Concilium Reports - August 2013
NORTH AMERICA, CANADA AND WEST INDIES
UNITED STATE OF AMERICA
Boston Senatus: Providence Comitium has 18 praesidia and 3 Curiae with 83 active and 217 auxiliary members; New Haven Comitium has 7 praesidia including 1 junior with 47 members. Two Curiae with 8 praesidia and 47 members and another with 35 active members also reported. The Merrimack Korean Curia has 9 praesidia with 76 active and 84 auxiliary members. The works include Sunday school, contacting parents of newly baptised, and home, hospital and prison visitation. A priest who regularly invites parishioners to join the Legion recruited 9 members.
Philadelphia Senatus: All 3 volumes of Gems of Wisdom are very popular. Works in Camden Comitium include book barrow, prison visits and Patricians. Migrant work camps were visited resulting in 14 returns to sacraments and 2 conversions. Another praesidium had 5 conversions and 3 returns to the sacraments. Harrisburg Comitium report 345 non-Catholics met at a Jubilee Day Booth.
Chicago Senatus: The annual May gathering features a conference, crowd contact and the Senatus meeting at which many legionaries from distant councils attended. Noel Lynch was the guest speaker. The Hispanic Curia with 12 praesidia do door to door visitation, teach catechism and evangelise families at funerals. The Korean Comitium recruited 10 active and 8 auxiliaries since their last report. They also had 4 conversions and 3 returns to the sacraments.
Houston Senatus: On behalf of Concilium 3 legionaries from the Senatus visited Belize and gave a report on the visit. They were well received, attended the Acies and visited all 6 praesidia. Archbishop Sheehan presided at Albuquerque Comitium Acies. The Chinese Curia attached to the Senatus had 100 parishioners at a May Crowning ceremony. Another praesidium reports 2 conversions.
St. Louis Senatus: 87 people returned to the Church and 31 active and auxiliary members were gained as a result of legionaries staffing booths at country fairs. 2 prison inmates visited came into the Church and 2 others became auxiliary members.
New York Senatus: Our Lady of Martyrs Curia gained 6 new members in the last quarter. One praesidium does sidewalk book barrow and undertook Exploratio Dominicalis, while another reported contact after Sunday Masses resulting in 3 attending the meeting, 5 becoming auxiliaries and 8 going to Confession.
San Francisco Senatus: North San Mateo Curia has 17 praesidia which includes 3 juniors. It also has a family praesidium giving its 8th report. 5 junior and 15 seniors (including parents) visited 1,411 homes, do book barrow and crowd contact, teach catechism and has 2 Methodists receiving instruction. The parents feel this praesidium greatly aids the formation and religious instruction of their children. The Seminary praesidium one of 13 attached to South San Mateo has 8 members and 1 auxiliary. They do youth ministry, teach catechism and had a barbeque for fellow seminarians.
Arlington Regia: A new praesidium brings to 13 the number attached to the Regia. A new Curia comprising 5 French speaking praesidia was set up by Washington Comitium. The members are immigrants from different French speaking countries. A 2-day Evangelisation project had 80 legionaries contacting 1,000 homes. Much follow up work is undertaken by legionaries in the Regia and Baltimore and Fairfax Comitia who hosted booths at Summer Fairs.
Miami Regia: 37 and 10 visitors attended the April meeting. Visitation of attached praesidia and councils is underway, including Jamaica.
CANADA
Vancouver Comitium: A reporting praesidium of 8 visited 30 new homes as part of their Family Rosary Crusade. Many families report special graces after hosting the statue of the Virgin in their homes. Another praesidium reported helping in a Nursing Home, hosting a video and book lending library which has led to increased interest in religious matters.
Edmonton Comitium: reports a new Korean praesidium in Holden and a Curia of 11 senior and 1 junior praesidia organised a well-attended Corpus Christi procession and leading lay-led liturgies.
Montreal Senatus: All councils were encouraged to undertake annual audits. Works of consolation, promoting adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and extension featured.
Toronto Senatus: The Korean Comitium has 6 Curiae attached with 75 praesidia with 778 active members. Winnipeg Comitium reported a retired teacher became a legionary due to the exemplary behaviour of students who were junior legionaries. Praesidia of 9 and 11 members reported on crowd contact, visiting bus shelters and shopping malls, as well as doing door to door visits and running junior praesidia.
