Reports
United States
Philadelphia Senatus:
The Concilium correspondent attended the 50th anniversary celebrations of the Senatus. Cardinal Rigali concelebrated Mass with 20 priests and 900 legionaries attended. Allentown Curia do street apostolate in downtown Reading. Norristown Comitium has Frank Duff and Alfie Lambe prayer groups. Mater Dolorosa Curia had 9 children Baptised. As a result of the reorganisation of Councils in west Pennsylvania, attendance has improved in the new Altoon-Johstown Curia
St. Louis Senatus:
New praesidia have been started in Cheyenne, Saratoga, Arkansas and a Spanish one in St. Louis. Twelve homes were consecrated to the Sacred Heart, and many homes were blessed. There were 12 returns to the Church and one conversion. In Omaha 168 people were vested in the Brown Scapular. A former member of the Senatus was ordained to the priesthood in Texas.
Cincinnati Senatus:
Emphasis has been on promoting The Holy Eucharist. A new praesidium was started. The Senatus gives special attention to improving attendance at its meeting.
Boston Senatus:
Hartford Comitium reported 2 new praesidia. Three of their 17 praesidia are in the prison. They teach the rosary to the inmates. New Britain Curia also has 2 new praesidia. Works done include preparing people for Baptism and Marriage. Door to door visitation is increasing in the Senatus area. Extension is being carried out in parishes without the Legion.
San Francisco Senatus:
Visitation of Councils by the Senatus is appreciated and has added a greater spirit of fraternity among memberssit to Anchorage which involved a 5 hour plane journey arriving at 1.30 a.m. found the legionaries dedicated and faithful. Extension to North Utah with only 2 praesidia is underway. In the course of book barrow work the faces of the Chinese light up when they see the prayer leaflet with the picture of Our Lady of China.
Chicago Senatus:
The Senatus celebrated its 40th anniversary with a two-day celebration finishing with Mass and a get together. The Concilium correspondent was present. Cardinal George concelebrated the Mass. Reports from the legionaries who attended the Summer School in Dublin found it like a Retreat, which was also educational and joyful. A praesidium at Middle Ridge have a picnic once a month to unite parishioners. At a question and answer session during Lent a former Lutheran Minister and his wife told of their experience of converting to Catholicism.
New York Senatus:
The Legion had 2 stands at a day of celebrations in St. Helena's High School. In the Rockville Comitium 58 parishes have the Legion out of a total of 134 parishes. Two senior praesidia and 1 junior were set up. Book barrow work is done by a number of praesidia and 1 reported conducting a sidewalk rosary in close proximity to the book barrow.
Houston Senatus:
The Concilium correspondent was present at the inaugural meeting of the Senatus in September. Visitors from all three states - Texas, New Mexico and Louisiana were present. A Peregrinatio Pro Christo Conference was held the previous day with 400 attending. Many legionaries had to flee their homes in the path of hurricane Rita. This was the second time this happened for legionaries in New Orleans and many Councils in Louisiana. Prayers are requested for them. Works in the Council include street apostolate, Pilgrim Virgin visitation and Enthronements.
Los Angeles Senatus:
Legionaries in the San Fernando Valley Curia do apostolate to the crowd at bus stops and at the nearby parks. The reception is generally friendly. A new Korean Curia gave its first annual report and has 20 senior and 2 junior praesidia attached.
Arlington Regia:
A Parish Evangelical project found new Spanish arrivals attending a pseudo Catholic Church and guided them to the right Church and informed the Chancery. A Peregrinatio Pro Christ team worked in West Virginia with great success. The Silver Jubilee of the death of the Servant of God Frank Duff is being celebrated with a Mass on the 6 November 2005.
Miami Regia:
An Exploratio Dominicalis project took place to a shopping mall in Pensacola and 1,312 homes were visited during a Peregrinatio Pro Christ to Augusta, Georgia. A praesidium with 11 members and 324 auxiliaries do home and jail visitation and bring Holy Communion to shut-ins. Contact has been re-established with Jamaica. The last report from Biloxi, Alabama, which was hit by hurricane Katrina was that the Curia hoped to meet despite the weather conditions.
