Concilium Bulletin March 2011

Concilium Bulletin
March 2011

Africa

GHANA

Accra Senatus: 215 legionaries participated in a project visiting homes, shops, etc and also contacting people on the street. Following the project they all attended the monthly Frank Duff prayer session organised by the Senatus. Extension efforts continue and some praesidia have each established 2 new praesidia in recent months. Works include visitation of homes and hospitals, street contact and preparation of adults and children for the Sacraments. On 21st January, Priests recited the prayer for beatification of Alfie Lambe at the daily Masses. A number of praesidia attached to Cape Coast Comitium became inactive; this is being followed up by the Senatus. A Priest contacted by the Legionaries agreed to say a monthly Mass in one of the prisons.

CAPE VERDE
Catechetical work for young people of all ages focuses on preparation for the Sacraments from Baptism to the Eucharist. Also adults on the island of Ilha Brava are prepared for Confirmation and Confession. January minutes reported 120 members were recruited. Praesidia were instructed to work out a plan of apostolic action in conjunction with the Parish Priest. A new Curia of 5 praesidia was set up in a parish. Great numbers are reached by the Legion with one Comitium in Sao Domingos contacting over 17,000 people. Two Comitia report catechesis given to almost 2,500 children. The same Comiita have three thousand active members including 1,000 juniors. Several praesidia were re-founded.

LESOTHO
A Curia reported 31 lapsed revived and five were encouraged not to have abortions. Visitation by two legionaries will take place to Bloemfontein, South Africa.

ZIMBABWE
Hwange Comitium: it was reported that legionaries are involved in catechetical instruction.

ANGOLA
Benguela Senatus: A visit was made to Hanha, almost 150 miles from Benguela where there is a Comitium with 121 praesidia. They are short of handbooks, vexilla and statues. More than 2,000 legionaries took part in a morning’s Eucharistic Adoration in Lobito, which was organised during the Year for Priests. A meeting of Spiritual Directors was held in June. A Comitium in the Diocese of Kwito-Bié was divided to form two new Comitia. The Bishop is delighted with the growth of the Legion in his Diocese, which now has five Comitia, 52 Curiae, 486 praesidia and 11, 519 active members. It was mentioned that legionaries in some areas walk from 15 to 55 kms to attend praesidium or council meetings. A national conference of young legionaries in Sumbe, 16-19 September 2010, had an attendance of 708. There were two themes, The Legion of Mary and Youth; and How to bring Mary to the World. The retired Bishop of Uige, Dom Francisco da Mata Mourisca, guided the discussion on one of the themes. The Bishop of Sumbe, Dom Benedito Roberto, was Chief Celebrant at Mass. Several Priests and Religious from various dioceses attended. Also present were Legion officers from various councils.
Luanda Regia: The Regia celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Regia in December.

MOZAMBIQUE
Maputo Regia: A letter has come by email with a plan of activities for this year. The President of the Regia spent a week at a Diocesan Synod where the Legion and how it works were spoken about in discussion. Some priests spoke of its continuity.

SOUTH AFRICA
Johannesburg Senatus: This Senatus has 18 attached praesidia and 4 attached Councils. Works include street contact and 1002 people were contacted. A new praesidium visits homes and homes of disabled children and counsels a group of teenagers who are abusing drugs.

Cape Town Senatus: The Senatus is organising the translation of the Frank Duff prayer into Afrikaan. The Senatus is planning to set up a Legion website. The Senatus organised a congress in February.

Marianhill Comitium: A praesidium in Durban Comitium with 20 members has 6 praetorians and 20 adjutorians. Matatiele Comitium reported setting up a new praesidium with 9 members under 25.

SOUTH AMERICA

COLUMBIA
Bogota Senatus: In the attached Regia of Bucaramanga, membership is increasing with the foundation of a new Comitium and various Curiae.
Medellin Senatus: Comitium Nuestra Senora del Carmen reports visitation of a mental hospital, Exploratio Dominicalis, catechesis in schools and colleges and street contact work. They have 492 praetorian members. Anunciacion Comitium report using the local press and radio to promote the faith. They visit abandoned elderly people and terminally ill patients suffering with AIDS, many of whom are many years away from the sacraments. Many co-habiting couples have been convinced to get married.

ECUADOR
Senatus of Quito: This is a very active council; a new Regia for Guayaquil is under consideration. They visit jails and a leper colony. Meals are prepared and served to 150 old people. A Legion house is being built in Cuenca.

URUGUAY
Senatus of Montevideo: The Spiritual Director said they should pray daily to the 3 Causes. They report that ‘Back to Basics’ was an excellent document. A praesidium of 11 prayed that their membership would not fall below 10 and gained 3 probationers. The Rosary is prayed in a block of 90 apartments while people with dementia are visited in a home.