WEST INDIES
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Santo Domingo Senatus: Concilium visitors Conso Tello and Javier de Frutos were welcomed to the meeting. Reporting praesidia and Curiae were visiting prisons, preparing people for the sacraments of Baptism and Matrimony and children for 1st Holy Communion as well as visiting homes, hospitals and prisons. 2 couples, one after 20 years and another after 54 years had their marriages blessed by the Church. Maria Immaculata Curia has 50 members in 3 praesidia. In Arca de la Alianza Curia with 7 praesidia, 130 members, 69 auxiliaries, 24 adjutorians and 8 praetorians evangelised 1600 prisoners and 265 children were prepared for 1st Holy Communion.
Santiago de los Caballeros Senatus: heard reports with homes, hospital and prisons being visited. Catechism taught to children and preparation for all Sacraments including pre-Baptismal courses for parents and godparents. A young drug addict was helped to leave a life of drugs and prostitution is now a active member and daily communicant.
HAITI
Haiti Senatus: 2 Comitia, a Curia and a seminary praesidium reported. The councils had celebrated their 50th and 60th anniversaries this year. Works include home visitation, including those still living in tents, the sick and elderly at home and accompany the priest on sick calls. Hospitals, orphanages, prisons and the bereaved are visited; junior praesidia are being set up, catechism and counselling feature widely in reports.
PORTO RICO
Puerto Rico Senatus: Manati Comitium report having 10 Patrician groups, 2 young couples returned to their faith and are now evangelising among other young couples. Youth and adults are instructed and prepared for the Sacraments. A recently revived praesidium is working in a dangerous area. A Pentecostal convert is now an active member. Those who can’t are helped to fill in official documents.
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EUROPE
SPAIN
Madrid Senatus: The Senatus has a very active website and also publishes a monthly bulletin. The Bishop of Alcala de Henares has asked legionaries to work in the red light area and is also to recommend the Legion to parish priests. The Seville Curia does home visitation and street contact work and Tenerife Curia uses the book barrow and promotes Radio Maria. Pacita Santos, the envoy who set up the Legion in Spain is still remembered; the current Senatus bulletin carries many of the suggestions she made to the first Spanish legionaries over 50 years ago. Four Senatus legionaries carried out two Concilium visits to Central America.
Bilbao Senatus: Legionaries in Oviedo learned the sign language and help 2 deaf boys. The Basauri Curia celebrated its 50th anniversary. They work with youth and run a Patrician group with a nun as the Spiritual Director as there is no priest available. Durango Curia has a junior praesidium and a pre-juveniles group. An ex drug prisoner is being helped.
Barcelona Senatus: Members of a praesidium reported learning the sign language in order to help deaf people. They visit multiple sclerosis patients and teach them to paint. The Curia in Zaragoza helps refugees. Two legionaries are catechists. Legionaries have found employment for some people. Works reported are acting as Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist, helping in a laundry for the homeless and refugees and giving them language lessons in Spanish and Catalan. A Curia in Reus helps to keep the Church doors open.
PORTUGAL
Lisbon Senatus: A new praesidium was set up in Benfica and another praesidium of 13 members has 6 praetorians. Work is undertaken with destitute families and people with drug related problems. Trained catechists prepared 18 children for the Sacraments including 2 for baptism. Schools are visited to enrol children for catechetical instruction; 3 catechists teach 65 children. The Oporto Regia with 16 praesidia has 4 Comitia and 2 Curia attached. The Regia is working at extension in 6 areas. 3 priests have agreed to Columban Drives in their parishes. Braga Comitium is to set up a junior Curia and in the Azores families are visited seeking children for baptism.
ITALY
Rome Senatus: On behalf of the Concilium two experienced members of the Senatus, Antonietta Della Manna and Franco Morra, represented the Legion at a special meeting of the Pontifical Council of the Laity to discuss the holding of a Congress of ecclesial movements in 2014 with the theme “A New Pope, a New Beginning”. In his June allocutio, the Spiritual Director Mgr. La Rosa spoke of Frank Duff’s devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary and urged the consecration of families to the Sacred Heart and the use of the Miraculous Medal.
Milan Regia: Genoa Comitium has a new praesidium. The Filipino praesidium in Turin reported the aftercare of parents and children, 12 of whom received 1st Holy communion and 22 Confirmation. In Milan work is done at Central Station and in Parco Nord. Most praesidia have some praetorians. There is good rapport with Hospital Chaplains and visits to mental patients are welcomed.