West Indies
Senatus of Notre Dame de l'Assumption, Haiti: Visitation of Councils is done and visits are made to areas where the Legion is weak. Works include home, hospital and prison visitation, preparing people for the Sacraments and bringing the priest to sick people. Work is often done difficult circumstances.
San Juan Senatus, Puerto Rico:
Two junior groups have joined the senior ranks. The statue of Our Lady was taken to a new area and resulted in people going to Mass. Prison and hospital visitation is also done.
Regia of Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic:
The Regia has 32 Comitia, 6 Curiae and 14 praesidia attached with a total of 30,000 active members. Steps have been taken to raise the Council to Senatus level and establish a Regia in La Vega. The correspondent has written stating that agreement must be obtained from the Concilium and the Ecclesiastical authorities. Excellent work is done by the Legion. The rosary is recited in homes and in the streets. Retreats and processions are organised. Prisons and the sick are visited. Catechism is taught to children, adolescents and adults resulting Baptisms, Confirmations and Marriages regularised.
Bahamas Curia:
The praesidium in Great Bahamas Island is meeting again after the hurricane. The new Spiritual Director has suggested that serious thought would be given to recruiting and extending into other parishes and to the islands.
Canada
Montreal Senatus:
In the Senatus area 4 new active and 13 auxiliary members were recruited. Works in the attached Councils include visiting prisoners and the sick at home and in hospital. One Curia has a Patrician group. The lapsed are encouraged to return to the faith and young people are encouraged to return to Mass.
Ottawa Senatus:
Videos on the life of the Servant of God Frank Duff have been shown and a pilgrimage was arranged to Cap de la Madeleine. As a result of a recruiting drive 13 gave their names as potential members. A Retention Centre is visited and the Gospel is read followed by a discussion with the inmates.
Edmonton Comitium:
Twelve praesidia are attached to the Comitium including 1 junior and 3 in outlying areas. A new praesidium has 7 members. In Calgary extension efforts are on going.
Toronto Regia:
Several Columban drives were held and one new praesidium was set up. Reports were received about 5 Patrician meetings and the highest attendance was 25.
Vancouver Comitium:
One new praesidium has been set up. A Peregrinatio Pro Christo project took place to Nelson and Trail. An apostolate is carried out to sailors when ships dock and prisoners are visited. Other works include the Family Rosary crusade; the legionaries pray the rosary with them and as a result 5 returned to the practice of the Faith.
South America
Ecuador
Quito Senatus
- Cuenca Regia was affiliated to Senatus at the August 2005 meeting. This affiliation is a positive move for the Legion in Ecuador as Cuenca Regia is a very active Council. Quito Senatus has a very active extension group at present setting up praesidia in three city parishes. Following Br. Bernardo's recommendations more home to home visitation is encouraged.
Bolivia
La Paz Senatus:
The officers visited 2 Comitia in Sucre in the province of Tarija and found the Legion working well. A written list of recommendations was left. Small and ageing praesidia in the Senatus are helped and are usually revived. An important work undertaken in the Senatus is the teaching of catechism to young boys doing military service.
Venezuela
Caracas Senatus
has 1 Regia, 2 Comitia, 15 Curiae and 18 praesidia attached and 23 Comitia and 2 praesidia outside Caracas.
Paraguay
Asuncion Senatus:
Several praesidia have been set up, the extension committee set up 2 Curiae. Two hundred youths are preparing for the Fifth National Youth Conference. A praesidium reported 34 Baptisms and 17 prepared for Marriage. A Curia of 15 praesidia was set up and a Comitium of 6 Curiae reported the regularisation of over 300 marriages.
Peru
Lima Senatus:
A Comitium, 4 Curiae and 3 praesidia reported. Official confirmation of the setting up of a new Regia is awaited. Recent minutes reported that extension efforts in Camana resulted in 2 praesidia being set up to strengthen the new Regia. Callao Comitium has 3 praesidia in the jail and they visit the maximum and minimun security areas. They also have 8 junior praesidia, 7 senior praesidia and 4 more senior ones in prospect. The Archbishop of Lima awarded the Fr. Peyton prize for 2005 to the Legion for their promotion of the Rosary.
