March 2005
Reports
Africa
Zimbabwe
Hwange Comitium: A successful Congress was held by the Kamativi Curia with an attendance of 58. Two members presented their report on an extension trip to the Kaprivi Strip in Namibia. They met the 2 Priests who cover the main Mission and 50 outstations. There are now 7 praesidia, correctly established. A praesidium of 22 gained 5 new members. The Junior Curia has revived a praesidium.
Mutare Comitium: Several marriages have been regularised.
Lesotho
Senatus of Lesotho: 190 Legionaries attended a Conference in December at which 12 of the 15 attached Comitia, 3 of the 4 attached Curiae and members of the attached praesidia attended. A new Curia has commenced at Mazonod and eight of the distant Comitia were visited. All the reports feature the teaching of catechism to children; homes, hospitals and prisons are visited. 4 children encouraged their parents to undertake instruction. A Junior praesidium helped 23 disabled persons, organised and supervised games and taught 68 children.
Republic of South Africa, Botswana, Namibia and Swaziland
Cape Town Senatus: Port Elizabeth Comitium reported a good attendance at its Rosary Rally and one of its attached Curiae set up a praesidium at Schauderville. Members of the Seminary praesidium in Athlone do apostolic work in the parish and join local praesidia during the holidays. Its members helped to organise a Marian day of prayer and reflection and had 60 youths in attendance. The Curia at Parow has 9 senior and 1 junior praesidia attached. A praesidium at Lansdowne organised a Mass for the 60th anniversary of the death of Venerable Edel Quinn.
Johannesburg Senatus: The Curia in Kimberly held a special Fatima day in October which had for its theme 'The Eucharist is an Instrument of Conversion'. A praesidium at Edenvale visits prisoners and 2 returned to practice, 5 babies were baptised, 9 adults were Confirmed and 4 returned to practice.
Durban Comitium: A day of formation, followed by a Mass, had 200 in attendance. True Devotion to Mary, apostolate to youth and bringing back the lapsed all featured.
Marianhill Comitium: A praesidium of 14 members visit the sick in hospital and in their homes, clean and look after their needs, another praesidium reaches out to the blind and orphans. A blind man responded to home visitation by being Baptised, Confirmed and made his First Holy Communion. Another praesidium visits prisoners.
Matatiele Comitium: A praesidium of 15 members has a special apostolate to youth and a praesidium of 12 gained 4 new members.
St. Augustine's Comitium: The attached Immaculata Curia gained 17 new active members, prepares children for the Sacraments, visits homes and pays special attention to those in hospital who are far from home and have no visitors.
Angola
Benguela Regia: To promote the Cause of the Servant of God Frank Duff, the prayer leaflet is now in the Umbundu language and a Curia has a weekly Mass and Rosary for his beatification. The Cubal Comitium divided in July 2004 and the Lubango Comitium divided in November 2004. The Comitium of Kalukembe is 345 kms from Benguela and some of its members walk from 30 to 75 kms to attend Council meetings. A Curia of 33 praesidia teach catechism to children and adults.
Capo Verde
Praia Regia: The Comitium of Santa Caterina has 86 senior and 17 junior praesidia attached with a total of 1200 active members of whom 200 are engaged in religious instruction. Praesidia and Council visitation is carried out regularly.
Ghana
Accra Senatus: On the 16th October 2004 the Accra Regia was formally raised in status to that of Senatus. His Grace, Archbishop Dominic K Andoh concelebrated the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass with 12 Priests. He encouraged all present to take the word of Mary and to live by it and to be faithful to the Rosary always, and he emphasised the importance of home visitation. Many legionaries travelled from the Councils throughout the country and the officers later attended the Senatus meeting. The president of the Senatus traced the growth of the Legion from the setting up of the 1st praesidium by the late Father A. Noser (later Bishop of Accra) in the Sacred Heart Parish in Accra in 1940. The legion has grown apace with the Church in Ghana. The Sunyani Comitium was due to be raised to Regia status on the 26 February 2005 and word is awaited from Kumasi re the date of its inauguration.
Asia and Oceania
Papua New Guinea
Rabaul Regia: In the course of apostolic work, children are taught about the importance of the Eucharist and people met on home visitation are encouraged to receive the Sacraments of Confession and the Eucharist. Extension is being considered.
Australia
Melbourne Senatus: To promote the Year of the Eucharist 24 hour vigils were organised in 2 centres and an afternoon with Exposition to which members of the Anglican Church were invited. Perth Comitium has established a Junior praesidium in a College and the Seminary praesidium has 4 members. Visitation of Islands in the Pacific has taken place.
Sydney Senatus: The Korean Curia has 25 praesidia, 27 adults received the sacrament of Baptism; home to home visitation features in all reports and catechism classes are organised for young children. The Indonesian praesidium recruit for the RCIA and 3 non-Catholics are at present under instruction. A huge programme of extension is underway with each Council and praesidium being given targets. Solomon Islands were visited.
New Zealand
The Senatus based in Auckland has 2 Comitia and 1 Curia attached. A new praesidium has been established in Auckland University. Children are given religious instruction and the Rosary is promoted. A visit to Samoa proved very satisfactory. The translation of the Handbook into Samoan is proceeding.
Philippines
Cebu Senatus: Successful extension and recruiting feature in all reports. Evangelisation covers prison visitation, contact in market places and transport terminals, catechism in schools, Rosary promotion, enthronement of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary in homes and the conducting of Patrician groups. Conversions are numerous.
