Concilium Bulletin - May 2014
REPORTS
CENTRAL AMERICA
Nicaragua: The Regia of Managua with 2 comitia, 2 Curiae and 17 praesidia is working well. The various reports indicate extension is a priority. There is the possibility of setting up a new Comitium. A legionary has been appointed to the National Council of the Episcopal Conference for the Laity. As a result of crowd contact a young father arranged the baptism of his young son.
El Salvador: The Senatus continues to extend. Two councils and a number of praesidia, including 6 junior praesidia have recently been set up. On home visitation they invite people back to the Sacraments as well as promoting parish activities, including retreats for young people. One young man gave up drugs and alcohol and another left the street gangs and joined a junior praesidium after attending a retreat.
Honduras: A new president was elected in February and a new Spiritual Director was recently appointed.
Panama Regia: The attached Curia of Immaculate Heart of Mary reported the setting up of 5 new praesidia. A praesidium reported the recitation of a public Rosary weekly in the area where home visitation is done. A second praesidium reported extensive visitation of a new area in the parish, informing the residents of the various parish ceremonies and activities.
Costa Rica Senatus: The council is in contact with Concilium and minutes are up to date. As well as visiting patients in hospital the legionaries visit their families and also the patients when they return home. Legionaries also accompany some of the patients to Mass in the hospital.
MEXICO
Mexico City Senatus: Two Regiae, seven Comitia and two praesidia reported. The Comitium of Oaxaca has been detached from the Regia of Acapulco and affiliated to the Senatus with a view to providing extra encouragement and extension. They work in prisons. The first meeting of a praesidium in one prison had an attendance of 30. 150 attended a Congress organised for the Curiae and praesidia attached to the Senatus. The theme was: True Devotion to Mary. An attached Comitium set up three new junior praesidia. A legionary kidnapped for four days was released through the power of prayer. Under True Devotion to the Nation, street cleaning, an ecological campaign, literacy classes and a campaign against the use of foul language are listed. All councils are encouraged to take some steps to put TDN (True Devotion to the Nation) into practice.
Mérida Senatus: During this period one Regia, three Comitia, 4 Curiae and three praesidia reported. The Regia also presented an annual report to the Archbishop. The report indicates that there are 65,000 active and 72,000 auxiliaries, 48 junior praesidia, 4 praesidia in prisons and 7 Patrician groups in the Senatus area. Of 12,000 recruiting efforts, 350 joined and persevered in the Legion. Of the large numbers who joined one or other of the sects, 34 returned to the practice of the faith. Three legionaries from Mérida have just returned from extension work in Cuba and will later report on their efforts.
Durango Regia: The legionaries promote and give talks on the Consecration of Homes to the Sacred Heart. The work of the legionaries is valued in the parishes where there are praesidia, in particular their work as catechists and apostolate to the elderly and sick.
Guadalajara Regia: An attached Curia with 10 praesidia does mainly home visitation and some of the legionaries are catechists.
Monterrey Regia: An attached Comitium works with drug addicts, gives talks to Confirmation classes, does street contact particularly with persons who have joined the sects and distributes Catholic papers to homes. The same Comitium has established two junior praesidia. An attached Curia set up a senior praesidium and a praesidium in another Curia carried out an Exploratio Dominicalis project.
Hermosillo Regia: A new Spiritual Director who hopes the Legion will extend, has been recently appointed.
ASIA
Sri Lanka: A junior Curia with 12 praesidia has 125 active and 32 auxiliary members. They visit homes of the sick and elderly, recite the Rosary with students, and teach Catechism. At a recent meeting the Bishop and Vicar General thanked the Senatus for the work being done. One Curia is promoting Enthronement of homes to the Sacred Heart. Muslims, Buddhists and Christians are among those met in the course of Legion work.
India
Mumbai Senatus: Works include, Sunday school catechism, home visitation, attempts to regularise mixed marriages. The Bishop in charge of lay organisations met the Senatus Officers for 3 hours. 400 attended Way of the Cross. Kottar Regia: Extension continues. Family Rosary is promoted. Mentally ill people are visited and catechism classes are arranged. Palaymakottai Comitium is working very well with 1 junior, 5 senior Curiae and 21 praesidia. Home visitation is their first priority where they meet people of many religions and pray the Rosary in homes. Two suicides were prevented. They plan to set up 2 Curiae. Coimbatore Comitium: 430 attended the Acies with the Bishop present. Home and hospital visitation, plus counselling arise in many reports. Conversions from other religions also feature. The Three Causes are promoted, and extension is on-going.
