Chennai Senatus: Reports from 1 Regia, 7 Comitia and 10 Curiae were presented. Evangelisation is undertaken in the homes, hospitals; those who have strayed from the Church are encouraged back and those in irregular relationships are encouraged to have their unions blessed by the Sacrament of Marriage. The down trodden, orphans, handicapped and those marginalised in society are cared for. In preparation for their Platinum Jubilee 2005 the Senatus is encouraging extension in all its Councils especially in substations where the Legion has not existed. The Archbishop of Ponticherry after interviewing the Officers of the Comitium has written to the Concilium agreeing to the proposal to raise the Comitium to Senatus status. The Comitium itself has also discussed and agreed the proposal and said they see it as an occasion of grace.

Kerala Senatus: Since 1988 senior membership has grown by 6,000 up to 20,000 but junior membership has fallen. Affiliated to Senatus are 21 Curiae and 30 praesidia. 163 marriages were regularised and 72 families were reunited. Through extensive visitation many people of other faiths are met. A Marian Convention and Rosary Rally were held and stress is laid on promoting the Rosary. The Senatus wants Concilium to know that the earliest apparition of Our Blessed Lady was in 335 A.D. at Kuravilangatu, Kerala which is still venerated as a shrine. A legionary researched the apparition wrote a book about it and the Archbishop gave it his blessing.

Mumbai Regia: The Handbook is being translated into Hindi. A monthly extension campaign is organised resulting in new praesidia, a new Tamil Curia and the first praesidium in Agra Archdiocese. A Youth Day had an attendance of 300 at which the chief concelebrant was His Eminence Cardinal Ivan Dias. Evangelisation is mainly through home visitation. Special attention is given to the leper colony, “beggars” homes and institutions with adult inmates. Rosary campaigns are organised in many areas particularly within homes. Reaching out to “other faiths” is mentioned in every report. Repeated visits to those strayed from the Church resulted in 2 marriages and 5 baptisms of children. The Regia has sent a letter to each Council and praesidium advising them of the duty to audit accounts.

Calcutta Comitium: At the request of the Concilium, this Council will try to contact the legionaries in Bangla Desh.

Sri Lanka: The Senatus reported that new praesidia had been established. Block rosaries are organised in flat complexes and children and adults are prepared for the Sacrament of Baptism, Holy Communion and marriage. Hindus, Muslims and Buddhists are met on visitation.

Myanmar (Burma): The Senatus reported that homes including those of the elderly and poor are visited, children and adults are prepared for the Sacraments and 4 adults were recently baptised. Reaching out to those who have strayed from the Church and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is promoted. The Handbook is being translated into Burmese.

Saigon Senatus: Pre-Christians are taken by boat to catechism classes. The legionaries’ efforts at evangelisation in a Diocese with 110,000 tribal people resulted in 83 adults and 117 children baptised. Members of the tribes have joined the Legion. The Parish Priest is a great supporter. In another Diocese with tribal people and settlers from pre 1954, legionaries’ evangelisation resulted in 330 adults and 210 children being baptised.

The Senatus reported a reaching out to street urchins and street girls. The Concilium correspondent suggested that Frank Duff prayer groups be set up by a praesidium with 390 auxiliary members and by another praesidium in a school. The Rosary is being promoted by talks to students and others.

Carmelite Sisters have been enrolled as adjutorians; evangelisation takes place in public places, streets and parks. Visits to families of alcoholics resulted in the baptism and marriage of 2 adults. Youth praesidia which now total 9 prepared children for baptism, formed a choir, bring children to Mass, teach catechism to 6 – 10 year olds, visit lonely grandmothers and correspond with prisoners in a very distant prison. The sick at home are prepared for Confession and the legionaries travel with the Priest to outlining villages.

Cotenou Regia: Six praesidia with a total of 177 active members visit homes and hospitals. Their contacts include Catholics, Protestants, Muslims, non-Christians and members of sects. Results of this apostolate included 24 Baptisms, 87 returns to Mass, validation of two marriages, 23 new active members and the recruitment of 18 auxiliaries. Three of the six praesidia have juniors attached, and one runs a children’s club. Reports from Curiae and Comitia dealt with similar work in their areas. The Patricians groups hold monthly meetings. Special efforts are put into promoting the rosary. Councils were asked to organise Masses at parish level for the cause of the Servant of God Frank Duff.

Comitium of Ouagadougou: The latest minutes indicate good work being done at preasidium level. The Secretary described their home to home visitation and their promotion of the new Mysteries of the Rosary. Muslim families often invite them to pray for them, when someone in the home is sick and this sometimes leads to a request for Baptism.

Brazzaville Regia: Although administration is weak, reports from Curiae and Comitia give accounts of excellent work in the course of home and hospital visitation, where contact is made with people of many religions. Reports record the conversion of Protestants and Muslims and the return of lapsed Catholics to Mass and the Sacraments. Members teach catechism, promote devotion to the rosary, organise retreats and other functions for the members and help with Church ceremonies.

