Bull November 2004

Liverpool Senatus: Newcastle Curia held a Rosary Rally in a Retirement Home which was led by the Bishop. Legionaries in Widnes Curia undertook a 39 day private retreat in preparation for their Acies. A May Procession was held in one school and was so successful that the headmistress invited the legionaries to come to the school weekly to meet the children. In Ashton Curia the new praesidium in Platt Bridge has 9 members. A junior praesidium in Blackburn Curia has 12 members.

Birmingham Senatus A children's Rosary Rally, which was held in Saltly in June, had an attendance of 300 children and adults. The Archbishop joined the procession through the streets of this mainly Muslim area and he was the chief celebrant of a Mass afterwards in the parish Church. Two families returned to Mass and the Sacraments following an "out-reach" day which was held in one Parish. Three non-Catholics were received into the Church at Easter through the efforts of a praesidium in Handsworth. Twenty eight legionaries in this Curia attended a seminar on the True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin.

Wrexham Curia has seven praesidia attached and recruiting drives were held in two areas. Swansea Comitium: There are four praesidia attached. The apostolate includes home and hospital visitation and visits to sheltered accommodation. Cardiff Comitium (attached to Concilium): Praesidia varying in size from 3 to 11 reported on an apostolate to the sick and elderly.

Senatus of Scotland A praesidium in Stirling visits a Women's prison fortnightly and they encourage the women to go to Confession and Sunday Mass. Rosaries and Miraculous medals were given to First Communicants and Confirmees in 8 parishes in Stirling and Glackmannan areas. Edinburgh Curia has 14 praesidia including a new one in Livingston with 11 members. A visit has been made to the Diocese of Argyll and the Isles for extension purposes and a favourable reception was received in several parishes.

Antwerp Senatus: Young mothers are introduced to the Miraculous medal and most of them request Baptism for their infants. Two single mothers with children were prepared for Baptism. An Iranian family who wanted to know more about Our Lord were given instruction in their own language.

Lucerne Comitium: During the Papal visit to Berne, 30 legionaries engaged in contact work and distributed Miraculous medals and Rosary beads. A drug addicted mother of an 11 month old baby who had written a suicide note was persuaded not to proceed with her plan. An information meeting on the Legion was held in a parish without the Legion.

Paris Regia: A great deal of preparation was undertaken in connection with the Week of Evangelisation which was due to be held in Paris at the end of October. Legionaries approached several parishes to offer their support. Crowd contact is done at two railway stations in Paris with special emphasis on youth.

Valence Regia: Pére Planet, Spiritual Director of the Regia for 4 years has been ordained Bishop of Carcassone. Members of Lyon Comitium received much encouragement from a Peregrinatio project carried out by Strasbourg Senatus. A praesidium of four members in Nice Curia contacts prostitutes.

Mont de Marsan Regia: A praesidium founded in 1961 reported. It has ten members, thirty one auxiliaries and five adjutorians. The praesidium has a variety of works including teaching catechism to children, visiting in pairs to homes, hospitals, rest homes and to the isolated. A recruiting drive was held in Tarbes.

Frankfurt Senatus: The Korean Curia in Frankfurt arranged the Baptism of eight adults and eleven children and sixteen legionaries looked after a summer school for eighty four children. The Korean Curia in Berlin reported the Baptism of six adults. Extension was carried out in Fulda and Bad Nauheim. Curia Darmstadt helped Curia St. Vith, Belgium.

Munich Senatus: East Munich Curia which has six praesidia in Aschleim is undertaking extension in three parishes. Curia Munich Northwest with seven praesidia invites people to night adoration in a hospital. The Curia was represented at the Catholic Day in Ulm. A radio interview about the Legion was carried on Bayern Radio. A discussion was held at the September Senatus meeting on the Eucharist as a means of conversion. Extension work took place in Regensburg and Bernried. Auxiliary Bishop Guggenberger attended the Acies of Curia Amberg-Weiden.

Jerusalem Comitium: One of two reporting praesidia has eighteen members. The main apostolate involves visiting the sick and elderly, preparing young people for First Holy Communion, the reconciliation of families and encouraging the lapsed to return to Mass and the Sacraments.

Madang Regia: Members prepare children for First Confession and First Holy Communion. Adults are prepared for marriage and for reception into the Church as appropriate. AIDS and HIV patients are visited; 50 families undertook to recite the Rosary daily.

Melbourne Senatus: The main evangelisation is carried out in parishes. Recruitment drives are held. Vietnamese praesidia in addition to their weekly apostolate distributed 15,000 Rosaries. Exploratio Dominicalis is undertaken. A children's and youth rosary group is organised weekly. Islands: Marakei Comitium in Republic of Kiribati has three Curiae and twelve praesidia.