Thailand
Prison visitation is undertaken. The Good News is shared with prisoners, ten of whom were Baptised. Three couples had their marriages regularised in Church. During school breaks catechism instruction is given to students with the cooperation of priests and deacons. Students from other faiths also attend the catechism classes. Legionaries in rural areas cooperate with Red Cross to teach hill tribes. Visitation to remote areas is undertaken and children whose parents have died due to HIV are helped.
Kazakhstan
A praesidium in Jasnaja Poljana has 10 members, 2 probationers and 26 auxiliary members. They arranged a meeting for auxiliaries. Work includes helping with parish activities, such as serving breakfast to children who come from distant areas to attend Mass.
Holy Land
A new praesidium with 20 members was set up for business women. One of its works is organising a day retreat. A junior girls’ praesidium has started in Nazareth, with a second in formation. 30 people took up the invitation to go to Confession. Much catechetical work is done by legionaries.
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IRISH PROVINCIAL REPORT
COMITIA
Carlow Comitium: Efforts at setting up a new praesidium in Rathvilly are on-going and two new members have been attending meetings. Some members of existing praesidia are continuing to help. Graiguecullen praesidium has five members. Home visitation is one of their works. Five schools were visited, including one Educate Together school. Holy Communion and Confirmation classes were spoken to.Miraculous Medals were explained and distributed along with prayer leaflets for the Causes.
Elphin Comitium: A praesidium in Roscommon has 7 members and 24 auxiliaries. During home visitation they recruit Adorers for Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. They organised a Christmas party for mentally handicapped persons and a pilgrimage to Lough Derg with 48 pilgrims. Our Lady of Aparecida praesidium in Roscommon, which includes Portuguese-speaking Brazilians recruited 12 new members, bringing their membership to 18. They continue to arrange recitation of the Rosary and various Novenas to Our Blessed Lady in the homes of their communities with daily attendance ranging from 15 to 24. They organise the Brazilian Mass twice monthly. Last year a Mass at Knock in honour of Our Lady of Aperecida had an attendance of 200. They also are involved in parish ministries. At the conclusion of the ComitiumAcies ceremony, which was attended by Bishop Jones and nine Spiritual Directors, a presentation of a Stole was made to Fr. Frank McGauran in recognition of his 30 years as Spiritual Director of the Comitium.
North Elphin Curia:The praesidium in Sligo Cathedral parish took on the Enthronement of homes to the Sacred Heart since the Eucharistic Congress. To date, 26 young families have had their homes consecrated. The 14 members of a praesidium in St. Anne’s Parish undertake home visitation and street contact. They also have a Legion presence in Sligo Institute of Technology. On the day a household received the Pilgrim Virgin Statue into their home, a land dispute was settled. A patient met on hospital visitation was given a Miraculous Medal and shortly afterwards told the legionaries that a family problem had been resolved.
Tuam Curia: Four senior praesidia reports were presented with membership of 7 in Skehana, 6 in Tuam, 8 in Corrandulla and 4 in Kilkerrin. Two praesidia have each got one Praetorian member. They have a total of 120 auxiliaries. Works include visitation of nursing homes, hospitals, the sick and housebound, sale of Catholic newspapers, a weekly prayer meeting, a Patrician meeting and the recitation of the Rosary and Chaplet of Mercy on Church Radio Link for the sick and housebound. Home visitation is done by one praesidium and Pilgrim Statue visitation by another. Bottles of Holy Water are offered at homes and also left in church porches. Stickers with the three Causes are attached to the bottles. A school was visited and 110 Miraculous Medals with explanatory leaflets given to the pupils and teachers. Planning meetings were also held.
CURIAE
Achonry Curia: Efforts are on-going to get the praesidium in Foxford up and running. Patrician meetings are being held in Swinford each month.Recent topics were ‘The Sacrament of the Sick’and ‘The Priesthood.’