VENEZUELA
Senatus of Caracas: 18 councils reported including 11 Curiae, 5 Comitia, 1 Regia and 1 praesidium. Eleven councils reported work plans and 7 reported on extension resulting in several new praesidia and Curiae. A youth rescued from witchcraft is now a legionary. In Portlamar theatrical events were organised with parents and children and catechesis is given to abandoned children. Two girls left a brothel due to Legion contacts. Jail visitation is done with the priest.

CHILE
Senatus of Santiago: The works of Comitium of Viña del Mar include helping in soup kitchens where many valuable spiritual contacts are made. One of the affiliated Curiae is “creating a Christian community where as yet there is no chapel or centre for prayer”. Part of this work includes the gathering of small children teaching them their prayers and giving them the idea of being “little missionaries”. The January allocutio at Senatus meeting was given on Afie Lambe calling him a “living handbook”,

BOLIVIA
Senatus of La Paz: One directly attached praesidium reports many drug and alcoholic addicts recovering and gaining employment with the Legions help. Another praesidium of 12 active members is starting a junior presidium. Many reports tell of complete families being brought back from the sects. The Concilium letters on the Carisma of Frank Duff has been received with great joy. Prayers are requested for Bolivia which is going through a time of great poverty; many survive on one full meal a day.

PERU
Senatus of Lima: Six adult and 3 junior praesidia were set up recently including a praesidium in a jail where legionaries have been visiting for some time. Almost all the reports indicate junior praesidia and in some cases junior curiae. Two councils mention Patrician groups and one Curia has 32 Pioneers. A praesidium leads prayers in the local funeral parlour. Most work is home and hospital visitation and street contact. One praesidium has been developing contact in the Market area.

PARAGUAY
Senatus of Asunción: A praesidium reports visiting a Leper Hospital. Legionaries also clean houses and do shopping for the housebound. Another praesidium leave an image of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour in households of divided families to try to unite them. Legionaries take part in the recitation of the Rosary on local radio station. One Comitium report 4,668 members in 17 senior Curiae, 8 junior Curiae and 26 senior praesidia.

EUROPE

AUSTRIA
The Senatus promoted a consecration to Jesus through Mary which over 33,000 people undertook. Cardinal Schoenborn attended the December Senatus meeting and has agreed to celebrate a Mass in commemoration of Frank Duff. An apostolate is carried out to the 40,000 Croatians in Vienna. A Jehovah Witness came back to the Catholic Faith through the work of the Korean Curia. Eighteen attended a Spiritual Directors day organised by Comitium Hollabrunn. In Comitium Ybbs two legionaries have left to study for the Priesthood.

SLOVAKIA
A second Comitium is being considered on the advice of Comitium Zseliz.

MOLDOVIA
Three juniors transferred to the senior ranks in Curia Chisianau.

UKRAINE
Elisabeth Kriss and Leo Fueher did extension with Ukranian legionaries in the Krimean Peninsula with the approval of the Bishop of Odessa.

CROATIA
Presentation of the Legion is ongoing in parishes resulting in the formation of new praesidia. A praesidium of 14 members in Samobor set up a new praesidium in a neighbouring parish. Three contacts returned to the Sacraments after long periods. Another praesidium reported the return of ten people to confession and Holy Communion following the visit of the legionaries. The attached councils reported good efforts at extension. Sancta Maria and Nives Curia in Petrinja set up three new praesidia. The legionaries in this Curia run a bookstall in a park with very good contacts. New praesidia were reported by Zagreb South and Zagreb West Curiae. All reports recorded returns to the sacraments, Marriage validations and anointing of the sick.

SLOVENIA
Ljubljana Curia has 6 praesidia with a membership of 29. There are 744 auxiliary and 28 Adjutorian members. One person returned to the sacraments after a long period. The Regia had a discussion on various ways to extend the Legion in Slovenia.

BOSNIA HERZGOVINA
Sarajevo Curia has 5 praesidia with a membership of 41. There is also a junior praesidium of 5 members. The apostolate includes home, hospital and nursing home visitation. Four people received the Sacrament of the sick.

HUNGARY
Budapest Regia has 25 praesidia, 12 Curiae and 6 Comitia affiliated. The November meeting commemorated the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the Regia. Three new praesidia were set up. Reports recorded 91 people helped to receive the Sacrament of the sick and 14 people returned to the faith. Szatmar Comitium reported on the visitation of orphanages and prison and in Debrecen Comitium, one person returned to the Sacraments after 20 years.