Padova Comitium: In Verona the Nigerian praesidium with over 30 members divided and formed a new praesidium of 18 members and 4 probationers. They visit the prison, distributing bibles and Rosaries and hope to start a junior praesidium.
CYPRUS
The praesidium in Limassol has 20 members; they visit homes and hospitals and promote devotion to the Sacred Heart. A convert has joined the Legion. The 3 praesidia in Nicosia have good membership. Works include block Rosaries, hospital visitation, street and park contact. Larnaca was visited to seek permission to start a praesidium.
MALTA
Malta Regis: The new Auxiliary Bishop of Malta attended a combined Acies for all the Maltese legionaries. An Italian speaking praesidium with 9 members and 42 auxiliaries has an apostolate to the Italian community. Two retreats were organised for auxiliaries. A praesidium of 8 members has a monthly Rosary in a red light district followed by contact work. This praesidium also has an apostolate of the sea and organises masses and confessions. Over 100 Masses were celebrated on different ships. Monthly talks on the life of Frank Duff have an attendance of 15 to 20. Works in some of the Curiae are recitation of the Rosary in clubs, flats and outdoor places; 11 families were consecrated to the Sacred Heart. An attached praesidium organises daily Mass in a home for the elderly.
Gozo Comitium: The Bishop of Gozo attended the Annual General Reunion. He asked legionaries to pray for religious vocations and asked for more commitment to recruiting. A meeting was held for Spiritual Directors and a mid-week retreat for legionaries who cannot attend on a Sunday.
ALBANIA
Legionaries from Malta visited Albania. The Legion is in 4 of the 5 Dioceses. Skhroder Comitium has 27 directly attached praesidia, 3 Curiae and 2 distant praesidia. Separate meeting were held with the Officer of the 3 Curiae and the Comitium. A praesidium of 15 members visited is functioning well and carrying out the apostolate in pairs. The Bishop of Pristina in Kosovo was asked for permission to establish the Legion in his Diocese and given a Legion Handbook. A young priest there is ready to assist.
GREECE
There are 2 praesidia in Thessalonica, one Greek speaking which includes some Italians and the other English speaking. There are 2 senior and 1 junior praesidia in Rhodes.
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AFRICA
KENYA
Kenya Senatus: Young legionaries walked from the city to Venerable Edel Quinn’s grave for the anniversary Mass on 12 May. Legionaries from Uganda and Tanzania and all parts of Kenya attended. Rt. Rev. John Oballa Owaa, Bishop of Ngong Diocese was chief celebrant. Machakos Comitium set up 3 councils and had 878 returns to the sacraments, 91 marriages validated, 940 adults prepared for Confirmation, 296 lapsed legionaries returned to the apostolate and 101 joined the catechism class. Kisumu Regia had 2035 returns to the sacraments, 1334 adults prepared for baptism and 433 marriages validated. Prisoners, disabled people and the aged are visited regularly and 197 alcoholics and traditional brewers were contacted and 37 left the trade and became sober. 5 Praesidia were set up.
MALAWI
Blantyre Senatus: Six of the 12 praesidia which reported have an average of 20. Works include teaching catechumens, encouraging lapsed Catholics to return to the sacraments, visiting the sick and helping in Church. The Senatus has 12 praesidia, 8 Curiae and 17 Comitia in Blantyre Archdiocese and 4 Regiae governing the Legion in Lilongwe Archdiocese and in the dioceses of Mangochi, Dedza, Mzuzu and Karonga and 9 Comitia in Zomba and Chikwawa. The Senatus works efficiently with help from correspondents and does regular council visitation. Workshops held during the Year of Faith had attendances from 100-500.
UGANDA
Uganda Senatus: 2013 has been a special year for anniversaries as in May the Church celebrated the centenary of the first priest ordained in Uganda. In May also the Senatus celebrated 50 years in existence. While in July the Legion marked the 75th anniversary of the arrival of Edel Quinn in Uganda and on September 14th celebrations will take place in Lugazi Diocese where she set up the first praesidium. This praesidium, in a Teachers’ Training College, is still working away and there are many other praesidia and councils in Tertiary Institutions, throughout Uganda. In planning these events the Senatus has put much emphasis on simplicity and spirituality.
NIGERIA
Ibadan Senatus: The 5 seminary praesidia are not included as they are on standing apology due to seminary commitments. The officers hope to discuss this with the rector soon. One Comitium reported 3 conversions and a Jehovah Witness under instruction, while another Comitium had 385 marriages rectified, 1200 legionaries at an Alfie Lambe Mass and 1450 at a Frank Duff Mass. Most of the work of junior members involves cleaning, but some hospital visitation is done.