Clonfert Curia: The apostolate of the 3 reporting praesidia with 11, 4 and 7 members includes home, hospital and nursing home visitation as well as many parish duties. Bottles of Holy Water are prepared and left in the church porch for collection. Four of the 7 members in the praesidium in Tynagh are Praetorians.
Galway Curia: To celebrate the 500th meeting of the Curia, Mass was celebrated by their Spiritual Director, Rev. Fr. Robert McNamara after the January meeting. The reporting praesidium does home visitation in the estates of the parish. The praesidium has been requested by the parish priest to recite the Rosary daily for the month of May at a new grotto erected near the Church.
Killala Curia: The 8 members of a praesidium in Ballina take part regularly in home visitation with 3 Pilgrim Statues. They have 4 lay Adjutorians and 13 auxiliaries. The 6 members of Kilglass praesidium also do Pilgrim Statue visitation. They are preparing packs (Rosary Beads Miraculous Medals etc.) for the 28 first Communicants and 46 Confirmation candidates this year. A junior praesidium in Knockmore has 3 juniors and 2 seniors on roll. They visit relatives and serve Mass. Templeboy praesidium has 6 members. They advertise their meeting in the Parish Bulletin each week, prepare the Church for weddings and funerals, distribute candles for Easter and Crucifixes before the Good Friday ceremonies.A Patrician meeting in Ballina with the topic, ‘The Blessed Eucharist’ had 8 in attendance.
Kilkenny Curia: The Acies ceremony was held on 20th March. Patrician meetings are planned as a new work for the Curia.
DUBLIN NORTHSIDE CURIAE FOR MARCH & APRIL 2014
Veneranda Curia: The 6-member Finglas praesidium had 7 visitors during the year, including 2 Travellers who attended for 3 months. A Cameroonian member is resident in the Balseskin Refugee Centre and does much good apostolic work there. One member is a Eucharistic Adoration co-ordinator and another is on the Baptism Team. The praesidium distributes 48 Catholic newspapers each week. Spouse of St Joseph praesidium visits St Patrick’s Institute every Saturday; to their great joy this year they gained access to Mountjoy Prison and visit every Sunday, where they play football or board games, distribute Sacramentals and encourage the prisoners to avail of the Sacraments, especially Confession. Four members work in the Morning Star Hostel each week. They have 8 members, 1 probationer and had 4 visitors during the year.
Consolata Curia: 13 Patricians and 6 legionaries attended 2 Patrician meetings. A recruitment drive was held in Balbriggan. The Priorswood praesidium has 9 members; Three members are Praetorians while two serve on the Parish Council. All officerships are filled. The Fatima Statue apostolate resulted in many graces such as two people who found employment during the week the statue was in the home. A monthly meeting with altar servers comprises a mix of prayer and training; the mothers also attend and the legionaries have befriended them. The other works are supervising the Parish Shop and home visitation. They concentrated on the Travelling Community in the last year. The Skerries praesidium has 7 full members and 160 auxiliaries. They bring Holy Communion to the sick and visit homes including a Hindu family. They use three Pilgrim Statues on home visitation and deliver 50 Maria Legionis. Weekly visits to a Day Centre completes their works.
Presentata Curia has 16 praesidia. The Regina Coeli praesidium is responsible for the overall administration and maintenance of the hostel. There are 2 probationers and 10 full members of whom 2 are indoor sisters, 3 are officers and 4 are Praetorians. There are currently 4 mothers and 7 children but a total of 32 mothers and 45 children have stayed in the hostel during the year. There is also space for 40 single women; during the year 130 single women resided at the hostel. Activities include social events, a weekly Rosary Group involving the children and helping with school homework. Another hostel praesidium, Regina Pacis reported 13 full members and 1 probationer; to recruit they speak at Masses in local churches. Apart from befriending residents and helping them in their spiritual lives, the women are encouraged to learn practical skills. As a result, two young residents succeeded in returning to education and employment in the last year.
Exaltata Curia: The 7-member Blakestown praesidium instigated a daily Holy Hour in the parish church, which they promote. Two units of Connolly Hospital are visited every week where the Rosary is recited and hymns are sung in the Dayrooms. Home visitation, hostel duty and a Patrician meeting complete their works.
