Concilium Bulletin - November 2013
ASIA
PHILIPPINES
Western Visayas Senatus: Quarterly reports to the Senatus are encouraging with work including jail visitation, marriage validations, baptisms, teaching catechism and visitation to homes and the sick. Reports from 5 Comitia include 6 Muslims converted, 76 marriages validated and 10 senior citizens catechesised and returned to the sacraments. Two junior praesidia were set up and 2 Curiae elevated to Comitia. An Aglipayan person was converted and is now a legionary. The Bacolad Comitium was raised to Regia status and has 6 Comitia, 8 Curiae and 12 directly attached praesidia with a membership of 5,764.
Northern Philippines Senatus: The Senatus celebrated its 73rd anniversary in July. A Congress was held on the 25th August. The promotion of the Causes is very much to the fore. Patrician meetings were encouraged for both adults and juniors.
Antipolo Regia: Seven senior and 9 junior praesidia were set up. 16 junior members graduated to the senior ranks and 2 members entered religious life.
Manila Comitium carried out crowd contact and 2,400 people were met which included street dwellers, pedicab drivers, security guards and seafarers. Makati Comitium had 619 families enthroned to the Sacred Heart.
Mindanao Senatus: One praesidium has 29 girls under catechetical instruction and another praesidium has brought many into the Church, some of these being rescued from the sects. A lapsed father and the family has recently returned to the faith.
Bicolandia Senatus: A praesidium in Lagazpi Regia has ten members in a training hospital. Junior members follow up on new auxiliaries, invite children to visit the Blessed Sacrament and participate in block Rosaries with senior legionaries.
Libmanan Comitium arranged a Congress for September. Many councils teach catechism in elementary schools and prepare adults for baptism and confirmation. Visitation to councils is undertaken and encouragement is given to take on officerships.
Cebu Senatus: A Comitium reported 55 receiving the sacrament of reconciliation and anointing of the sick, 6 infants and 7 adults were baptised, 300 students went to confession and 8 couples were married in Church. The promotion of the Alliance of Two Hearts devotion, adult catechism and backyard catechesis were reported by a Curia. A junior praesidium organized a prayer group of 40 members for 5 to 13 year olds where they were taught the basic prayers and the Rosary. Another group undertook home and hospital visitation with seniors, did crowd contact, brought 112 young people to Mass, 82 were confirmed and 102 marriages were validated. The Causes are promoted. Please pray for all those affected by the Halayan typhoon.
PAPUA NEW GUINEA
Mount Hagan Regia: The Regia under the caretakership of Manila plan to send 100 legionaries to visit Manila in September 2014. The Regia has 14 Comitia with a membership of 6,226 seniors.
Madang Regia: This Regia has a membership of 5,490 active members but transport is a problem and expensive so praesidia are small.
AUSTRALIA
Sydney Senatus: Extension is carried out with good results. Most parishes have a small percentage of Catholics and they undertake many tasks for the parish priest. The apostolate carried out is home visitation, contact work with a book barrow at shopping centres, a Railway Station and in front of the Church after Mass. Teaching Catechism and Patricians are mentioned.
Solomon Islands: Contact is made but the minutes are not regular.
East Timor: 3 praesidia have been set up and there are 2 more in formation. Poverty is evident in the country and as mailing is expensive they depend on friends from Indonesia to supply their needs.
Melbourne Senatus: Since the last report 5 praesidia, 10 Curiae, 4 Comitia on the mainland and 6 councils in the Pacific Islands have reported. The city praesidia are small; they are engaged in various apostolates, visiting sick and elderly, pilgrim statue visitation and crowd contact work at a shopping centre.
Perth Comitium reported a torchlight procession in honour of Our Lady of Lourdes with an attendance of 450.
Flemington Comitium comprises 14 praesidia and 3 directly attached Curiae with 539 Vietnamese active members. Junior members are well trained. The first meeting of a praesidium set up in November 1932 as a direct result of the Eucharistic Congress in Dublin ceased to function but another one celebrated its 80th anniversary on 8th September with a Mass and social. Contact with the councils in the Pacific Ocean is difficult as transport to the islands is limited and communications beset by problems.