Abuja Senatus: A Comitium reported that some prisoners, who had converted, were released early. A praesidium in a police barracks had 2 conversions, 3 lapsed returned, 3 marriages rectified and 5 members took the Promise.
Enugu Senatus: A Regia with 17 attached praesidia, 14 Curiae, 4 junior Curiae and 5 Comitia have 7296 seniors of whom 1610 are Praetorians and 1193 juniors. As a result of Exploratio Dominicalis projects, 48 people were prepared for First Holy Communion, 7 lapsed returned, 11 family disputes were settled, 24 couples married in Church and 14 members were recruited. Among the works reported were 915 adults prepared for Baptism, 2399 for Holy Communion, 2264 for Confirmation and 405 couples were helped marry in Church, 1058 members recruited and 2 Comitia and a senior Curia were established.
Jos Regia: A Curia with 12 senior praesidia and 1 junior Curia has 144 probationers and reported 3 marriages blessed, 66 prepared for Sacraments, and 15 lapsed returned.
Onitsha Regia: One Comitium prepared 340 for Baptism, 407 for Holy Communion, 25 for Confirmation and 131 couples were helped marry in Church, 136 members were recruited and 4 senior and 2 junior praesidia were set up. An attached Students’ Curia has 10 Praesidia
Ikot Ekpene Regia organised a successful officers’ training course in Port Harcourt. The Major Seminary in Ikot Ekpene has a Curia.
Kaduna Regia: Works include home, prison, orphanage, hotel and hospital visitation, the latter included visits to those badly injured as a result of the bomb blasts last year. They report 3082 Baptised, 3615 received first Holy Communion, 460 had their marriages blessed in Church, 295 marriage cases were settled, 329 lapsed returned and 158 were converted. Juniors, council visitation, Exploratio Dominicalis and Peregrinatio Pro Christo type projects figure in many reports and polygamy is a big problem encountered during the projects.
Lagos Regia: A new Curia was formed to help improve attendance, but the opposite has been the case. Apparently, many arrive late for the meeting and if it’s after the Catena they are not marked present. A Comitium with 2579 members, 83% of whom are under 40, reported 145 couples had marriages blessed. Another Comitium formed a new Curia and 12 praesidia were started in the area. Nearly 7,000 were contacted on crowd contact. The Archbishop of Lagos, Most Rev. Dr. Martins has restored the 3-year term for officers of councils in the archdiocese.
LIBERIA
All Curia Officers were present at the January meeting and 9 Praesidia were represented. A new praesidium reported in November visited homes and 2 clinics praying with the patients. It was reported that a lady met on visitation who converted, died soon after receiving Baptism. On Pentecost Sunday Archbishop Michael Francis died following a long illness, he had struggled for Justice and Peace for almost 30 years.
TANZANIA
Dar-Es-Salaam Regia: A report heard of the promotion of the Legion carried out at Masses on 24th February by Legionaries from Segerea Senior Seminary. There was very good co-operation from priests and approximately 700 were recruited including 182 youth. 9 praesidia were set up, are being monitored and are doing well. A seminar on Legionary duties was held in April and praesidia undertook a Novena to Edel from 3-11 May concluding with Mass on 12th.
Mtwara Comitium: In January concern was expressed that as the constitution of the country was undergoing a review, freedom of worship could be endangered while at the March meeting Legionaries were asked for continued prayer for Peace in their region and country as there had been riots and burnings and some attacks on priests.
Mbeya Comitium: A new Curia has been set up and the membership is now 1641. Their youth effort is drawing new members and they included a detailed timetable on recruiting in parishes. Other works include visiting sick people at home and in hospital and helping married couples in difficulties.
Hai Moshi Comitium: Reports include home/hospital visitation and looking after juniors, helping settle marriage disputes, preparing adults and children for the Sacraments and teaching children Catechism. There were many returns to the Sacraments and marriages blessed.
Kahama Comitium: After a long silence a letter in June gave full details of the Acies ceremony in May. There were 166 present and the ceremony went very well. During the Acies the priest praised the role of the Legion in serving the Church worldwide.
ZAMBIA
Lusaka Regia: Works include visitation of homes, hospitals, orphanages and prisons and supervising juniors. They report one family returned to the Church, a couple had their marriage blessed, a Jehovah Witness couple with marital problems were reconciled and one person received the Sacrament of the Sick.
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