Porta Coeli Curia: The Howth praesidium has 4 members and 2 probationers. Works include visiting two nursing homes where they pray, chat and sing hymns with residents. They also visit the sick at home and in hospital and do Pilgrim Statue visitation.
Bethlehem Curia: The 4 member Mother of Good Counsel praesidium do home visitation in the parish using blessed palm and Church Service times leaflets. While running the repository, they recruited 37 probationary auxiliaries, many of them from outside the parish which have been forwarded to the appropriate Curiae. On Alfie Lambe’s anniversary two taxi ranks were contacted and crowd contact carried out at Busaras. 40 attended an Afternoon of Reflection for auxiliary members while the quarterly Edel Quinn Prayer Group attracted an attendance of 10. Another praesidium visits ill parishioners and 3 nursing homes. Up to 25 legionaries of Bethlehem Curia participated in a special home visitation project in another Parish over 5 weeks of Lent, at the behest of the Parish Priest. Contacts were made at 456 homes of which 370 registered with the parish and 300 accepted a special pack. Amongst other items, the pack contained a copy of the 4 Gospels, Easter ceremony times, a bottle of Holy Water, Rosary beads and explanatory leaflet, plus a picture of Pope Francis. 15 children were identified for Baptism, some older children amongst them. A number received the Sacrament of Reconciliation, one after a lifetime away from the church. Three housebound were identified. The Parish Priest is working his way through the 165 homes that requested a visit by him; he blesses the homes and the families during his visit. He was most appreciative of the Legion’s hard work and dedication.
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EUROPE
Belgium
Brussels Senatus: Personal contact continues with people in great need. Legionaries work with the Mother Teresa Sisters, who provide food for the poor. The mission to prostitutes continues with good contacts. Hasselt Comitium has 75 active and 110 auxiliary members.
Netherlands
Amsterdam Senatus: The new praesidium has 9 members and 3 experienced legionaries assisting. The Auxiliary Bishop of Amsterdam & Haarlem attended the Acies and reported on it on his website.
England
Birmingham Senatus: Street contact is done on Saturdays with many good contacts. Two praesidia organised a True Devotion to Mary seminar; 30 attended. 767 homes were visited between June and October. A fallen-away convert has resumed practise after being visited. 40 attended a school Rosary organised during Lent, May & October. Permission was given for crowd contact at Sainsbury shopping centre. Many lapsed Catholics were met and one returned to Mass. One man encountered on home visitation was received into the Church at the Easter vigil.
Bristol Curia organised a welcome home for the lapsed at Christmas Mass; some non-Catholics attended.
Birmingham Junior Curia works include distribution of Miraculous Medals and Holy Water and a weekly Rosary in two schools.
Northampton Curia has a good aftercare programme for auxiliaries. One praesidium runs an Anchor programme to help parents to pass on the Faith to their children.
Leicester Curia, with 3 praesidia organised a day retreat. Polish and African students are included among their enthusiastic legionaries.
Liverpool Senatus reports lapsed Catholics who want to speak with legionaries. Christmas Cribs, book barrow work and Patricians feature. St. Helen’s Curia celebrated its 400th meeting. Warrington Curia received the report of a praesidium with 19 members. The Senatus announced the news of the preparation of the Tercentenary of the death of St. Louis Marie de Montfort.
Southwark Comitium: Reports cover 2 Curiae, 10 praesidia with 177 members, 16 Praetorians, 4 Adjutorians and 183 auxiliaries. The closure of a senior praesidium was prevented as a result of a PPC team visiting the parish.
Brentwood Comitium: The Brentwood East Curia attached to this Comitium has 9 senior and 3 junior praesidia with 11 probationary active members. Some of the works are home-to-home visitation when lapsed are encouraged to return, non-Catholics are invited to find out more about the Catholic faith and a welcome pack were distributed to residents of new housing areas. The first report of the praesidium in Chingford gives details of 12 active and 3 probationary members doing works at the request of the Parish Priest.
Hammersmith Curia: A praesidium of 9 members visits care homes and the housebound. A recruiting drive in February yielded 49 names; 15 attended the first meeting. A visit was made by the Concilium correspondent.
Central London Curia: An auxiliary rally was organised and a recruiting weekend gained 1 active and 12 auxiliary members. An average of 15 young people and 6 adults attend the Patricians. Discussion is lively. Legionaries also run a book shop, do crowd contact, work with disabled and teach catechism.