Brisbane Comitium: The praesidia in Ayr, Cairns and Gordanvale were visited by 2 officers. Membership is small in each praesidium. Two Vietnamese praesidia reported. They are in touch with Melbourne and some members attended a Retreat there, and they are sending Vietnamese legionaries to visit in December to help them with recruiting. Works reported include enrolment in the Brown Scapular, visits to lapsed and non-believers, pilgrim statue and a priest is brought to the Nursing Home when required.
NEW ZEALAND
Auckland Senatus: The junior Curia is very progressive in terms of membership and very active in their Legion work. One Curia has 6 praesidia with 86 members. Works reported are visiting the sick, bringing children to Mass, teaching catechism and various church duties. The Rosary is recited at the Marist College at lunch-time. To end the Year of Faith the Senatus is organising a Mass on the 8th November.
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SOUTH AMERICA
PARAGUAY
Asuncion Senatus: A Comitium in San Lorenzo promotes 3 Catholic radio stations. Other apostolates mentioned include 319 people prepared for baptism, visitation of lepers, visitation of a woman’s prison and helping alcoholics refrain from alcohol abuse. Where prison praesidia exist, legionaries help their fellow inmates to rehabilitate, often resulting in early release for good behaviour. A Curia reports that 5 legionaries teach catechesis to young sailors on navy ships; two such contacts were baptised, 5 received Holy Communion and 18 were confirmed. A junior Comitium has 10 Curiae and 19 praesidia attached, with a total of 2,100 active members and almost 2000 Auxiliaries. A member of a sect converted to Catholicism while in hospital and received several sacraments before passing away.
BOLIVIA
La Paz Senatus: The Comitium of Oruro, where Alfie Lambe set up the Legion amongst the miners, recently held a Congress which their Bishop attended. Exploratio Dominicalis is done in this Comitium many times during the year. A city Curia regularly does street contact, meeting many who might not be met on home visitation.
CHILE
Santiago Senatus: The Senatus correspondents write to their attached councils each month with news from the Senatus and news taken from the Concilium correspondence. The Bishop of Punta Arenas, in the extreme south of Chile, has asked his legionaries to go out in pairs to propagate the Rosary. Every year legionaries organise a ceremony around the Brown Scapular to celebrate Our Lady of Mount Carmel, the Patroness of Chile.
COLOMBIA
Medellin Senatus: There is mention of extension efforts. Works include home visitation, street contact and visiting a psychiatric centre. Inmaculado de Firontino Curia helps to implement the pastoral plan for the Archdiocese; they also mention a special case of a house where 3 middle-aged adults had no religious belief but following Legion contact they received First Holy Communion and Confirmation. Nuestra Senora de la Pobreza Regia, amongst their works mention getting hospital treatment for a poor man sleeping under a bridge; he also received the sacraments after which he died peacefully.
Bogota Senatus: An attached Comitium set up 2 new praesidia and there are two others in formation, another Comitium set up a new Curia while a third reported extension efforts with no results. A praesidium visits a home for children with cancer where they organise games and conclude with prayers. Many children were prepared for First Holy Communion. A Comitium reported large numbers returned to the practice of the faith because they did systematic and regular visitation.
CUBA
Havana Comitium: There are no minutes from Cuba since the last report despite an email from the Spiritual Director that minutes were forwarded via the Nunciature, as is the practice.
PERU
Lima Senatus: 300 youths attended a National Youth Conference which they say was very successful. A Comitium in Cuzco has 8 Curiae attached. This mountainous region attracts thousands of tourists each year; they are being advised to undertake an apostolate to them. Home visitation is highly successful with many returning to the practice of the faith. There are 4 prison praesidia. 3 Peregrinatio Pro Christo projects were carried out in distant towns in the diocese, a new praesidium being established in each town before they left.
URUGUAY
Montevideo Senatus: The time of the Senatus meeting has been changed to improve attendance. They contact indigenous mothers and their children on the street – football is used to encourage the children into the catechism class. A Columban Drive resulted in 5 people willing to join the Legion in Montevideo. They ask for prayers for the work with youth in Maldonado. The Military Hospital was visited in June and a legionary on the “Jail Pastoral Agency” goes weekly to visit problem prisoners.
