Concilium Bulletin June 2010

CONCILIUM LEGIONIS MARIAE

BULLETIN JUNE 2010

REPORTS

Argentina and Brazil

ARGENTINA
Buenos Aires Senatus: There is great excitement about the upcoming visit to Argentina by the Vice-Postulator Fr. Oliver Skelly and Concilium representatives, in connection with the Cause of The Servant of God, Alfie Lambe. The apostolate of home-to-home visitation is mentioned in all reports. One Curia recorded 2,559 homes visits in the year, many of these in barrios where the sects are active. Two Senatus officers made a weeklong visit to Mendoza Regia during which they had many meetings with the officers of the Regia and attached councils.

Salta Senatus: Members in this Senatus are actively promoting the Cause of Alfie Lambe, who worked extensively in their area. There is a good number of junior legionaries and young adult legionaries and both younger and older legionaries work well together. The Jujuy Regia gives special attention to the visitation of their praesidia and councils. Legionaries in Tucuman Regia give talks on the Sacraments, local feasts and the Miraculous Medal to staff and pupils in State schools.

Rosario Regia: Some works carried out in the Regia are visitation with the Pilgrim Statue by all praesidia, teaching catechism in preparation for the Sacraments - one praesidium had 22 baptised. Columban recruiting drives take place in all praesidia. The archbishop is very interested in the extension of the Legion and wants a praesidium in each parish. During 2009 the True Devotion to Mary was promoted. Legionaries in Parana Comitium promote Enthronement of the Sacred Heart in homes and teach catechism to inmates in prisons. Another Comitium reported the conversion of a Mormon family and a Jewish lady. It has a junior Curia made up of University students. Another Curia had 11 families return to the practice of the faith. Contact was made with young men who were on drugs and drink. Corrientes Regia’s plans for this year include recruiting drives, described as “miraculous fishing”; promotion of The True Devotion to Mary, giving attention to “Back to Basics” and studying the putting into practice chapter 40 of the Handbook. They have a very active Junior Curia.

BRAZIL
Tommy McCabe, Concilium President; Paddy Fay, Concilium Secretary; Tadgh McMahon and Pat O’ Donoghue, Concilium Correspondents, reported on their recent action packed 15-day visit to the Legion in Brazil. They met with the Apostolic Nuncio and a number of Archbishops and Bishops, visited Council meetings and held worthwhile meetings with officers from various councils, discussing many aspects including formation, the apostolate, extension of the Legion, administration, government and structure of the Legion Councils.

One of the high points of the visit was the two-day annual national Legion Pilgrimage of approximately 80,000 legionaries to the Shrine of Our Lady of Aparecida, Patroness of Brazil. In Aparecida, they attended an inspiring conference of officers, including many of the Spiritual Directors, of the eight Senatus and one Regia of Brazil directly affiliated to the Concilium, and some other Regiae, one group of officers making a 55-hour bus journey to be there.

The eight Senatus: Fortaleza, Recife, Salvador, Sao Luis, Belo Horizonte, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Ponta Grossa and their attached Regiae and the Regia of Brasilia have an active membership of more than 400,000.

Tommy McCabe, on behalf of the Concilium, thanked the legionaries of Brazil for their wonderful welcome.

Europe

AUSTRIA
The report covers 8 Curiae and 9 Comitia attached to the Senatus. A new Korean Curia was established. Curia Floridsdorf closed and its 3 attached praesidia became part of the new Curia Vienna North East. Pilgrimages, retreats, Exploratio Dominicalis and extension efforts feature in reports. Curia Vienna South East started a Chinese praesidium with 6 members. Comitium Unter Dem Wienerwald has 13 Patrician groups and had 50 young people at a retreat. Sixty including 5 Priests attended the Senatus Winter School, which discussed the Priest and the Legion. The Senatus is promoting the consecration to Jesus through Mary for all of Austria.

Czech Republic: The seat of Comitium Bruenn has been moved to Curia Olmuetz because of a larger attendance at that council. Praesidia attached to both bodies have full officership as have the praesidia attached to Comitium Prague and Curia Klattau.

Slovakia: Curia Trnava has 8 praesidia with 71 active members. The officers have met with the new Archbishop Robers Bezak.

Comitium Zaeliz with 11 directly attached praesidia and 3 Curiae have started 3 new praesidia.

