental were received after Bacolad Comitium was raised to Regia. There are 6 Comitia and 8 Curia attached. An Exploratio Dominicalis project took place. A Curia reported the recovery of a sick person after the prayer for the beatification of the Servant of God Frank Duff was recited. Items from reporting Curia included many conversions to the Catholic Faith, marriage validations, reciting the Rosary on the radio twice per week, home visitation, crowd contact, Enthronement of the Sacred Heart, jail apostolate and teaching catechism, After much contact and prayer a couple with 3 children were persuaded to have a Catholic wedding. A convert is now an active legionary.
Mindanao Senatus: Following an orientation course conducted at a Seminary by legionaries, 3 praesidia were restarted comprising 26 Seminarians. Two Jehovah Witnesses families were converted, and following catechesis by legionaries, 3 Mormons were converted. Several unions were regularised and children of couples baptised. A Regia with 6 Comitia and 8 Curiae comprising 5,200 legionaries has 7 directly attached praesidia.
Cebu Senatus: Visitation is regularly undertaken. Recruitment features in reports. Extension is undertaken and weak praesidia are targeted. Two Muslim children were baptised and through constantly praying the Rosary a boy was cured from a serious complaint. A husband over time was eventually convinced to allow his ailing wife to receive Holy Communion, and an elderly lady long absent from the Church received the Sacraments before she died.
IRISH PROVINCIAL REPORT
COMITIA
Dromore Comitium: One praesidium held a Day of Prayer for Vocations with continuous Rosaries recited throughout the day. At the June Comitium meeting a discussion took place on the praesidium meeting and allocation of work in pairs was stressed. Most praesidia held a Mass in memory of Venerable Edel Quinn. Navan Curia: A praesidium of 5 members do Pilgrim Statue visitation and leave a DVD on the story of Fatima in homes. Another praesidium with 5 members does home visitation and during the months of May and October visit the local National School and recite the Rosary with the children. Many contacts were made during a book barrow apostolate in Navan Shopping Centre. Trim Curia: A praesidium of 7 members carried out home visitation. Street contact is done weekly. Mullingar Curia: A praesidium of 10 members has 5 Praetorians and 323 auxiliaries. They carry out home visitation and organised the Alfie Lambe Mass in June. Down & Connor Curia: Leaflets giving details of Mass times, Confession and Perpetual Adoration are distributed on home visitation. A book barrow is staffed regularly in a local Shopping Centre. Our Lady of Morning Star praesidium has 3 Praetorians among its 22 members. Their duties compliment the work done by the full-time members of staff in the home, which provides accommodation for homeless men. The spiritual programme in the home includes weekly Mass, a series of talks/testimonies for Lent and Advent culminating in a Retreat. A weekly Holy Hour takes place, also a 24 hour monthly Adoration. About 250 people including children were enrolled in the Brown Scapular in Holy Trinity Church. North Antrim Curia: The 3 reporting praesidia have 8, 5 and 7 members and a total of 220 auxiliaries. One of these praesidia has visited 90% of the Polish families in the parish. One new praesidium has been set up with 6 members. Down Curia: Two praesidia reports were received One of these praesidia visited 736 families. A new praesidium has 6 members. Immaculata Curia: Home visitation is carried out. Every home in an apartment block has been visited and a Rosary Group started in a Communal Room there with 5 people attending weekly. A new praesidium has been established with two legionaries from another praesidium attending the weekly meeting.
Derry Comitium: The two praesidia in Creggan visit homes and residential homes. They also carry out Pilgrim Statue visits and school Rosary apostolate. The Comitium was very happy with their Outing to Concilium, Frank Duff’s House and grave on Saturday 7th June. Mater Dei Curia has 13 praesidia. A recruiting drive took place last October for Leckpatrick praesidium. Raphoe Curia: Falcarragh praesidium has 68 auxiliaries. On 8th December 2012 Fr. Paul Gallagher consecrated the parish to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. On the feast of Christ the King legionaries distributed 400 Miraculous Medals. During Lent they promoted the Divine Mercy and the Legion Confession leaflet. Stranorlar junior praesidium has 9 juniors and 2 seniors. The juniors are encouraged to help their parents and grandparents and also to collect stamps for the Missions. Carrigart praesidium has 5 members and 20 auxiliaries. They visit homes of children preparing for First Holy Communion and leave a Child’s Bible with each family for one week.