LITHUANIA
Telsiai Comitium has 10 praesidia and 2 Curiae affiliated. Extension has been hampered due to deep snow and severe weather. Home visitation, street apostolate, and teaching catechism are among the works udertaken. Some visible results were: a man who went to confession after 40 years died a month later. A couple in an irregular situation are being prepared for marriage, 2 children were prepared for First Holy Communion, a return to Confession after 20 years. The Priest was brought to 119 people in hospital for Confession. Kaunas Comitium set up a new praesidium of 8 members and permission has been given in another parish for extension. A praesidium of 7 members reported a contact who went to Confession and Holy Communion after 50 years. A congress held in December 2010 has 77 present with good participation by all present.

LATVIA
Efforts have been made to re-establish a praesidium in a Catholic school in Riga, which closed down some years ago. The apostolate of a praesidium of 9 members in Riga includes home visitation, street contact at bus and train stations where a lot of young people congregate.

POLAND
Lublin Regia: Extension efforts are ongoing. Czechow Curia reports a gain of 8 new members. In Korzelow 15 new members were recruited and in Ostrowiec and Lublin new praesidia. Curia Swidnik who do wide visitation report 20 persons brought to the sacrament of Confession and a couple for marriage. Curia Leczna report that after two years apostolate to Jehovah Witnesses, one of these returned to the sacraments after several years. Legionaries in Comitium Radzynie prepared 17 persons and 2 deaf families for the Sacrament of Confession.

Warsaw Comitium: Some of the earliest praesidia have been celebrating 20 years of continuous work in the Legion. Every month a parish is nominated for recruiting drive. Zoliborz Curia increased its praesidia from 9 to 10. A symposium was held in memory of Anatol Kaszcuk, the Legion’s first Envoy, who died some years ago.

ROMANIA
The Curia in Bucharest has 12 praesidia.

ASIA

PAPUA NEW GUINEA
Mount Hagen Regia: Visitation of patients with AIDS/HIV is a priority, as is an apostolate to people with drug addition. Legionaries travel to tribal fighting zones inviting people to pray for peace.

Madang Regia: The new Spiritual Director is keen to maintain standards of the late Fr. Golly and has assumed his role with enthusiasm. Forty-two non-Catholics were encouraged to attend Sunday Mass. Fruitful contacts with those practicing witchcraft were reported. Many returns to the sacraments, 53 prepared for Baptism, and the juniors encourage their peers to visit the Blessed Sacrament during school recess. A Curia reported instructing a village of non-Christians on Catholic teaching on the value of Mass and the Sacraments.

NEW ZEALAND
Auckland Senatus: All 22 attached praesidia have a Spiritual Director. Two Exploratio Dominicalis projects were undertaken. Six hundred attended a Rosary procession in October led by Bishop Dunn. Some items from reports tell of work undertaken - enthronement of the Sacred Heart, preparing Sunday liturgy for children, visits to the bereaved and promoting first Friday adoration. Quarterly reports received indicate that Christchurch has 8 praesidia; Hamilton 5 praesidia; the Korean Comitium 36 praesidia and the junior Curia has 6 praesidia - they are preparing for WYD.

AUSTRALIA
Melbourne Senatus: Ten new praesidia were set up in 2010. Reports were received from 6 of the directly attached praesidia, 5 Curiae and 9 councils in the Pacific Islands. Namosi Comitium, Fiji has 3 Curia, in addition to 8 directly attached senior and 7 junior praesidia. Noumea Comitium, New Caledonia has 8 attached Curiae. Councils in Vanuatu were visited in 2010 by the Senatus correspondent. A ten-day PPC in Chelsea was very successful with many expressing interest in having babies and children baptised and others showing interest in learning more about the Catholic Faith. Fifteen have started on the RCIA course. The Parish Priest stated many others had come into the Church as a result of a previous PPC project.

Sydney Senatus: Patricians, Book-barrow apostolate, Exloratio Dominicalis, crowd contact in Victoria Park, teaching Catechism in the State primary school, enrolling 20 children in the Brown Scapular, as well as hospital and home visitation were reported for this period. Korean Comitium has 18 praesidia, of the 21 who joined the catechism class, 9 were baptised and 2 confirmed. 211 lapsed returned to the Faith.

Brisbane Comitium: The works reported by 3 praesidia included home and hospital visitation, assisting patients to Mass, praying the Rosary before funerals, teaching catechism in school and running the piety stall.

PHILIPPINES
Western Visayas Regia: One Comitium, 6 Curiae and 5 praesidia had full attendance at their meetings. On visitation many people were helped to return to God. Eight inmates and 25 families were encouraged to say the Rosary daily. A Protestant couple and a Baptist mother and daughter were instructed and received into the Church. A legionary entered the seminary. Many Exploratio Dominicalis projects were carried out.