Brent & Harrow Curia has 9 parishes, 4 have the Legion with an average of 5 members in each praesidium. Works include visiting nursing homes where the staff often join in the recitation of the Rosary. They held a successful Curia Congress.
Middlesex Curia: A former member is to be ordained to the priesthood. The reporting praesidium has 9 members and 35 auxiliaries receive Maria Legionis.
Senatus of Scotland Joy was expressed at the appointment of Fr. John Keenan as Bishop of Paisley. An Exploration Dominicalis project was carried out and primary and secondary schools were visited. Edinburgh has 92 active, 4 probationary members and 520 auxiliaries. 80 attended a Marian Evening.
Wales
Cardiff Comitium: Reports covered 6 praesidia and 3 in Gwent Curia, where legionaries fulfil an important role at funerals. 5 new members were gained. Swansea Curia has 4 praesidia. Street rescue, crowd contact and an apostolate to homosexuals are carried out. One person returned to Mass after 20 year.
France
Valance Regia: Montlelimar Curia has 2 praesidia, one with 8 members the other with 3. They plan a 4 day trip to Lourdes. Isolated praesidia in Clermont Ferrand and Grenoble have membership ranging from 2 to 7. Pilgrim Statue visitation and a monthly prayer vigil are organised. Some legionaries are involved in meetings to prepare for a Diocesan Synod of evangelisation in Valance.
Strasbourg Comitium governs 18 attached praesidia and 1 Curia. Pilgrim Statue visitation is carried out. A Jewish lady with a love for the Blessed Virgin asked for an image of Jesus which she venerates each day. PPC is planned for July.
Germany
Frankfurt Senatus reports cover 5 praesidia, 2 Regia and 2 Comitia. Contact at the railway station, Night Fever Adoration and Mass, a young adult’s prayer group, contact with street girls and homosexuals, and an ecumenical bible circle feature. 20 legionaries undertook True Devotion to Mary. A new Filipino praesidium was set up and one for ethnic Russians is in formation. An 84 year-old former Protestant pastor who came into the Church in 2013 recently took his Legion Promise. Fritz Bellen, at 93 years, is again president of his praesidium.
Switzerland
Zurich Comitium has 13 praesidia. Two praesidia in Bern recently merged. Liechtenstein reports the closure of a praesidium at Schaan as it had only 3 members and no permission to do parish work. Approval has been given to start in a nearby parish.
Siberia: The Curia has 5 praesidia with one planned to start in Abakan. Sr. Birgit Metzler will return there in October and a Russian-speaking legionary is sought to accompany her.
Norway: The praesidium in Tonsberg has 12 active and 12 auxiliary members. They teach catechism visit the sick and lonely and encourage people to attend Mass and Benediction. Draamen praesidium has 8 active and 15 auxiliary members. One elderly lady said it was the first time in 38 years that lay people from the Church called to her. An Easter visit to people with special needs was carried out at the request of the parish priest. A monthly coffee morning after Mass strengthens friendship between legionaries and parishioners.
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AFRICA
Our Lady of the Congo Regia, Brazaville: Visitation of councils and praesidia are undertaken regularly and reports include home and hospital visitation, street contact, teaching catechism, organising the Liturgy, visiting prisoners, widows, orphans and the poor. Two praesidia directly attached to the Regia, which were set up in the last two years, have a membership of 24 and 9 full members respectively, with 3 and 10 probationers. Their main work is home visitation. More than half of those contacted are either pagans or members of sects. Two contacts promised to begin catechetical formation.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Curia, St Louis parish, Brazzaville, is still not functioning after an explosion two years ago at a nearby army arms dump where 250 people were killed and over 1,300 people left homeless. Prayers were asked for the return of the faithful to their activities and the reconstruction of the Church of St. Louis Parish, which was destroyed by in the blast.
Notre Dame de la Garde Comitium, set up in 2010, has 600 active members and 62 auxiliaries. 35,000 people were contacted over a three-month period, from which 130 agreed to begin catechesis. 8 marriages were regularised and 69 couples reconciled. 10 people requested Baptism and 20 lapsed Catholics returned to the Sacraments.
