Concilium Bulletin September 2007

REPORTS - Asia
Vietnam: They continue to report a great number of Baptisms of adults and children one Comitium alone had 1,046 adults and 316 children who were prepared for and received the Sacrament. They work very closely with the Bishop. They established 65 new praesidia.

India
Karnataka Regia: 16 members of a praesidium undertook visitation of all homes. Sacramentals and Catholic literature were distributed.

Calcutta Comitium: the Bishop has expressed his pleasure at the availability of the Handbook in Bengali. Chennai Regia: Works include visitation of homes and hospitals. Those of other faiths are contacted and usually receive the Catholics very well.

Mumbai Regia: The Regia consists of 29 directly affiliated praesidia, 1 junior and 14 senior Curiae and 3 Comitia. They carry out their business in 7 languages. Bishop Agnelo Gracias attended the July meeting and in his Allocutio put to the members the message of evangelisation of sharing the good news of the Gospel. A committee has been formed to promote the Cause of Venerable Edel Quinn. Legionaries reach out to all sections of society, people living in slums, the bereaved, non-Christians, hospitals, street contact and the forgotten in homes and prisons.

Myanmar
Panthein Comitium reported on visitation of homes and hospitals accompanying the priest and visiting with the statue of Our Lady. The legionaries recorded the regularisation of 241 marriages resulting in 540 Baptisms. Loikaw Curia started 5 new praesidia.

Sri Lanka
One Comitium has 26 senior praesidia, a junior Curia of 18 praesidia and a second Curia with 1 junior and 4 senior praesidia. A wide variety of apostolic work is undertaken. A project resulted in a Curia of 10 praesidia being established. 125 attended a day of recollection. 2 legionaries entered the religious life. The praesidia reporting in addition to the usual works do block rosaries, recruit Auxiliary members, consecrate homes to the Sacred Heart and teach Catechism.

Thailand
A junior Curia of 14 praesidia includes in its works encouraging companions in the practice of the faith, promoting Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, prayer and Bible study. A Korean praesidium with 20 active members seeks out Catholics in remote areas, promotes the Rosary, visits the sick and recruits active and auxiliary members.

Pakistan
A successful Congress was held with an attendance of over 200 legionaries. The Congress was covered in the local newspaper with various write ups. Ongoing works include visitation of orphanages, as well as parish based projects, including a bible quiz.

Central America

El Salvador
The Curia in Atehuan reported 3 children baptised after 2 year& visitation and a sick man brought to the Sacraments after 3 years visitation. Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament was looked after by a praesidium with 8 active members on the Feast of Divine Mercy and 14 priests heard Confessions and more than 500 attended. A couple co-habiting for 37 years were married after 9 months visitation, and a young girl of 20 was brought back from the sects. In July the Senatus had seven minutes silence to remember Julio Cezar Cirillo, former Legion envoy, who had died R.I.P. A visitation committee of 5 pairs was set up. Three new junior praesidia resulted from PPC project in Zacatecoluca and others were strengthened.

Guatemala
Regia of Camotan: Extension resulted in 3 new praesidia; one Curia on average founds 3 new praesidia per annum and one Curia divided. There are reports of Exploratio Dominicalis and PPC projects. Visitation of jails, hostels and the abandoned is done. Children and adults are prepared for the Sacraments Legionaries prepare and transmit the Radio programme “The Voice of the Legion of Mary”. Three couples were married, 7 children were baptised. 36 children are being prepared to receive First Holy Communion and a family returned to the Church from a sect because the legionaries befriended them.

Nicaragua
Regia of Managua received reports from 1 praesidium and 2 Curiae. Members evangelise from house to house and pray the Rosary in May and October. Evangelisation is also carried out in buses. At the request of the parish priest the homes are visited with the pilgrim statue. They celebrated the Anniversary of the Miraculous Medal with a Solemn Eucharist and had children present. Talks are given on the Sacrament of Matrimony.

Belize
Curia of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary: The Rosary is recited in the homes in May and October and also on the street. Parish census is done. Evangelisation is carried out in homes and in hospitals.

