Osaka Senatus: A praesidium of 11 members visit hospitals, homes for the aged, teach catechumens and distribute Catholic literature. They had an exhibition at the Church ”Family Day” and gained 2 new members. Two praesidia in Kohri Parish have 20 and 30 members respectively. The legionaries bring Holy Communion to sick and aged and help to prepare children for Confirmation. A praesidium in Nagoya Curia visited a Philippino boat. A praesidium with 7 members was set up in Osaka city in June. Five officers of Senatus visited Tokyo Regia in August and brought 200 Handbooks with them. A praesidium in Tokyo Regia visited six hospitals and institutions. A praesidium in Nagasaki Regia reported on hospital and rest home visitation.

Seoul Senatus: A very comprehensive history of the Legion of Mary in Korea over the past 50 years, which has a separate volume for photographs, was compiled by Seoul Senatus as part of the Golden Jubilee celebrations. To mark the occasion the Archbishop of Seoul and other Bishops and priests concelebrated Mass, 1,200 legionaries from all over Korea attended. Two copies of the history were sent to Concilium. A meeting of officers of Senatus of Seoul and Gwangu and Regia of Daegu took place to review the Golden Jubilee celebrations. Taejeon Regia which has a total of 1,796 senior and 42 junior praesidia, recruited 21,721 catechumens, of which 4,042 were baptised. They also reported 3,245 returns to the Sacraments.

Gwangju Senatus: A planning meeting for 2004 of officers of attached Regia and Presidents of attached Comitia was held after the October Senatus meeting. One Comitium reported an increase of 40 active and 79 auxiliaries and a Curia reported an increase of prasesidia from 10 to 16. One Curia reported the recruitment of 837 catechumens.

Daegu Regia: A meeting of officers of attached Councils was held in November 2003. Councils were asked to set up Junior Curiae and the first Junior Comitium meeting took place in October 2003. Reports from attached Councils show many catechumens recruited and many Baptisms. Recruitment of legionaries is also prominent in reports. Sangyok Comitium recruited 427 new members during the year.

Malang Senatus: Works included contact with street children and organising classes including Catechism for them, also care of an elderly dying man. A seminar held in Denpasar Diocese on the Legion apostolate and True Devotion to Mary was attended by all the legionaries in the Diocese. Stress was laid by the Senatus on the need for work with youth and for dialogue and close co-operation with priests. Ratu Para Rasul Comitium with 3 Curiae, 15 praesidia and 4 junior praesidia reported great support from spiritual leaders and priests. A Curia in Rosari Comitium carry out all types of apostolic work including that of teaching religion in a state school.

Kuala Lumpur Regia: Reports from 5 Curiae and 5 praesidia were taken; one of the Curia has 2 English and 5 Tamil speaking praesidia. Works include home, hospital and nursing home visitation, prison ministry, block rosaries, Patricians, visitation of bereaved families, the teaching of catechism at Sunday school which also means involvement in R.C.I.A. In hospital visitation 2,119 Catholics and 5,525 non-Catholics were met, while in home visitation, 4,364 Catholics and 1,836 non-Catholics were encountered. Visitation is carried out to the lonely and depressed and to migrant workers. One praesidium organised 9 Patricians meetings with an average attendance of 25 to 30. Two new praesidia were set up, one Chinese speaking.

Singapore Senatus: Praesidia reports show a wide variety of apostolic work being carried out, including home, hospital nursing home, welfare home and house bound visitation, members also reach out to the lonely and depressed. Holy Communion is brought to the sick, prayers are recited at wakes and funerals and bereavement counselling is carried out. Counselling is also carried at a pregnancy crisis centre and contact is being made with the various immigrant groups including Philippinos, Indonesians and others. The Junior Curia report mentioned the broadcasting of Christian music and the leading of morning prayer and reflection.

Taiwan Senatus: Praetorians feature widely in reports. The Senatus covers all the caring ministry works, and all members are involved at parish level and with instruction work. Quite a number of Baptisms were mentioned. Enthronement of the Sacred Heart is a regular work. Visitation of retired priests and nuns and veterans are also mentioned. Catholics having difficulty in attending Mass are helped. The number of praesidia is growing and one Curia reports 4 praesidia on probation. Hong Kong Comitium: One Curia in its report indicated they have 13 praesidia,9 in Hong Kong and 4 in Shenzhen. Works reported on include providing service for junior Sunday school, street contact, hospital visitation and bible sharing with patients, distribution of Holy Communion, catechism classes and rosary propagation.