Moldova: Curia Chisinau has 9 senior and 3 junior praesidia. Legionaries give Catechesis to children from unbelieving families and held a 2-day retreat for legionaries.

Ukraine: The Legion here comprises one Comitium, 7 Curiae and some isolated praesidia. All are trying to spread the Legion. Some works of one Curia in Berditschev are (i) visitation of homes and preparation of people for reception of the Sacraments; (ii) validation of marriages; (iii) contact with non-believers; (iv) work with children in orphanages, especially Roma children.

BELARUS
The Comitium governs 8 directly attached praesidia and 11 Curiae, one of which is a junior Curia. The junior recollections in January had 50 in attendance. Instead of having just one Congress for all the Belarusian legionaries as in former years they agreed to hold congresses at Curia level. All the Curiae took the same theme for their Congress - The Legionary and the Eucharist - since January six of the Curiae have had successful Congresses with good numbers of Priests in attendance. Patricians are going well in Molodechno Curia. In this area also 2 women were dissuaded from going ahead with abortions. In Minsk they are spreading the Pioneer Total Abstinence Association. Legionaries are invited to pray and sing at the funerals of Orthodox people. Fr. Jury, Comitium Spiritual Director, spoke at the Deanery Meeting in Grodno in February. Two new praesidia were set up in the period of this report and 1 closed due to inability of village people to get to the meetings.

CROATIA
Zagreb Regia: The Spiritual Director and President of the Regia had a very fruitful meeting with the Cardinal Archbishop who said he would like to have the Legion in every parish in the Diocese. At a Deanery Youth Meeting a presentation on the Legion was given by a couple of junior legionaries. Great efforts at extension are being made and 5 new praesidia were reported in the Archdiocese of Zagreb as well as some new praesidia in the attached councils. Some visible results from the legionary works were returns to the Sacraments after absences of from 10 to 50 years.
Bosnia and Herzegovina: Two new praesidia were established in Sarajevo bringing the number now attached to the Curia to 6.
Slovenia: Ljubljana Curia has 6 praesidia attached and 793 Auxiliaries.

HUNGARY
Budapest Regia: There are 25 praesidia, 12 Curiae and 6 Comitia attached. Two of these Comitia are comprised of Hungarian speaking legionaries in Romania and one Hungarian-speaking Curia in Ukraine. During the period 7 new praesidia were set up. On 28 November ‘09, 12 legionaries took part in a special street contact project during which they encouraged people to make spiritual preparation for Christmas. 75 legionaries attended the Regia’s Winter School. New Officers were recently elected to Szeged Comitium and are visiting their attached praesidia and Curiae.

LATVIA
The Comitium and the 3 attached Curiae reported very good attendances at their Acies ceremonies including a large number of auxiliaries. The Legion in Latvia has suffered a very great loss with the death of the Comitium Spiritual Director - friend and supporter of the Legion from its inception - Monsignor Anton Smelters, R.I.P.

LITHUANIA
Kaunas Comitium: A new praesidium with 5 members and 20 Auxiliaries was established in Kaunas. Some items mentioned in praesidia reports were return of a man to the Sacraments after a lapse of 50 years and the reception into the church of 2 young boys whose parents are unbelievers. Reaching out to youth was discussed and resulted in the setting up of a Sunday School. The new Comitium in Telsiai Diocese has 12 praesidia and 2 Curiae attached. Extension efforts are being made. Works include home visitation, some results of which are return of a married couple to the Sacraments after 20 years and the organising of Rosary Prayer Groups.

POLAND
Lublin Regia: Extension is ongoing with the establishing of a new Curia in Zabrzu. Among the praesidia directly attached to the Regia is a praesidium of seminarians who visit the sick and teach catechism to blind children. In addition to the usual legionary works, contact with addicts and Jehovah Witnesses feature in reports. Some results from home visitation by legionaries of Zamosc Comitium were: 19 First Holy Communions; 13 Confirmations; 11 couples received the Sacrament of Marriage and 78 persons went to Confession. Warsaw: Our Lady of Mercy Comitium reports the setting up of a new Curia in Szczecin. Our Lady of Victories Curia Praga held its first meeting as Comitium in September ‘09 with jurisdiction for the Dioceses of Warsaw-Praga, Drohiczyn and Elblag.

ROMANIA
Bucharest Curia: governs the Legion in the Romanian speaking part of the country. There are 16 praesidia attached all with strong membership. Two are in Northern Romania. Works are selected homes visited and special cases passed on by the Parish Priest.