Sydney Senatus: Brisbane Comitium reached out to 700 believers, 80 non-Catholics and 46 non-believers. Ten non-Catholics received Baptism including a Buddhist and his daughter. "Invitation to the Catholic Church" booklet was distributed. Exploratio Dominicalis featured in all reports; door-to-door visitation involved bringing the priest to those in need of the Sacraments, Auxiliary members are visited with the Maria Legionis.

The Senatus organised two enrolments in the Brown Scapalar with 87 and 36 attending. Door to door visitation is the main apostolate of praesidia. Ten children and two mothers were Baptised and Confirmed. Patrician groups are organised and a Congress was held. Chinese legionaries visit non-Christians.

Western Visayes Regia: Legionaries are heavily involved organising Block Rosaries; 47 legionaries from within the Regia carried out a Peregrinatio Pro Christo project. At the Mass 12 children and 43 adults were Baptised and 8 couples had their marriages validated with legionaries acting as sponsors.

Bicolandia Senatus: Children who are taught basic prayers and the Rosary, pass on the knowledge to their parents. Legionaries visit the prison with their Spiritual Director. They encourage the prisoners to receive the Sacrament of Confession and they organise annual retreats for them. Parents are encouraged to have their children baptised early and unmarried couples are encouraged to receive the Sacrament of Marriage.

Cebu Senatus has two Regiae, 25 Curiae and 21 directly attached praesidia. A number of senior and junior praesidia have been established. The normal apostolate is home/hospital visitation, catechical instruction, crowd contact and campaigns for the daily recitation of the Rosary. A Protestant couple embraced the Catholic faith and three of their children were baptised.

Cagayon de Oro Senatus: This is a huge Council with two Regiae, 29 Comitia and 16 directly attached praesidia. The apostolate brings their members in touch with every aspect of society. They reach out to "live in" young couples with non-baptised children, living in dire poverty. The legionaries' regular perseverance brought about over a period of time hundreds of marriages with the baptism of children.

Manila Senatus: This is also a very large Council. The main apostolate involves home visitation resulting in many becoming Catholics and numerous Baptisms. There are 159 Patrician groups in the Senatus area. One Curia covering four parishes was responsible for the validation of 78 marriages, 225 Baptisms, 153 Confirmations and 49 Block Rosaries. A Comitium gave catechetical instruction to 11,013 children and adults, supervised 25 Block Rosaries and arranged the validation of 30 marriages. It also reported the conversion to the Catholic Faith of 23 persons.

Philadelphia Senatus: Holy Cross Curia gained seven new members as a result of a recruitment drive. In Norristown Comitium Mgr. Bolger Spiritual Director of Eastern Montgomery County Curia sent a letter to every pastor without the Legion. The Bishop has informed Scranton Curia that he wants the Legion to reach out to the unchurched. In Wilmington Curia, the Spiritual Director Mgr. Brady described the Patricians as very valuable work. A praesidium Spiritual Director sends the legionaries to the toughest cases of lapsed Catholics to follow up.

Houston Regia: Three peregrinatio projects have been organised to Guadalajara in Mexico, Carlsbad in New Mexico and Longview in Texas. A praesidium with 19 members with 4 praetorians works for lapsed teenagers and people in troubled marriages. Two legionaries who moved to Mexico have set up four praesidia.

St. Louis Senatus: Archbishop Burke gave his support to the setting up of praesidia for Spanish speaking people. Five new praesidia have been started. Many conversions and returns have been reported as a result of door-to-door visitation and prison ministry. In the prison a prayer service is conducted and letters are written for the prisoners.

San Francisco: Outreach to Chinese families, RCIA, visitation of the terminally ill and hospital visitation as well as follow up of newly baptised and those interested in the Church were among works mentioned. Stockton Comitium report setting up three praesidia in the state prison. The Spanish and Korean communities are met in the course of crowd contact.

Chicago Senatus: Duluth Curia reported 27 converts and Spouse of the Holy Spirit Curia 18 converts. Mankato Curia has a Patrician meeting in a prison. A Korean Curia recruited eleven new members through home visitation.

Miami Regia: The Haitian Curia has increased to twenty three praesidia. As a result of prison work, one prisoner received Baptism, Confirmation and First Holy Communion, another went to Confession, lost her anger and changed her attitude and had her sentence reduced to ten years.

Vancouver Comitium: Three new praesidia have been set up. A prison is visited also nursing homes and hospitals. A young couple living together agreed to have the Sacrament of Marriage and their child baptised.

Senatus of Lesotho: A new Curia has been formed in the area of a moribund Comitium; attention to praesidia is being highlighted. A Comitium in a mountain district reported eighty children taking instruction.