Shkoder Curia: Two legionaries from the Malta Regia visited Albania on behalf of the Concilium from 23 September to 9 October 2003. They divided the Shkoder Curia, which had 39 praesidia, into three, setting up one with six praesidia in the Lezhe Diocese and another with nine praesidia in the Sape Diocese. Reports have been received recently from the three Curiae. The first meeting of the Lezhe Curia was held on 11 October 2003 and the first meeting of the Sape Curia on 26 November. The Maltese legionaries also visited praesidia in Tirana and Elbasan and met with some of the members of a praesidium in Durres. These praesidia visit families, the housebound, hospitals and children’s homes.

Minsk Comitium: The Comitium has 10 directly attached praesidia and 4 attached Curiae. Officers from the attached Curiae attended the July and October Comitium meetings. A praesidium of 15 members in Minsk has 16 auxiliaries, 7 of which are adjutorians. This praesidium set up 2 praesidia, 1 senior and 1 junior in Lelchitz. Rev. Fr. Joseph, Spiritual Director of Mozer Curia, has been appointed National Director of the Legion in Belarus by His Eminence Cardinal Shontak. Baranovichi Curia had a 3 day Retreat. Molodechno Curia has grown from 4 to 8 praesidia in a year. Praesidia visit homes and hospitals and prepare people for the Sacraments.

Riga Comitium: All 3 attached Curiae were represented at the September meeting. A praesidium of 8 members visit the homes where they meet a lot of people who receive them very well and accept medals and prayer leaflets. Legionaries make return visits within 3 months to do follow up work. A number of priests have been contacted about starting praesidia.

Kaunas Comitium: A new Curia with 4 praesidia has been set up at Ukmerge and there are plans to restart 2 more praesidia. Home and hospital visitation features widely in reports and legionaries bring the priest to many sick people at home and in hospitals and care homes. Hundreds of patients in one hospital received the Sacraments of Confession and Holy Communion and the Sacrament of the Sick. Auxiliaries are visited and invited to take part in Adoration and Legion functions such as the Acies. A praesidium runs a Patricians group with 20 – 30 attending.

Lublin Regia: Legionaries are engaged in home, hospital and prison visitation. They also visit corrective institutions, do street contact and give spiritual care to drug and alcohol addicts. There are now 3 praesidia in Szezecin following extension work there. A family of Jehovah’s Witnesses returned to the Church. A men’s praesidium which does works of service in a Home of Social Help, has now set up a praesidium for the residents. They have a Patricians group. There are 3 Comitia attached to the Regia. Katowice Comitium has 2 new Curiae, 1 in Czectochowa and 1 in Myslowicach. Zamosc Comitium has 2 new Curiae also, 1 in Bilgoraj and 1 in Szczebrzeszynie. In the Jastrzebie Comitium, 3 men’s praesidia undertake the catechising of parents in the homes prior to Baptisms and also dialogue with Jehovahs Witnesses.

Warsaw Comitium: A new Curia has been set up in Matbork in the Elblag Diocese, and the first Curia in the Diocese of Plock was also set up. Legionaries are engaged in substantial work including miraculous medal apostolate and attending to disturbed young people in detention and the Peregrinatio Pro Christo is undertaken.

Ukraine: Kameniec-Podolsky Curia has 4 senior and 4 youth praesidia. All praesidia receive an official visit from Curia. The former Spiritual Director who was transferred to Nikolaev visited the Curia recently and asked for a visit to his parish to support and strengthen the legionaries there.

Vienna Senatus: Legionaries in the Vienna Curia have an Information Stand at the University and promote the Student Mass and retreats for lapsed youths. They undertook ten days of non-stop apostolate during the City Mission in summer. Muehlviertal Comitium started a youth praesidium in Windhaag after 36 attended a day for young people and 2 new praesidia were started in the Youth Curia attached to Hollabrunn Comitium. Linz Comitium has 2 new praesidia and 1 was started in Innsbruck Comitium. A novena to Venerable Edel Quinn helped Oststeirmark Curia in Graz Comitium to recruit 5 new legionaries.

Czech Republic: Legionaries in the new praesidium in Prague Curia have undertaken the True Devotion to Mary. The Czech Handbook is now at the printers.

Croatia Zagreb Comitium has 61 praesidia. Three new praesidia were started in Split and works include visitation of psychiatric hospitals and drug addicts.

Budapest Regia A Comitium was established in Nagyva’rad, a new Curia was founded in Kiskunhalas and 12 more praesidia were started.

Bucharest Curia: All praesidia have received the new Romanian Handbook. A new praesidium was started in Buzau.

Trnava Curia started a new praesidium in Slovensky Grob. The legionaries in Tristin set up a chapel in the student quarter.

Slovenia: Legionaries from Ljubljana Curia attended a youth meeting in Sticna.