Bicolandia Senatus: Evangelisation efforts resulted in 12 children and 5 adults being Baptised. Fifty were brought to Confession and adults who had joined sects returned to the Catholic Church. People were invited to Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament during a Eucharistic Crusade. After 4 successive typhoons, legionaries visited people who had lost their homes to give them comfort and encouragement and to help them attend Holy Mass. The Spiritual Director thanked the legionaries for being present at a recent Senatus meeting as a strong typhoon was expected and he praised those legionaries who had come such long distances saying "that is true legionary spirit, Our Lady loves you and will bless you for that".
Western Visayas Regia: A Rosary campaign involving 700 families was organised. Over 100 people who had lapsed from the Church were brought to a penitential service. Legionaries are working to counteract "Born Again" Christians who target Junior legionaries. Prisoners are taught the Rosary and young people are counselled against suicide.
Cagayon de Oro Senatus: All attached Councils carry out campaigns to promote Baptism, Marriage validations and the bringing back of the lapsed to the Church. Perseverance with these campaigns over a long period resulted in the Baptism of 500 children, hundreds of Marriage validations, and the reception of 3 main Sacraments by many persons converted to the Church, including Muslims.
Manila Senatus: This Council has over 80 attached subordinate Councils; all of which are engaged in setting up new Comitia, Curiae and praesidia. One Comitium supervises 79 Patrician groups. Reports show non-Catholics and Muslims received into the Church. Constant visitation has yielded thousands of Baptisms and Marriage validations. An apostolate is directed to seamen, street vendors, hospitality girls, waiters and waitresses with promising results. Block Rosaries are organised and 3 PPC projects were carried out.
There were many references in the above reports to the promotion of the Year of the Eucharist and to the inclusion of large numbers of Auxiliary, Praetorian and Adjutorian members in the Legion ranks.

Visit of Bernardo De Nardo, extension worker in South America to the Concilium
Bernardo de Nardo, an Argentinian legionary who had carried out extension work on behalf of the Concilium in Guatemala and Equador reported on his work at the Concilium meeting. He thanked the Concilium for the privilege of being appointed as an extension worker. In Guatemala he spent 6 months visiting the 3 Councils there viz. Guatemala City Comitium, Camotan Comitium and Jalapa Comitium which are directly attached to the Concilium. He found that the legionaries were doing very good work, some of which demanded a real heroism. Travelling to meetings taking 3 to 4 hours in some cases. To combat illiteracy the services of young children of legionaries are used to record minutes and items of information. This helps to train prospective junior legionaries.
Camotan Comitium has 9 junior Curiae and the junior movement continues to grow there. There are also many young married couples among the active ranks in the 19 senior curiae and the 13 praesidia directly attached to the Comitium.
Guatemala City Comitium has 18 directly attached praesidia and 8 Curiae one a Korean another is a junior Curia. Four new praesidia were set up in the city one undertaking visitation in an area where drug dealers operate.
Jalapa Comitium governs 19 Curiae and many of the members travel long distances to attend meetings. The Apostolic Nuncio Msgr. Bruno Musaro, the Archbishop of Guatemala, Rudolfo Cardinal Quezada Toruno and other Bishops whom Bernardo had the privilege of meeting showed their great interest and support for the Legion. Detailed reports on his work will be carefully considered by the Concilium with a view to consolidating the government of the Legion in Guatemala.
In Equador, there are 6 Comitia, 5 Curiae and 20 directly attached praesidia under Quito Senatus. Bernardo discussed with this Senatus a proposal from the Concilium regarding the affiliation to the Senatus of Cuenca Regia. The latter governs 3 Comitia, 5 Curiae and 20 directly attached praesidia. The approval of both the Senatus and the Regia was obtained for the proposed affiliation.
Bernardo expressed his sincere thanks to Noel Lynch, his Concilium correspondent, who had guided and directed him so well during his recent extension work.

Sile Ni Chochláin, Concilium President, thanked Bernardo for his Legion membership and also the Santa Fe Comitium in Argentina of which he is a member. She thanked Bernard's family for their willingness to enable him to undertake the visitation work. She also expressed the gratitude of the Concilium to the three Councils in Guatemala and the two Councils in Ecuador who welcomed Bernardo into their midst, gave him every co-operation showing the family spirit which operates among legionaries the world over.
Some Useful Notes on how a Comitium functions
The raising of a Curia to Comitium arises after discussion with the next highest Council and subject to the agreement of the Ecclesiastical Authorities.
  1. The Comitium continues to act as a Curia in respect of its directly attached praesidia. The Comitium takes unto itself certain extra responsibilities of supervision.
  2. The officers of the attached praesidia continue to attend the Comitium meeting and are the core members of the body. The appointments of praesidium officers happens in the same way as prior to becoming a Comitium.
  3. The officers of the Comitium (now raised from Curia) continue to serve the remainder of their terms of office.
  4. It is desirable that the attached Curiae officers would attend the Comitium meeting and report to it every two to three months.
  5. If the Officers of the attached Curiae are unable to attend regularly the Comitium should appoint correspondents with the Curiae.
  6. The correspondents should receive minutes of the Curiae meetings each month and compile a report, based on the minutes, for presentation to the Comitium every two to three months. The correspondents should write to the Curiae every month with comments on the minutes, advice and suggestions, and give news from the Comitium.
  7. The elections of officers of the attached Curiae are submitted to the Comitium for ratification. The elections of officers of the Comitium are submitted to the next highest Council for ratification.
  8. The Comitium should visit the attached Curiae, at least once a year, more often if possible.
  9. Extension of the Legion is an important duty of the Comitium, of each of its attached Curiae, of praesidia and of the individual legionaries.
  10. The higher motivation of service of God in union with Our Blessed Lady should be at the heart of all Legion proceedings and considerations.