Bicolandia Senatus: Legionaries assisted in helping 5 children to be Baptised and 10 Confirmed. Catechism is taught in a jail and inmates encouraged to pray the Rosary. A Born again Christian was brought into the Catholic Church through home visitation. One Curia and a praesidium, which were dormant for a long time were revived with the support of the Spiritual Director.

Mindanao Senatus: Several reports indicated conversions of Muslims in the Butuan area. A new praesidium was formed in the Seminary and family junior praesidia being formed.

Cebu Senatus: Attendance of Council officers is often 100%. Reports confirm visitation to councils is undertaken. Two new praesidia were set up in a prison with 48 female and 58 male members. Juniors undertake crowd contact among children at an Internet cafe. Returns to the Faith and marriage validations were reported. Through the intercession of Venerable Edel Quinn a 3 year old was cured and did not need an operation.

Senatus of Northern Philippines: Imus Comitium visited over 1,000 families resulting in 52 children being Baptised, 36 Confirmed, 6 Marriage validation and 2 Protestants, 1 Mormon and Agilpayan converted. Through regular jail apostolate a new praesidium has started. Paranaque Comitium reported 350 students were involved in book-barrow work and 2 special praesidia undertake bar apostolate. In Caloocan West Comitium Bishop Ditan exhorted legionaries to encourage couples to receive the sacrament of Matrimony. Through crowd and street apostolate, 30 children and 90 adults were encouraged to attend Sunday Mass.

Legionaries from Turkey and Malta visit the Concilium

Rev. Fr. Anton Bulai, Spiritual Director of Our Lady of Ephesus Curia, Istanbul, Monsignor Ruzar Borg, Spiritual Director Gozo Comitium, Malta, Joseph Micallef, Treasurer of Malta Regia, Felicia Saliba, Correspondent with Istanbul Curia, and Josephine Formosa, Treasurer of Gozo Comitium and former correspondent/visitor to Turkey were welcomed to the March Concilium meeting.

On the Saturday prior to the Concilium a meeting was held with Concilium officers. There are five praesidia in Istanbul with an average membership of 24. Legionaries do contact work in and around the Church. As there are people of many languages residing in Istanbul, the legionaries were encouragement to set up the Legion among these different language groups.

In Albania there are five Dioceses and an Apostolic Vicarage; the Legion is present in four of the Dioceses. There are three Curiae and a Comitium in Shkoder. This year is the 20th anniversary of the Legion in Albania.
Malta will celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Legion this year.

Tommy McCabe, President of Concilium, thanked the visitors for coming to the Dublin and encouraged them to continue their untiring work for Our Lady and the Legion of Mary.

Earthquake Disaster in Japan
The Concilium has sent letters of condolence and assurance of prayers to Most Reverend Leo Jun Ikenaga,S.J., Archbishop of Osaka, who is also President of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of Japan, and to the President of the Osaka Senatus of the Legion of Mary expressing our sympathy on the earthquake and tsunamis, which have afflicted Japan recently. We have expressed our sadness, particularly, at the loss of life. The Concilium asked legionaries to remember in their prayers the Japanese people as well as those affected by the earthquake in New Zealand and in war torn countries currently in the world news.

Preparations for the International Eucharistic Congress
10th to 17th June 2012

At the March Concilium it was recommended that councils particularly in Dublin and Irish Provincial councils would undertake the following:
1. Ask legionaries to say daily, if possible, the prayer of the 50th International Eucharistic Congress (IEC) and to promote it on Legion work by distributing the IEC prayer card. Orders for these cards can be placed directly with IEC Office: Email [email protected].
2. Encourage people in every parish to attend adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Each praesidium to have a list of the Churches where adoration is held in their Council area.
3. Arrange a meeting between the Parish Priest and the praesidium officers to discuss what he and the Parish council would like done in the parish as preparation for the Eucharistic Congress and how the praesidium might be of assistance to him in achieving this.
4. Hold Patrician meetings on the Eucharist. Seek to have inspiring titles for each meeting that would attract people to come to such a discussion e.g. “Mary and the Eucharist”.
5. Organise at Curia level, if possible, a Congress on the Eucharist over the next year.
6. Use the Legion of Mary Houses in some appropriate fashion to promote the Eucharistic Congress e.g. hold an exhibition on the Eucharist.
7. Put “Preparing for IEC” on every Council agenda each month, from now until the event in June 1012.

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

All Legion Councils, praesidia and individual legionaries are encouraged to actively promote the Cause of the Servant of God, Frank Duff, through the widespread dissemination of the Frank Duff prayer leaflets, through the organising of Frank Duff prayer groups and the holding of Masses to commemorate his life.

If you need Frank Duff prayer leaflets, please contact the Concilium.

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, IRELAND