VENEZUELA
Caracas Senatus: Many praesidia were set up with more in formation. In Caracas 5 Jehovah’s, a Protestant and an atheist were converted. Access to the apartments is obtained through the concierge. Mention is made of Columban Drives, Exploratio Dominicalis and the organising of one million children’s Rosaries. The National Guard is being visited, and they have a praesidium in the Leper Hospital where young indigenous patients are taught to pray.
ECUADOR
Quito Senatus: A visit from Concilium has been requested to assist with some issues. In Saruma 2 Curiae and a junior praesidium were set up. Talks have been given to teachers to help them prepare children for First Holy Communion.
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AFRICA
GHANA
Accra Senatus: The Senatus and many attached Councils continue to promote the Cause of Frank Duff with great enthusiasm and each month they organise a “Frank Duff beatification prayer session”. Legion of Mary week projects were held in parishes throughout Ghana from the 1st to the 8th September and the legionaries contacted parishioners. They had banners, photo exhibitions etc. and organised various youth sports and quizzes. The aim was to raise awareness of and recruit for the Legion of Mary. Julius Kwasitsu reported to the Senatus on his extension work in Ho Diocese. Tema Comitium organised a project to start a new praesidium at Aveyime with 60 participating, many of them from the local area. Contacts made were very fruitful; some welcoming follow-on visitation from the legionaries and some returning to the Church
ZIMBABWE
The main apostolates undertaken by the Kadoma Curia legionaries are visitation of homes, hospitals and the old and lonely. The legionaries of Mutare celebrated Our Lady’s birthday with a gathering of legionaries for talks and Holy Mass.
SOUTH AFRICA
Johannesburg Senatus: The Senatus celebrated its 80th Anniversary with a function on the 12th October, 2013 and approximately 140 legionaries in attendance. Fr. Jeremiah of Comboni Missionaries spoke on the origins of the Legion of Mary based on True Devotion to Mary. He also spoke on Frank Duff, Alfie Lambe, and Venerable Edel Quinn. Works include home, hospital and prison visitation. 15 babies were baptised with the help of legionaries.
Soweto Comitium plan to visit all parishes in Soweto where there is no Legion.
Capetown Senatus: A number of new praesidia have been set and attached councils are being visited. Some praesidia are meeting in very tough areas but they continue with their work. In the minutes of Cape Town it was mentioned that correspondence was received from Northern Namibia.
Marianhill Comitium: In a letter dated 25th June, they describe briefly their pilgrimage and their Acies. They continue to visit parishes and organise workshops on how to start the Legion of Mary. The correspondent has requested that they send in monthly minutes.
Durban Comitium reported a praesidium of 20 active, 100 auxiliary, 4 praetorians and 20 adjutorians. Their work includes visiting aids patients, teaching catechism and the visiting 159 non-Catholics during the year.
Matatiele Comitium reported 48 youths and 8 adults at a patrician meeting.
Esigodeni Comitium has 16 attached Curiae with a total of 4,245 active and 1300 auxiliary members. Home, hospital and prison visitation is undertaken.
ANGOLA
Luanda Regia: Flávio António da Silva and Alessandro Pereira de Carvalho, from the Recife Senatus, Brazil, visited the Regia on behalf of the Concilium, attended the July meeting. The minutes record the visits they made, accompanied by some legionaries from the Regia, and give a detailed summary of their helpful comments at the meeting. A Comitium attached to the Regia set up two new Curiae. Another Comitium is also planning to set up two Curiae. The Regia is organising a celebration for the 62nd anniversary of the foundation of the Legion in Angola which will be held in the Diocese of Ndalatando.
LESOTHO
Lesotho Senatus: Work for youth feature in many reports. One praesidium has 405 children in the catechism class. Two legionaries are active in extension and reviving weak praesidia.
CAPE VERDE
Cape Verde Regia: Several reports tell of praesidia being restarted with special assistance from the parish priests. Results of visitation included bringing 36 youths to be prepared for baptism. The Comitium on Ilha do Fogo – Island of Fire – reports 279 children recruited for catechism mainly through 40 Exploratio Dominicalis. On Sao Antao Island the Curia’s emphasis is on conversion with 120 youths and adults prepared for baptism.
EGYPT Prayers are asked for the legionaries in Egypt at this difficult time.
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