Uruguay
Montevideo Senatus:
A retired priests' home is visited and a 2 month Rosary Chain was offered for priestly vocations. The Mormons and other sects are active in the country. The Servant of God Alfie Lambe is very warmly remembered in Uruguay. His last work, the "Extension Committee" is working in Atlantida at the request of the Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Canelones. The Legion is the only organisation permitted to visit the Military Hospital.
Colombia
Bogota Senatus:
Tunja Regia was complimented for its 7 Comitia. Bishop Olavio Lopez Duque in his allocutio mentioned the need to double efforts to evangelise the family.
Chile
Santiago Senatus:
The Regia La Serena, which is affiliated to the Senatus and is a very good Council has celebrated its 45th anniversary. It does considerable prison visitation.
Bernardo de Nardo Extension Worker in Chile and Guatamala
Bernardo has completed a visit to the Senatus of Santiago, Chile. The purpose of his visit was to discuss problems with the Senatus officers. During his visit he had an opportunity to visit a few praesidia in the city and the Comitium of Temuco in the south of the country. He reports a great spirit and excellent work being done by the legionaries.
Bernardo is now back in Guatemala. He was present at the setting up of a Comitium in Esquipulas, which started with a Mass celebrated by the Bishop and Spiritual Directors. In spite of the hurricane, which caused huge floods and landslides, over 400 legionaries arrived to take part in the celebrations.
West Africa
Burundi
Senatus minutes indicate the formation of new Comitia at Mukembe, Ntita and Murayi. Sr. Adriana Nahimana, the former envoy, is still active in extension in collaboration with the Senatus officers. She visited Ruyigi Diocese to prepare Nyabitare Curia for Comitium status and in Gitega Archdiocese she prepared Kirimbi Curia for the same step. Karusi Comitium reports recruiting 95 active and 51 auxiliary members, getting 114 to avail of the Sacrament of Reconciliation and helping 231 poor people by manual work. The True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin by St. Louis De Montfort is promoted in all Dioceses both within the Legion and among the public, in schools and among children, and especially in April in preparation for the Feast of St. Louis Marie.
Central African Republic
Cases mentioned in reports include marriage reconciliations, conversion from prostitution, abortions prevented or sometimes post abortion counselling, murders avoided of alleged sorcerers and drug addicts and alcoholics helped to reform.
Rwanda
Kigali Senatus:
Works reported include visitation of homes, hospitals, prisons and orphanages, teaching catechism, regularisation of marriages and works of service for sick and elderly and families of prisoners. Two new Curiae and 5 new praesidia were set up in recent months. Kibungo Comitium has a Curia for praesidia in schools and 1 in the central prison. Officers were advised to limit themselves to just 1 organisation so that they would be able to abide by its rules and their commitment to it.
Reunion Island
St. Denis Comitium:
Reports mention home visitation, resulting in many returns to Mass and Sacraments, after absences of several years and the reconciliation of many families. Auxiliary members are visited every month. A junior praesidium of 19 members help senior members with a catechism class and visit sick and elderly people in a nursing home. A Mass to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of the establishment of the Legion on the island took place on 10th October 2005. A commemorative booklet has been produced which includes a letter from the Bishop and articles on the Servant of God Frank Duff, Venerable Edel Quinn and True Devotion to Mary.
Madagascar
The report dealt with the preparation of 15 people for Baptism and visitation of a prison.
Mauritius Island
Port Louis Comitium:
Works undertaken include visitation of sick and elderly and those living a long distance from the Church, organisation of prayer groups, distribution of Miraculous Medals and Rosary Beads. Street girls and drug addicts are sought out in the course of work. An Exploratio Dominicalis project in Baie de Fombé brought members into contact with non-Catholics and members of sects. A retreat for junior members had an attendance of 37. Contact is maintained with Councils in Rodrigeau Island.
Democratic Republic of Congo
Kinshasa Senatus
is now functioning well and is in touch with all affiliated Councils. It has lost a large number of members during 5 years of intensive warfare. Minutes give details of activities of 2 the affiliated Regiae of Kisangani and Mbandaka as well as those of a Comitium, a Curia and a praesidium. Mbandaka Regia has 308 praesidia, 4,466 active members, 1,116 auxiliary members and 374 Praetorians. Contacts made in the course of visitation of family homes, hospitals, old folks homes, detention centres, etc. include Christians of all denominations, non-Christians and members of sects. Very many people have been prepared for Baptism and First Holy Communion. On 9th October 2005 a Mass was arranged at a Marian Shrine with the Cardinal as chief celebrant.