Cape Town Senatus: The attached Port Elizabeth Comitium reported that in September the Legion was 71 years at work in the area. An attached Curia has nine senior and seven junior praesidia. Sessions on HIV/AIDS has been attended by legionaries. His Grace Archbishop Lawrence Henry attended the July Senatus meeting. Once again he encouraged all in their apostolic endeavours.

Johannesburg Senatus: Seventy years of Legion endeavours was commemorated in September. A praesidium of fourteen active members prepared four adults for Baptism. It also visits prisons and had several returns to practice. Another praesidium on its hospital visitation baptised four patients before their deaths.

Durban Comitium: An attached Curia of ten praesidia made contact with 800 non-Catholics, 686 lapsed and 78 non-Christian homes. Visits are made to prisons and to people with HIV/AIDS. Matatiele Comitium: A praesidium of ten reported six conversions, eleven infants baptised, twenty First Holy Communions and eight returns to practice. Mariannhill Comitium: One hundred and thirty eight legionaries attended a three-day Retreat conducted by their Spiritual Director.

Accra Regia: On the 15 October 2004, after many months of preparation, the Regia was raised to Senatus status to govern the Legion on behalf of the Concilium in the eighteen Dioceses that make up the country of Ghana.

The Sunyani Comitium was raised to Regia on the 6 November 2004. Kumasi Comitium: Plans are underway for choosing a date its elevation to Regia status. The two praesidia in the Seminary have twenty seven and twenty three members attached, both praesidia work in conjunction with the local praesidium and do catechetical work.

Hwange Comitium: Two legionaries visited the Kaprivi Strip in Namibia and a report is awaited. The attached Junior Curia officers are faithful attenders at the monthly Comitium meeting. A very successful Congress had an attendance of 195.

The annual Peregrinatio Pro Christo Conference which was held in Dublin on 30 and 31 October 2004 had a very large attendance. Representatives from most of the Irish Councils were joined by representatives from the four Senatus areas of Britain and from France, Belgium, Holland, Italy, Austria, Germany, Malta and for the first time from Croatia. Reports were given on various projects to Britain, also projects to Sweden, Finland, Amsterdam, Berlin, Italy, Sicily, and ones carried out by Maltese and Croatian legionaries.

Raymond Mulrooney, Assistant Treasurer of the Concilium and correspondent for Phildelphia, his wife Annette, Enda Dunleavy and his wife Marie attended the Golden Jubilee celebrations of the setting up of the Legion in Philadelphia. The main function took place on 18 September 2004 and it opened with Mass celebrated by Dr. MaGuinnis, Auxiliary Bishop and there were Talks given on a variety of subjects. Very Rev. Mgr. C.T. Moss gave a presentation on the Servant of God, Frank Duff.

Sile Ni Chochláin thanked both couples for undertaking the visit at the invitation of the Senatus of Philadelphia.

Bill and Morag Mitchell from the Senatus of Scotland visited Kazakhstan on behalf of the Concilium in September 2004. They met Bishop Henry Howaniec of Almaty Diocese who showed a great interest in the Cause of the Servant of God, Frank Duff. The Bishop celebrated Mass for the visitors in his Oratory on 8 September and gave them his special blessing for their work. In Astana Archbishop Tomash Peta invited them to address a meeting of 33 priests during their Retreat. Bill addressed the assembly in Russian on the Legion of Mary and four of the priests who have the Legion in their parishes spoke about their praesidia. Karaganda with three praesidia and other areas were also visited. The first praesidium, which was set up in Kazakhstan, now has two large junior praesidia attached. Another parish has four senior and four junior praesidia.

Sile Ni Chochláin, president of the Concilium warmly thanked the Mitchells for revisiting Kazakhstan, where they set up the Legion in 1999.

The 24th Anniversary Mass to commemorate the death of Frank Duff was celebrated in St. Mary's Pro-Cathedral Dublin on 20 November 2004. The principal celebrant and homilist was His Grace, Most Rev. Diarmuid Martin, D.D., Archbishop of Dublin. He spoke about Frank Duff and the tremendous contribution he made to the Church and in mobilising the laity. He also recounted the many visits of Bishops to Rome and their appreciation of the quiet way in which the legion carries out its evangelisation.

The Concilium would welcome receiving photographs or a VHS copy of Legion gatherings of interest

These may be of use in promoting the Legion through Maria Legionis and video productions

I am writing to thank you for the copies of the Legion of Mary Bulletin which you regularly send to the Secretary of State and myself. I appreciate the information on the life and apostolic work of the legionaries as they strive to live and spread the Gospel in so many countries.

Be assured of the prayers of the Holy Father for the members of the Legion worldwide. Commending all of you to the loving protection of Mary, Queen of Apostles, His Holiness, cordially imparts his Apostolic Blessing.

With good wishes, I remain
Yours sincerely,
Signed
Leonardo Sandri
Substitute