Rio de Janeiro Senatus: Alcantra Comitium carries out an apostolate to alcoholics and drug addicts; they are encouraged to join Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous. Nilopilis Comitium focuses on family apostolate, encouraging parents to have their children baptised and arranges group marriages for couples living together. Rio legionaries visit the central hospital and direct Liturgy of the Word in a prison. In another region 175 Evangelical families were visited.

Belo Horizonte Senatus: Juniors help senior members in organising religious ceremonies at wakes; other apostolic work carried out by members of various Councils are the apostolate to homeless street people, guiding underage girls who are pregnant to avoid abortions and instructing them on the care and feeding of babies. The importance of Baptism and the proper choice of godparents are stressed. Members of a junior Curia pray with 129 recovering drug addicts, thanking God for the grace to change their way of living. Many young people and adults are prepared for the Sacraments and children are helped with literacy classes.

Salvador Senatus: Emphasis is on preparation for the Sacraments including some who seek to join the Legion but who are in irregular marriage situations. A Comitium with 770 members includes 230 Praetorians. Other works carried out by Councils and praesidia include organising afternoons of prayer for vocations, arranging Christmas novenas, carrying out parish census and home and hospital visitation.

Brasilia Regia: 35 young legionaries attended a youth Congress. Public rosaries are recited in apartment blocks and pilgrim statue visitation is directed to apartment porters. Under the direction of a Parish priest legionaries work with basic ecclesial communities.

Sao Luis Regia: 700 attended an Archdiocesan gathering hosted by the Legion with representatives of the principal Catholic organisations in the city taking part. Junior legionaries gave a dramatisation of the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary. The day concluded with a talk by a priest in which he presented the Legion as a true image of the Church, living in communion with other groups and with those not actively involved in the Church.

Belem Regia: Works carried out include Youth encounters, Bible classes and public rosaries. Many returns to the Sacraments and reception of First Holy Communion and Confirmations were reported.

Sao Paulo Senatus: Sao Paulo Cathedral was filled with legionaries on 6 September 2003 for a Thanksgiving Mass for the Legion’s 82nd birthday and the 52nd for Brazil. 13 members of the Senatus, with members from other Councils, took part in a Peregrinatio project organised by Belo Horizonte Senatus. Cotiá Comitium organises Christmas novenas and Stations of the Cross in homes. Many adults were prepared for all the Sacraments and 10 couples received the Sacrament of Marriage.

Fortaleza Regia: They plan to raise 4 Curiae, one in each of 4 Dioceses, to Comitium status. Mossoro Comitium recorded 12 Protestants received into the Church. They also set up 3 new praesidia. Natal Comitium set up 2 new Curiae and prepared over 300 children for First Holy Communion and 8 couples for marriage.

Rosario Regia: A Comitium with 10 attached praesidia and 5 Curiae has almost 400 active members and 1,600 auxiliaries. Two new praesidia were set up recently. All Curiae and praesidia are visited yearly. Their works include visiting and praying with prisoners as well as the usual works of home and hospital visitation and Catechesis. Another Curia also visits the jail and recite the rosary with prisoners, 3 of whom have become auxiliary members. A junior praesidium looks after 2 pages on the Internet, answering many queries about the Legion. One Curia held 20 Columban recruiting drives.

Cordoba Senatus: Many Councils organise public rosaries but do not mention whether many contacts result. Extension is ongoing in one area. A Comitium, 4 Curiae and 5 praesidia reported at the October Senatus meeting.

Corrientes Regia: There are many young adults in this Regia and they carry out some enterprising works, including missions to rural areas. The legionaries sleep in the open air over the course of the weekend mission.

Senatus of Uganda: The prison praesidium at Luzira gave its second report. The president has been released and has instructed 3 prisoners now awaiting Baptism. Members visit the sickbay and cells. Two seminary praesidia with 15 and 67 members do pastoral work in schools and colleges to encourage the establishment of the Legion. During holidays members join local praesidia. In the last year the Regia of Western Uganda set up a Comitium, 3 Curiae and 9 praesidia with membership up from 11,158 to 19,022. Works include visiting Catholics, non-Catholics and non-Christians, instructing catechumens, helping the dying and working with juniors. Translations of the Handbook, Catechism, Tessera and Frank Duff prayer leaflet into several dialects is complete in some cases and continues in others.

Senatus of Kenya: The Senatus was deeply appreciative of the visit there by the two Concilium Officers and is endeavouring to carry out their recommendations. Translation work on the leaflets for the three Causes is ongoing. The first praesidium set up in 1936 reported having 18 active and 36 auxiliary members and a junior praesidium attached. Makueni Comitium reported 19 marriages validated, 190 lapsed returned to the Church and 30 joined the Catechism class. Machakos Comitium had 12 marriages validated. They teach prayers to children and have a very strong junior movement.