ASIA
Singapore Senatus: Praesidia in Singapore pray at funerals. Tertiary Curia reports on lunchtime Rosaries on campus, assisting Catholic student apostolic activities, and having a booth at a recruiting fair. Nursing home visitation is carried out, the sick are visited and help is given in cleaning and feeding patients. Our Lady of Mount Carmel Curia celebrated its Golden Jubilee. The Korean Curia provides childcare services at Mass, also help catechism classes and do Mass time traffic duty.

Kuala Lumpur Regia: An Officers Formation Day took place in February and 69 Legionaries speaking English, Tamil and Chinese were in attendance. The Regia comprises one Comitium, 15 Curiae and 13 directly attached praesidia.

Hong Kong Comitium: Sunday school is mentioned as a point of recruitment of junior members. Praesidia and Curia reports focused on good attendances.

Taiwan Senatus: The Senatus has celebrated its 60th anniversary, it was an occasion of encouraging prayer throughout the whole church in Taiwan. The Priests are very supportive of the Legion and continually encourage spiritual growth and expansion. Since February 4 new praesidia have been formed. A praesidium in Taipei invited children to become auxiliaries. Attention is given to praesidia in remote areas; through the efforts of these remote praesidia 97 people have been baptized mainly aboriginal people.

JAPAN
Osaka Senatus: The three highest councils Osaka Senatus, Nagasaki Regia and Tokyo Regia had a meeting on April 10th at which matters of common interest were discussed. Apostolate in reports included catechesis, ecumenical dialogue, visitation of the lapsed, lending books and DVDs to the parish and sending cards to Auxiliaries on Saints Feast Day. Mention is made of an elderly lady who was visited over a long period being baptised, it was also reported that a praesidium organises recycling of aluminum cans to provide wheelchairs for African children, another praesidium organises others in the production of soap from recycled oils.

INDONESIA
Jakarta Senatus: Reports include teaching catechumens and Sunday school (under the supervision of the Parish Priest), preparation for Holy Communion and Confirmation, hostel type work for victims of domestic violence and prison visitation. Mention is also made of bible study and the theme of a forthcoming Congress is ‘Expansion’.

Malang Senatus: Two important visitations were carried out recently: (i) to Kupang Regia in West Timor from 26th February to 1st March and a new Comitium was set up; (ii) to Indonesian Papua from 6th to 15th May, the purpose was to find out the state of the Legion and to promote extension. Senatus Officers carried out both visitations. Works recorded include the visitation to Catholics to encourage Mass attendance, visitation to the sick, parish pastoral work and helping with ‘family welfare’ work. The Senatus is holding a national conference in July.

KOREA
Seoul Senatus: The Spiritual Director has been focusing on the Back to Basics theme of Concilium Allocutios. Incheon Regia gained 73 senior praesidia and lost 12 junior praesidia during the year, they gained 857 auxiliaries, 50,355 people were invited to the Church and 6,432 were baptised. Of 1,256 persons taking a correspondence course, 139 were baptised. Suwon Regia gained 100 senior praesidia and one junior praesidium and gained 2,223 auxiliaries. Out of 107,145 people invited to the Church, 11,559 were baptised. Euijeongbu Regia recorded an increase of 18 senior and 5 junior praesidia and Western Seoul Regia increased by 11 senior and 4 junior praesidia. Cheongju Regia had an increase of 5 praesidia. A praesidium attached to the Senatus recorded 5 baptisms.

Gwangju Senatus: Reports from Regiae show thousands of people invited to the Church and many invited to receive the Sacraments.

Daegu Senatus: The celebrations for the 100th anniversary of the Archdiocese of Daegu are being planned and the acting Bishop has asked the Legion to be the core laity organization in making the preparation for the anniversary. Reports show many baptisms, a group of military cadets who were not recruited by the Legion but were given care of by the Legion from their dogma classes until they were baptised.

AFRICA

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
Bangui Senatus: The raising of provincial councils to a higher status following formation sessions for officers has been receiving attention culminating in the inauguration of Bangui Regia as Senatus for the country. Reports include conversions, families reconciled and abortions prevented, formation of juniors and meetings for auxiliaries. A young legionary saved a boy from drowning who turned out to be a Chieftain’s son.