Lomé Senatus, Togo: There was a warm welcome for the two legionaries who spent six months in Senegal on behalf of Concilium. Most councils mention having junior praesidia. Mention was made of a new junior Curia being set up and also a new junior praesidium. Exploratio Dominicalis, Patricians and many contacts made among Muslims and those of the traditional African religion were reported on. A three-hour conference on Alfie Lambe attracted 176 people. Efforts are on-going to start a Curia in Kpome. About 100 married Legion couples attended a formation day for Christian marriages. The next PPC to Ghana will take place in August. Organised for the first time, between 7,000 and 8,000 legionaries from nearly all 7 Diocese joined in a Marian national pilgrimage to Kovie.
Ecuatorial Guinea: There are two Comitia in Equatorial Guinea -Malabo and
Bata. Malabo Comitium, situated in the capital of Equatorial Guinea, is progressing and extending. Recently they set up a new Curia and a number of praesidia are due for dividing when suitable officers are ready to be appointed. A very successful Legion Congress, at which there was an attendance of 500 legionaries, including officers from Bata, was held in November. Legion spirituality, loyalty, punctuality and officers duties were among the points discussed. As well as making contact with patients on hospital visitation, the legionaries contact and pray with the families.
Bata Comitium: The correspondent writes every month and she has been in touch by telephone.
Cameroon
Douala Senatus: Every council is encouraged to discuss the points of last years’ Congress. With over 14,500 active members spread over the Diocese in the Cameroon, the Legion is expanding. The annual report gave a total junior membership of 75 praesidia, with 1,086 members. Works include the fight against drugs and prostitution, visiting orphanages and prisons.
Tchad Comitium: (Under the care of Cameroon). A total of 235 participants attended a General National Assembly meeting from 4th – 8th March. Points discussed included: ‘The Legion of Mary’s Origins’. ‘What is the Legion?’.‘The Legion Apostolate’.‘The Legion Meeting’ and, ‘The Legionary Complimenting Missionaries’. On the last day the legionaries got up at 4.45 a.m. to recite the Rosary, have breakfast and attend Mass at 9.15 a.m., before returning home.
Republic of Benin
Regia of Cotonou: The members had the great joy of the return of Fr. Mark Hounon, nominated on his return from studies in Rome as the new Spiritual Director. In November they welcomed a delegation from Togo who are organising a meeting of officers from Ghana, Ivory Coast, Benin and Nigeria. The Regia is functioning well, looking after its praesidia and councils, including a junior Curia and the upcountry areas. The new Spiritual Director of Porto Novo Comitium has announced that he will be visiting praesidia and Curiae.
Ivory Coast
Senatus of Our Lady of All Graces, Abidjan: A Regia with five Comitia gave its annual report. The Comitia have 55 Curiae, including 3 junior Curiae reporting to them. There are 96 adult and 7 junior praesidia. The membership is 11,457, of which 9,459 are active, with 439 Praetorians, 1,382 probationers, 616 auxiliaries and 126 Adjutorians. They have 126 Patrician groups. Their apostolate resulted in: families reconciled 582: marriages regularised 185: returns to Holy Mass 662: catechumens enrolled 1,872: Baptisms 1,358: Sacrament of Reconciliation 586: Confirmations 1,242: Sacrament of the Sick 208. The total number of catechumens is 4,784. There are 253 legionaries teaching catechism. Their difficulties are: (a) having a suitable place for their Regia meetings, but a new building is in progress. (b) a shortage of Legion Handbooks. Four Comitia also made their annual reports. They have 23 adult and one junior Curia reporting to them, with a total of 130 adult and 21 junior praesidia. The membership is 4,418 active members, of whom 456 are Praetorians and 369 are probationers. There are 558 auxiliaries of whom 169 are Adjutorians. They reported: families reconciled 69: marriages regularised 62: returns to Holy Mass 99: catechumens enrolled 434: Baptisms 245: Confirmations 173: Sacrament of the Sick 387: Sacrament of Reconciliation 21. The total number of catechumens is 1,432, with 122 legionaries teaching catechism. A comprehensive report was received on a one-week Mission to Mali, which took place in September 2013 led by the Vice-President of the Senatus of Abidjan, Sr. Odette Die, who was accompanied by four other legionaries. Much was achieved by way of reviving the Legion in that country. This work is on-going.
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