CURIAE
Leitrim Curia: A junior praesidium has 9 young people and 5 adults. The youngest member is a four- year-old who can pray the Rosary and recites the Catena daily. They make Rosary beads, visit the sick and elderly, fill Holy Water bottles and give Miraculous Medals to friends at school. The Slovakian praesidium has been functioning for 5 years and now has 5 women and 5 men. They visit the homes of Slovakian and Czech people. Those living together are encouraged to get married and one wedding is due in August. After Sunday Mass they accompany a Slovakian priest to bless the homes.
Mid Clogher Curia: Tydavnet praesidium members help in a club for the elderly in the parish and visit the elderly living alone and a local hospital. In the autumn they organised a thanksgiving ceremony for all the babies baptised during the year.
West Clogher Curia: The reporting praesidium organised two pilgrimages to Knock. In May a Statue of Our Lady was left in homes that requested it. Another praesidium is very involved in parish activities.
Clonmacnoise Curia: In Mount Temple parish, Our Lady of Fatima Pilgrim Statue was blessed and launched during the 11.00am Mass on Sunday, 25th May for home visitation by the local praesidium.
Drogheda Curia: A reporting praesidium does home visitation with the Pilgrim Statue. The school-going children in the homes are delighted to take part in the recitation of a decade of the Rosary. The praesidium in Monasterboicre Parish helps elderly neighbours with shopping. Miraculous Medals are given to families with new babies. The Curia had a special day at a Shopping Centre during which 300 Miraculous Medals were distributed and many good contacts made. A similar project took place at another Shopping Centre. A Total Consecration Mass was celebrated on 25th March in the Dominican Church. The annual Edel Quinn Mass was celebrated in Adree on 3rd May.
Dundalk Curia: The Acies ceremony was organised by the new praesidium and had 5 priests present. On 7th June, 14 people travelled to Knock Shrine on a Pilgrimage organised by the Curia.
DUBLIN NORTHSIDE CURIAE - MAY & JUNE 2014
Consolata Curia: One of the two reporting praesidia has 5 full members and one probationer. A Hindu lady visited the meeting. One of the members is an officer of the attached junior praesidium. They run the Repository at weekends and provide glasses of water for parishioners. They give refreshments to Polish Mass-goers at the twice-monthly Polish Masses. On Christmas morning 600 Faith Cards were distributed. A Patrician Meeting and a Frank Duff Prayer Group complete their works. There are 5 active legionaries in another praesidium with 49 auxiliary members. Three Pilgrim Statues are in circulation. Chinese restaurants are regularly visited, providing the patrons with prayers in Chinese. Occasional street and park contact work is done. Posters for the 3 Causes were given to secondary schools for their noticeboards. Two national schools were visited, DVDs shown and Miraculous Medals and Rosary Beads given out.
Presentata Curia: The Morning Star praesidium recruited 4 new members during the year; 2 members transferred to fill vacancies in another hostel praesidium, leaving 18 full members and 1 probationer. The praesidium looks after administration of the hostel and organises spiritual and recreational activities for the residents. It also finds time for monthly street contact on Mary Street using a book stall. One resident has moved to a country area; another long term resident has overcome his drink problem and is back living with his mother after many years estranged. A praesidium of 9 based in Presentata House maintains the garden and does some home and hospital visitation. The main work is the weekly social for up to 30 patients of the newly opened Phoenix Care Centre, which replaces St Brendan’s Psychiatric Hospital in Grangegorman. At the halfway stage song and dance gives way to a decade of the Rosary and a hymn. Frank Duff cause leaflets were distributed at 2 Shopping Centres. A Regina Coeli hostel praesidium concentrates on the care of resident mothers and children; they have 7 full and 2 probationary members. A baptism in the hostel was followed by a celebration; the mother and child subsequently left but some legionaries keep in contact and attended the child’s First Holy Communion.
Exaltata Curia: The Miraculous Medal praesidium of the Morning Star Hostel recruited 5 new members during the year; one transferred leaving 20 active members. Apart from temporal and spiritual care of the residents, two members do street contact in Temple Bar and another does home visitation with the new praesidium.