CONGO
Bukavu Senatus: The minutes show hundreds of new legionaries, families reconciled, marriages regularised and returns to the sacraments. Negotiations on the printing of the Handbook in Swahili have now resumed. There is a new Comitium in Kalonge.

Butembo Senatus: Two representatives of the Senatus visited an area in the extreme northwesterly corner of the Congo with statistically the greatest need for evangelisation and returned with proposals for strengthening legionary structures there. Reports from the Comitia in the Butembo Archdiocese show attention to all aspects of spiritual need - instruction, catechising, and regularisation of marriages and also contact with the pygmy people.

Kinshasa Senatus: The Senatus has 13 directly attached praesidia, 8 Curiae, 14 Comitia and 5 Regiae. Statistics show a total membership of 32,000 but this covers only the Archdiocese of Kinshasa. The Senatus visited the Regia of Kikwit and is due a further visit to Kisangani.
Kananga Senatus: With regular communication still in deficit, a neighbouring council was able to report the Legion working normally in the Kasai province.

RWANDA
Kigali Senatus: Minutes indicate a variety of works from laundry to visits to the sick, the elderly, the bereaved, advising orphans who have to care for younger siblings and run the home, helping sort out irregular marriage situations, recruiting catechumens and conducting meetings for auxiliary members.

BURUNDI
Gitega Senatus: A new praesidium has been added to the Senatus, also a new Curia and 6 new Comitia. Promotion of Montfort’s True Devotion through enrolment in the “Friends of Montfort Fraternity” is a recurring feature.

MAURITIUS
Regia of St. Denis: The Legion of Mary is celebrating its 70th birthday and reports from attached councils include organizing retreats, Eucharistic Processions and Stations of the Cross, visitation of homes and hospitals, bringing Holy Communion to the sick and aged. Legion outings for senior members are organised and the Junior Curia is to have a special ‘soirée’ with Monsignor Piat.

RÉUNION
Works are home and hospital visitation, helping the Priest in Church e.g. Eucharistic ministry, arrange choir, teaching of Catechism, saying of the Rosary for deceased in mortuaries and visit the bereaved in their homes. There is a junior Curia attached. A junior praesidium was raised to senior level in January 2010. Works of junior members are home visitation with senior members and visitation of the elderly and sick in nursing homes.

MADAGASCAR
As a result of extension and the permission of a Parish Priest, five praesidia were set us. A sixth is in formation. The Legion is now in seven of the twenty Dioceses.

Visit by Senatus Officers of Strasbourg, France

The Officers of the Senatus of Strasbourg, France, Nicole Halfinger President, Lea Maurer Vice-President, Marie-Louise Knittel Secretary and Suzanne Hermann Treasurer, visited the Concilium. During the meeting on Saturday 19 June with Concilium Officers suggestions on the development of the Legion in their area were discussed. They also attended the Concilium meeting on the Sunday.

In her address to the Concilium, The President, Nicole Halfinger, said their Senatus is responsible for the East of France and have 123 active members and 436 auxiliaries. The Senatus takes care of the formation of its members by organising days of formation, recollection and retreats. Works in the Senatus are home-to-home visitation, visitation of the sick, bereaved and encourage families to enroll their children for preparation of the Sacraments. In January each year French-speaking legionaries meet at Strasbourg to plan for the future. She expressed her thanks and appreciation to Orla O’Sullivan, their former correspondent.

Tommy McCabe, Concilium President, thanked the Strasbourg officers for their visit, which was very fruitful.

Election of Concilium Assistant Secretary

Nominations were sought for the office of Assistant Secretary of the Concilium as Liam Hayden had completed his second term. Two candidates were proposed and seconded and following a ballot, Pat O’Donoghue was elected.

The Servant of God Frank Duff Commemoration Ceremony
Glasnevin Cemetery - 6th June 2010.

The Annual Commemoration Ceremony for the Servant of God, Frank Duff, took place in Glasnevin Cemetery on Sunday 6th June 2010. There was an attendance of approximately 280. Fr. Padraig O’Cochlain, Chaplain to the Legion of Mary, gave an inspiring and uplifting address using the theme ‘Let the children come to Him’. Fr. Liam O’Cuiv led us in the Rosary and Legion prayers and Jack Fearon acted as Master of Ceremonies. Afterwards there was a procession to the graveside of Frank Duff while reciting the Rosary and singing hymns. Prayer for the beatification of The Servant of God, Frank Duff, was included in this ceremony.

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