Ibadan Regia: Minutes show much progress with new praesidia and Councils being set up. The raising of Lagos Comitium to Regia status was approved at the October Concilium and the new Regia will have 6 Comitia, 6 senior and 7 junior Curiae and 27 praesidia and a total of over 26,000 senior and 23,000 junior members. Ibadan will be left with 5 Comitia, 9 senior and 1 junior Curiae and 18 praesidia. The inauguration will take place on 25 January 2004.

Benin City Regia: One attached Curia established 3 praesidia and another had 176 catechumens receive Baptism and First Holy Communion, while a junior Curia has 30 praesidia.

Enugu Regia: They reported 813 conversions, 3,902 lapsed returned to the Church, 36 prisoners baptised and 48 received First Holy Communion. 27 senior and 2 junior praesidia were started and 16 Block Rosary Centres were established. 1 legionary was ordained and 8 joined a convent.

Ikot Ekpene Regia: As a result of their work 123 were converted and 1,358 lapsed returned to the Church.

Kaduna Regia: A report was given on the raising of Abuja Comitium to Regia status. His Grace, the Archbishop of Abuja, attended the inauguration and at the Mass the Spiritual Director encouraged the legionaries to combine spirituality with good understanding of Church doctrine. Preparations are continuing for the raising of Jos Comitium to Regia status.

Blantyre Regia: The main apostolate is hospital visitation, consoling the bereaved and reaching out to the lapsed. About 700 legionaries took part in a pilgrimage in May. The 3 Comitia in Mangochi Diocese govern 18 Curiae with 153 praesidia, while the Comitium in Zomba Diocese has 14 Curiae with 110 praesidia and about 4,000 members.

Lusaka Regia: Visitation of the attached Dioceses had excellent results e.g. new Comitia established, seminars held on the Legion system, elections regularised and meetings with Bishops who asked the visitors to establish prison praesidia and to teach the Rosary to prisoners and those in hospital. Approximately 80 attend the Regia meetings. Home visitation has resulted in many entering the Church and marriages being regularised.

Kasama Regia: Visitation of praesidia and Councils is undertaken and the Regia formed 3 praesidia and the aim is for each senior praesidium to have a junior one attached. It was decided at the June Regia meeting to raise 4 Curiae to Comitium status and the first was due to be inaugurated on 7 September 2003. A junior Legion seminar was held.

Legionaries from Kenya recently visited a number of Councils in Tanzania on behalf of the Concilium and the Concilium is most grateful for their visits.

Dar-Es-Salaam Comitium: The Mass for Venerable Edel Quinn was celebrated by Hs Eminence Polycarp Cardinal Pengo, who exhorted legionaries to promote both private and public recitation of the Rosary and the Comitium called on all Councils to implement this request. The translation of the 1993 edition of the Handbook into Swahili is complete and editing is being finalised.

Rombo Comitium: Reports refer to 40 returns to the Church and a conversion. A junior praesidium teaches prayers to elders and children. A junior Curia is preparing to celebrate its Golden Jubilee.

Njombe Comitium: Reports from 3 Curiae included details of visiting the sick and elderly and praying and reading scripture to them and also teaching catechism to children. 6 lapsed returned to the Faith and 2 couples were married.

Kahama Comitium informed us that they have 65 praesidia and 550 active members.

Noel Lynch former Legion of Mary Envoy to Argentina visited the Senatus of Bogotá and the Senatus of Lima on behalf of the Concilium during a 5 week period in November/December 2003. He held numerous meetings with the Senatus officers and other legionaries and he showed great patience and wisdom in helping them to solve difficulties which they had encountered in recent years.

Bogotá is a city of 8 million people and it is surrounded by high mountains. Up the side of these mountains are shanty towns, all of which are visited by local legionaries whom Noel described as beautiful people with a great love of Our Lady which they bring to millions of souls. All strata of society are represented in the Legion. Life is difficult in Columbia because of the problems of drugs and terrorism and this calls for heroism on the part of the legionaries.

Lima’s population is similar to Bogotá and the Legion reaches out to all including prisoners and members of sects. Noel visited the Auxiliary Bishop who said the Hierarchy valued the Legion apostolate as it was the most active lay organisation in the country.

Noel thanked the Concilium for the privilege of visiting the Senatus of Bogotá and Lima and for assisting him with prayers during his travels.

Sile Ni Chochláin, president of the Concilium expressed her deep gratitude to Noel for undertaking the journey to Columbia and Peru and for engaging in most beneficial dialogue and discussion with the legionaries in each of the countries visited.