Panama
Panama City Comitium: There are 14 praesidia and 16 Curiae attached. An attached Curia reported that some of the legionaries gave talks on drug addiction and delinquency in schools and colleges. A large number of young persons have returned to the faith due to the efforts of young legionaries.

Costa Rica
Costa Rica Senatus: Work in some areas is difficult due to terrain and lack of public transport. An 85 year old man sets off at 4am for his 10am meeting. Legionaries help the Parish Priest, especially during Holy Week with the arrangements for the Processions through the different parishes. Instruction in the faith is given and the Rosary is recited in schools. Eucharistic Adoration is promoted and they try to help young people to rehabilitate from drugs. Using the Miraculous Medal resulted in a girl refusing to have an abortion and now her baby is five months old.

Honduras
Senatus of Tegucigalpa: The Legion is established in each of the 8 dioceses, covered by the Senatus and it has 4 Comitia attached. All councils celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Legion in the country.

Europe

Cyprus
The 3 praesidia continue home visitation with the statue of Our Lady and are warmly welcomed by management, staff and patients in a clinic and a home for the elderly. Helping with Sunday liturgy and Block Rosary Crusade continues. A new venture by a Nicosia praesidium was an apostolate to the crowd in a shopping area and a park. They got a wonderful reception from people of all religions and intend to continue this work of evangelisation.

Italy
Milan Regia: A praesidium carries out visitation of homes, bars, gardens and markets in public places. Those met are mostly lonely people with many problems. Another praesidium gave Miraculous Medals and Legion prayer leaflets to a young Chinese girl returning to her native country. Genoa: Legionaries held a Legion day for parishioners in a town where they hope to start a praesidium.

Padua Comitium: Italian legionaries will join a Maltese team on a Peregrinatio Pro Christo project to a Padua parish.

Rome Senatus: Catania (Sicily) report notable success in recruiting young people. The new suburban praesidium at Filettino is doing well with 22 members.

Portugal
Lisbon Regia: A praesidium working in a deprived area encountered over 200 non-practicing families whose children are not attending Catechism classes; they are also dealing with delinquent young people starting out in the world of drugs and prostitution. Immaculate Conception Comitium with 10 praesidia and 2 Curiae are active in extension. They recorded one junior and 2 senior praesidia with another in preparation. Coimbra Regia has set up 2 praesidia.

Malta
Malta Regia: Regia officeres met with the new Archbishop and presented him with the Annual Report of the Regia. He told the officers that they should be looking through the eyes of Frank Duff not in the way he envisaged the Legion when it started but how he would look to the future now. Reports from 3 Curiae showed intensive home visitation. Members of a junior Curia with 14 praesidia contact their own age group, paying particular attention to those with problems. Other works are visitation of nursing homes and people with special needs. A praesidium of 13 members looks after a Legion group in the prison and has an apostolate to immigrants.
Councils under the care of Malta Albania: all 3 Curiae held their Acies on 25 and 26 March. Skhoder Curia has 30 praesidia, Sape has 21 and Lezhe 11. Legionaries face a lot of difficulties such as lack of suitable places for meetings and other activities. A new praesidium was set up in a village called Hot.

Visit by Officers of the Spanish Councils
The 3 Senatus of Madrid, Bilbao and Barcelona were represented at the Concilium meeting by their officers, who had come to Dublin for discussions with the Concilium officers. Maribel Guzmen, president of Madrid Senatus reported that the Senatus governs 32 councils based in 23 Dioceses with 350 praesidia, 3,295 active members and 14,120 Auxiliary members. The sick, elderly, prisoners, prostitutes and immigrants are visited and contact is made with young people on the streets. 5 Peregrinatio Pro Christo projects were carried out in 2007. Emilia Martin, President of Bilbao Senatus said the Council governs 3 Comitia, 7 Curiae with a total of 891 active, 313 praetorians and 3,175 Auxiliaries of whom 805 are Adjutorians. In addition to visiting the sick, Catechism is taught and attention is given to drug addicts, alcoholics, prisoners, prostitutes and immigrants. Pilar Farnis, Secretary of Barcelona Senatus reported that the Senatus has 6 Curiae with 885 active members attached. In addition to the usual Legion apostolate, hygiene classes are organised for young immigrant mothers.
Thanks were expressed to the Concilium by the 3 sets of Senatus officers including Rev. Fr. Joseph Grandrau, Assistant Spiritual Director of Barcelona Senatus for the great reception given to them in Dublin and they said they would work together for the extension and development of the Legion in Spain.