Malabo Comitium continues to carry out the Legion apostolate on this small Spanish speaking island off the West African coast. The legionaries have problems at times with spiritualism and pagan practices, but continue to visit the outlying praesidia and the attached Curia. The three Causes are being promoted.

Lomé Regia: Visitation of homes, hospitals and a clinic brought 90 active members of 4 praesidia into contact with people of many religions. They recruited catechumens, taught catechism to adults and children, brought children to Mass and Confession, distributed prayer leaflets, Miraculous Medals and rosary beads. There were 59 Baptisms, 77 First Holy Communions, 18 Confirmations, 5 marriages regularised and 5 couples were prepared for marriage. New praesidia and Curiae were established, including a junior Curia. In each parish of the Regia area, a group of 5 members has been formed to discuss with the Parish Priest what decisions need to be made as a result of the recent Congress. The new edition of the Handbook is now available in the EWE language. A seminar was held to discuss the Holy Father’s Apostolic Letter on the Rosary. A novena was organised in every parish or Council from 3 to 11 May 2003, concluding with Mass on 12 May to pray for the Cause of the Venerable Edel Quinn.

Abidjan Regia: This Council held its first meeting as a Regia in December 2002. The Regia has 17 attached praesidia, 10 Curiae in the Archdiocese, and 9 in 4 distant Dioceses. Home and hospital visitation is the main work of most praesidia. In all reports there are accounts of contacts with people of many religions. In a period of three months 91 catechumens were recruited by 3 praesidia, whose members teach catechism each week to over 200 persons. Their efforts also gained new active members, and brought 13 lapsed back to Mass. A Marian Day of prayer was organised for peace in the country.

Senatus of Douala: Attached Councils reported on their usual apostolic works of home and hospital visitation. One Curia has set up 2 new praesidia and a junior group. The Comitium of Kumba (English speaking) sent representatives to the Senatus meeting for the first time.

After spending 6 days in Rwanda, Tommy McCabe and Janet Lowthe travelled to Nairobi, where they were met by 4 of the Senatus Officers and their Spiritual Director Fr. Josephat.

The Senatus of Kenya has 30,000 active members. Attached to the Senatus is 1 Regia, 5 Comita, 19 Curiae and 36 praesidia. The Legion is in 18 of the 26 Dioceses.

Useful discussions were held with the Senatus Officers about the structure of the Senatus and extension into more of the Dioceses.

The Legion of Mary was set up in Kenya by the Venerable Edel Quinn during her Envoyship on behalf of the Concilium from 1936 to 1944. An annual open air commemorative Mass for her is offered every May with thousands in attendance. During their visit to Nairobi, the Concilium Officers had the privilege of meeting His Grace Archbishop R. Ndingi Mwana’a Nzeki who has a great interest in Edel’s Cause and they presented him with two books belonging to her as well as a large portrait of her. He said “It is a new beginning for the Cause of Edel”. He expressed a wish to see that Venerable Edel’s prayer in every language and also a greater effort made to promote her Cause. He believed that her travels alone were a miracle.

The visitors also met Fr. Michael Crotty (from the Diocese of Cloyne), secretary to the Nuncio in Kenya. He is also anxious to see the Cause of Edel promoted on a greater scale and wants her life story made known to all.

Before leaving Nairobi the Concilium Officers visited Edel Quinn’s grave and the room in St. Theresa’s parish where she died in 1944.

At the request of the Concilium, legionaries from Nairobi visited 8 Councils in 6 of the Tanzanian Dioceses. The travel involved a lot of sacrifices for them as sometimes the travel to certain locations took 3 days. Two of the visitors to Songea which is 2500 kms from Nairobi arrived a day late to find the local legionaries still waiting for them. The latter had spent the night in prayer. Detailed reports of the visits will be considered by the Concilium in due course.

A very cordial welcome was extended to Anna Carrabino, Secretary and Mary Kjellander, Assistant Treasurer as well as 5 other legionaries from the Senatus of Boston, U.S.A. who were in Dublin to attend a three day Summer School. Anna Carrabino addressed the Concilium meeting and she reported that Boston Senatus governs the Legion in 6 States and that it has 13 directly attached praesidia, 3 Comitia and 11 Curiae. The languages spoken by the legionaries include English, Spanish, Portuguese and Cape Verdean, Korean and Vietnamese. The Legion apostolate includes home to home visitation, visits to nursing homes and hospitals, auxiliaries, jail apostolate, bereavement calls, Enthronement to the Sacred Heart, RCIA instruction, visits to homes of newly baptised babies and a 9 day novena for the deceased. Praesidia in jails, prison and correction facilities for men and women have weekly meetings with the inmates. They are learning to pray the Rosary and how to live with their fellow inmates. Many are grateful to the Legion. The Vietnamese and Korean Councils continue to have many converts and returns to the Sacraments and are very devoted to Our Blessed Mother.