Bethlehem Curia: Nine attended an Edel Quinn Prayer Group while 4 legionaries and 21 Patricians attended 2 Patrician meetings. Three members of a praesidium of 7 are Praetorians. Street contact yielded many good contacts, including a Vietnamese man of no religion who was delighted to receive a Miraculous Medal. A Chinese Catholic couple met during home visitation are being helped regularise their marriage. Three hostels for the homeless are also visited. Their Patrician meeting has an average attendance of 11. The praesidium continues the work of visiting Circuses and an outreach to the Spanish-speaking community, apostolates they inherited. Another praesidium had 9 visitors during the year. Their works are weekly street contact in the city centre and a quarterly Frank Duff Prayer Meeting attended by up to 13 people.
Porta Coeli Curia: One praesidium recruited 3 new members during the year; one persevered leaving 8 active members. Wheelchair-bound residents from Sybil Hill are brought into the grounds and prayed with. Two Pilgrim Statues are used during home visitation.
Veneranda Curia: One praesidium has 5 active members. As well as home visitation, a Club for those with special needs is held every Saturday afternoon where games, storytelling and refreshments keep everyone entertained. Another praesidium has 5 members and 1 probationer. 18 auxiliary members were recruited during the year bringing the total to 66. The Parish Priest has asked the Legion to manage the recently renovated Repository. Other works include home and nursing-home visitation.
AFRICA
GHANA
Accra Senatus is making great efforts to establish praesidia in the Second Cycle schools and steady progress is being made .Kumasi Regia established 12 senior and 1 junior Praesidium. Legionaries have been assigned to teach catechism in Sunday School, 239 catechumens were instructed. 96 received the Sacrament of Baptism, 91 received First Communion and 126 Confirmation. .475 are currently attending Sunday School in various parishes .A number of the students have undertaken officerships in Cape Coast Comitium and the participation of the younger members is very encouraging.
Cape Verde: Catechetical work is done by 124 legionaries from San Domingo’s Comitium. 237 children were prepared for First Communion, 191 youths for Confirmation, and 197 took part in a Retreat. A praesidium of 18 members, 12 of whom are Praetorians, undertook an Exploratio Dominicalis project resulting in 12 children being recruited for the catechism class.
Angola
Benguela Senatus: The Concilium visitors to the celebrations marking the raising of the Luanda Regia to Senatus met the President of the Benguela Senatus who was attending the celebrations. He gave the visitors a letter of invitation for the Concilium to be represented at a national Legion Congress in Benguela to be held 11th – 14th September this year. The Bishops’ Conference in Angola requested that this be a National Congress. Several of the Bishops will give talks at the Congress and Mass will be celebrated by a Bishop each day.
Luanda Senatus: A Curia with 7 attached praesidia has 352 members. A junior Curia with 13 attached praesidia taught catechism to 1929 adults during 2013. Exploratio Dominicalis projects have been carried out. A new Comitium was set up in Cabinda.
Mozambique
Lesotho Senatus: Fr. Emile Ts’asane, Spiritual Director of the Legion in Lesotho died on 28th June, R.I.P. He had completed the translation of the Handbook, which has now been published and is available to members. Extension efforts continue with many priests anxious to have the Legion. At the May meeting Mother of the Church Comitium, which has two Curiae and 8 praesidia attached, reported 237 children taught catechism. A praesidium reported that 24 people were informed about the dangers of alcoholism and drugs.
Johannesburg Senatus: One praesidium visited 198 non-Catholics and prayed with them. As a result of home visitation, five children were baptised and two adults returned to the Sacraments. Several parishes were visited to try to establish the Legion. One new praesidium with 15 members was set up.
Cape Town Senatus: The Afrikaans Handbook will be published in September. A conference for legionaries with the theme ‘Getting back to Basics’ will be held in the Northern Cape in September and it is hoped that it will give much encouragement to the legionaries in that area. Great efforts are being made to strengthen the praesidia directly attached to Senatus and there is an increase in praesidia membership. Esogodeni Comitium has 16 Curiae attached, but no directly attached praesidia - a matter to be rectified. Works undertaken include home and hospital visitation, teaching catechism and helping the elderly with their medication.
Zimbabwe
Hwange Comitium has established several new praesidia despite the fact that many young people are leaving the country.
Egypt: Prayers are asked for the legionaries who are experiencing great hardship at this time.
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