Africa

Cameroon
Douala Senatus: Some new praesidia and Curiae have been set up. Yaounde Regia reported having 8 Comitia, 13 affiliated Curiae (3 from an outside area) and 7 attached praesidia (1 from outside) - with 4,274 active and 2,574 auxiliary members. A new Junior Curia was established. The Comitium of Bafia governs 30 Curiae which are very distant.

Benin
Cotonou Regia: Reports from praesidia gave details of excellent work done in the course of home and hospital visitation, teaching Catechism, preparing children and adults for Baptism and other Sacraments, recruiting and aftercare of auxiliary members. Two groups of Patricians hold regular meetings. A new Curia has been organised and visits are paid to some Comitia and Curiae.

Congo
Brazzaville Regia: Minutes show that at present it has 5 Comitia, 21 affiliated Curiae and 12 attached praesidia. The Regia officers have organised extension trips to very distant areas without the Legion. Works reported in all areas include visitation of homes contacting Catholics, Orthodox, Muslims, pagans and sects, teaching Catechism to adults and children, and organising prayer meetings for parishioners.

Ivory Coast
Abidjan Regia: Catholics and non-Catholics are met in the course of the visitation of homes, prisons and the university campus. Catechumens are recruited, catechism classes and baptisms are arranged among other works.

Visit by Officers of Uganda Senatus
John Baptist Kizito, president of Uganda Senatus spoke about the privilege of being present at a Concilium meeting and he presented the following statistics for his council: 2 Regiae, 50 Comitia, 522 Curiae, 3,095 praesidia, 94,000 active members including 555 prisoners in 17 praesidia and having 2 Curiae within the prisons. He said the Legion was concentrating on involving youth and for this purpose music, dance and drama are used to interest them in the apostolate. Fr. Expedito Walakira, Spiritual Director ofthe Senatus thanked the Concilium Officers for facilitating the visit and he said the Legion spirit is alive and well in his country and they will work hard to spread it. Joseph Kirumira, former president of the Senatus, Vastina Makara, Secretary, Christopher Musubire, Treasurer and Henry Ssensonga, Vice President spoke about recent visits undertaken by them on behalf of the Concilium to Legion councils in South Africa, Ethiopia, and Lesotho.
Tommy McCabe, President of the Concilium thanked the legionaries for all they are doing for the Legion in Uganda and he asked them to bring back warm greetings to all the legionaries at home.

Elisabeth Kriss - Extension Worker in the Ukraine
Elisabeth arrived in Kiev on the 12 September 2007 and was met by the President of the Curia who arranged accommodation for her.

Election of Treasurer
Nominations were sought for the office of Treasurer of Concilium as Janet Lowthe had completed her 3 year term. She was proposed and seconded and as there were no other nominations, she was duly elected Treasurer for a second term. The Concilium President congratulated her on her re-election and wished her every grace and blessing.

Centenary of the Birth of Venerable Edel Quinn 14 September 2007 - 13 September 2008

Prayer for the Beatification of Venerable Edel Quinn
Eternal Father, I thank you for the grace you gave to your servant, Edel Quinn, of striving to live always in the joy of your presence, for the radiant charity infused into her heart by your Holy Spirit and for the strength she drew from the Bread of Life to labour until death for the glory of Your name in loving dependence on Mary, Mother of the Church. Confident, 0 Merciful Father, that her life was pleasing to you, I beg you to grant me, through her intercession, the special favour I now implore ..........., and to make known by miracles the glory she enjoys in Heaven, so that she may be glorified also by your Church on earth, through Christ Our Lord, Amen

Favours attributed to the intercession of The Venerable Edel Quinn should be reported to:
Legion of Mary De Montfort House, Morning Star Avenue, North Brunswick Street, Dublin 7, Ireland