Visits Abroad
Malta
On a 6 day visit to the islands of Malta and Gozo, Bro. Tommy McCabe, president of the Concilium and Sr. Rose Caulfield, Concilium correspondent attended various meetings at Council and praesidia level and with the Council officers. They also met the Archbishop of Malta, the Bishop of Gozo and a former Nuncio to Ireland. The junior movement is quite strong and the members do excellent work. Question and Answer sessions on the Legion were held on both islands; one of these meetings drew an attendance of 400 legionaries. Malta Regia governs 1 Comitium, 10 senior and 9 junior Curiae. It also caretakes the Legion in 5 countries in North Africa and the Middle East on behalf of the Concilium. Regular contact is maintained with these countries and in 2005 a youth project was carried out in Mamurras in Albania.
The Concilium expresses its appreciation to Malta Regia for the attention it gives to the Legion in its own country and in the other areas it looks after for the Concilium.
Papua New Guinea
Bro. Liam Hayden, Assistant Secretary of the Concilium and Sr. Maureen McManus, member of the Concilium recently visited Papua New Guinea where the Legion is governed by Rabaul and Madang Regiae. They received a very warm welcome in all the places they visited. In Rabaul they attended the Legion's 50th anniversary celebrations and both addressed the 2000 legionaries gathered there. An all night vigil was held during which the Sacrament of Reconciliation was administered for 5 hours by 12 priests and this was followed by an open air Mass next day. During their stay in Papua New Guinea they visited various centres including Madang, Port Moresby, Wewak, Mount Hagen and Garoka. Everywhere the receptions were warm and colourful with displays of dancing and local culture. In one centre a pig was ceremoniously killed in their honour. The visitors met the Nuncio and a number of Bishops who received them most cordially. Bro. Tommy McCabe, president of the Concilium thanked both legionaries for undertaking the visit.
Poland
During a brief visit to Poland, Rev. Fr. Bede McGregor, O.P., Spiritual Director to the Concilium, Bro. Tommy McCabe Concilium President and Bro. Edna Dunleavy, Concilium Secretary, had useful meetings with the Spiritual Directors and officers of Lublin Regia and Warsaw Comitium. They were also received most graciously by His Eminence Cardinal Jozef Glemp who expressed a wish to see more priests involved in the Legion.
Myanmar (Burma)
Earlier in 2005, a Spiritual Director and a legionary from Bangkok Senatus, Thailand visited Myanmar on behalf of the Concilium. They attended a meeting of the Senatus in Yangon and a Comitium meeting in Mandalay. They also visited Pathein and met the local Bishop. The Concilium is very grateful to the Bangkok Senatus for carrying out this visit.
27th Annual Pilgrimage to Our Lady's Shrine at Knock, Ireland
On Sunday 25 September 2005, about 7,000 people assembled at Our Lady's Shrine at Knock for the Legion's annual pilgrimage. The Bishop of Galway, Most Rev. Dr. Martin Drennan was the chief celebrant of the Mass and also the Homilist. It was a wonderful sight to see so many coaches arriving from various parts of the country for all the ceremonies, which were conducted with great dignity and devotion.
75th anniversary celebrations of the Regina Coeli Hostel Dublin
The Regina Coeli Hostel for homeless women and children was opened in Dublin on Rosary Sunday in 1930 and it has continued to function without a break from that day. At its 75th anniversary celebrations this year, a special Mass of thanksgiving was offered in the grounds of the Hostel. The chief celebrant and Homilist was His Excellency Archbishop Giuseppe Lazzarotto, Apostolic Nuncio to Ireland, who presented a Papal Blessing to the Hostel to mark the occasion. The Lord Major of Dublin and other dignitaries also attended. After the Mass a meal was served to about 300 people and the assembled guests were addressed by a number of people including the president of the Concilium and the president of the main Hostel praesidium. Two men who had been reared in the Hostel showed their appreciation of their happy childhood there. A week of celebrations followed which included a photographic display, a recital by the Garda (Police) band and an evening of Irish dancing.
The Concilium expressed its thanks to Sr. Marie Dunleavy who was responsible for organising this successful event.