Reports
Europe
Cyprus
Both praesidia in Limassol and Nicosia celebrated the 14th anniversary of the Legion in Cyprus. Their work centres on promotion of block rosaries and helping with the Sunday liturgy. There are approximately 30 members in each praesidium.
Gibraltar
Among their many works are visitation of day care and cancer centres and a centre caring for alcoholics.
Italy
Milan Regia: The Bishop of Chiavar invited Genoa Curia to extend the Legion in his Diocese. On the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel legionaries organised an open air rosary in a centre city parish and distributed literature on Venerable Edel Quinn.
Senatus of Rome: Three new Curiae have been formed, 1 at Segni, 1 at Fiumicino and 1 at Potenza in the south of Italy. The Spiritual Director of the Senatus, Mgr. La Rosa, visited Sardinia and was received cordially by the Archbishop of Cagliari and addressed the assembled legionaries in the Cathedral giving them great encouragement.
Padua Comitium:
A new praesidium was set up in the parish of St. Rita and the parish priest is very happy with their work. A praesidium organises a monthly spiritual hour on Radio Maria. Promotion of the Legion Causes for beatification features regularly in reports. The annual audit has taken place and surplus funds sent to Concilium.
Malta
Malta Regia: Gozo Comitium held a meeting for newly ordained priests and deacons, each of whom was given a book on the life of Frank Duff. A Marian function had an attendance of 700, including the Bishop of Gozo who addressed the meeting. A new praesidium of 8 members with a Spiritual Director was set up in the University. A youth weekend retreat had an attendance of 21. A Curia helped to prepare an English family and they were recently received into the Church.
Countries under the caretakership of Malta
Albania: The young Maltese legionaries who went on last year's project wish to go again this year.
Turkey:
Four legionaries from Gozo Comitium visited Istanbul and Izmir in October last. In Istanbul they met the Spiritual Directors of the 3 praesidia, composed of Filipinos, and encouraged them to attend the praesidium meetings in order to give encouragement and moral support to the legionaries. In Izmir they were warmly welcomed by the Bishop.
Portugal
Lisbon Senatus: The "Mission in the City", part of the International Congress of the New Evangelisation, was hosted by Lisbon for a week in November. Legionaries took part in all activities and made some wonderful contacts on the streets. A highlight of the week was the procession through the streets with a statue of Our Lady brought from Fatima for the day and an attendance of 60,000. The Senatus had carried out 3 projects to distant parishes earlier in the year as a preparation for this Congress.
Spain
Madrid Senatus: The Senatus organised a social gathering for former members who had met their spouses in the Legion but were no longer active members. They were encouraged to rejoin and to get their children into junior ranks. Twenty married couples attended. An Exploratio Dominicalis was carried out to a predominantly Muslim barrio. Legionaries were well received and many medals with Arabic inscriptions were accepted.
Barcelona Senatus: A praesidium of 11 works among drug addicts, prisoners and their families and ex-prisoners, they are met in their homes, hostels, prisons and on the streets. They are accompanied to hospitals and clinics and efforts are made to reunite them with their families.
Bilbao Senatus: Durango Curia has a youth group of 8 members. Legionaries do some work among street girls and immigrants.
Asia
Pakistan
Karachi Comitium: The Annual Reunion had an attendance of 200 and 5 Spiritual Directors. October Devotions (including Rosary and candlelight processions) were well attended. Sixteen children were prepared for First Holy Communion and prayer services were organised for the victims of the earthquake in Pakistan.
India
Kolkata (Calcutta) Comitium: One junior and 3 senior praesidia were started in the city. 100 attended a Mass for the sick and 300 attended a memoriam Mass for the Servant of God Frank Duff. Catholics, Christians and non-Christians are met in the course of apostolic work. The recent publication of the Handbook in Bengali is having a great effect.
Pondicherry Senatus: In December there were 96 in attendance from 16 distant affiliated Curiae and 14 distant affiliated praesidia. Five Curiae and 3 Comitia reported. The Junior Curia has 6 praesidia. After a lapse of 20 years a junior praesidium started with 28 members in the 12 - 18 age group. The Rosary is promoted in the course of hospital visitation.
Mumbai Regia:
The formation of Curiae and Comitia is taking place. One Curia has 25 praesidia attached as well as 10 distant praesidia. Goa legionaries organised a conference at which 60 officers and 12 Spiritual Directors attended. The Junior Curia has 18 praesidia. Another Junior Curia organised an event for children - 222 attended. Those of other faiths were brought to visit the Blessed Sacrament. All praesidia carry out an apostolate to people of different faiths.
Kerala Senatus: The Senatus governs 16 Comitia, 22 Curiae and 32 praesidia. Works done include visitation of homes, hospitals, orphanages and prisons. The majority met are Catholics. Consecration of homes to the Sacred Heart is promoted. A Marian Youth festival was organised. Teaching catechism is an important work - one example being 890 children attending classes on Sundays.
Myanmar
Yangon Senatus: News is awaited on the progress of the Handbook translation and on a visit which was to have taken place to Mandalay Comitium.
Sri Lanka:
Sri Lanka Senatus:In Galle Curia (worst affected by last year's tsunami) the legionaries continue to visit homes and hospitals. Many people are living in huts with abandoned and orphaned children who are particularly vulnerable. Refugee camps are also visited. Lanka Comitium with 13 Curiae and 10 praesidia visited many homes after which couples arranged to have their marriages blessed by the Sacrament, baptism for children and adults were arranged. Six senior and 7 junior praesidia were set up and 5 praesidia and 2 Curiae were restarted.
Vietnam
Saigon Senatus:In the course of home visitation legionaries meet many people working as manual labourers who are isolated because of distance from their families. Street children and those suffering from AIDS are also helped. The Regia of Nha Trang covers 3 Dioceses, has 5 Comitia, 33 senior and 12 junior Curiae with 8,900 senior and 3,100 junior members. The Catholics make up just 13% of the population. The Legion is working in 460 parishes, 32 mission stations and 78 mission points. Despite the difficulties of daily life the legionaries go to distant mountainous areas to visit ethnic tribes. This entails a journey of 2 - 3 days. Legionaries in the mountains walk up to 4 hours to attend their meetings.
Mexico
Mexico City Senatus:Reports indicate that legionaries are very active in many different apostolates. Ten adults returned to the practice of the faith.
Guatalajara Senatus: During the last quarter, 3 Curiae and 3 praesidia reported. Legionaries tend to say rosaries and distribute religious magazines rather than make personal contact. An attached Curia in Zalatitan with 123 praesidia has set up another one.
Merida Regia: 9 Comitia, 6 Curiae and 5 praesidia reported recently to the Regia. Home visitation is done extensively throughout the Regia area resulting in hundreds of returns to the Sacraments and many families who had joined different sectsreturned to the practice of the faith. One praesidium arranged the Consecration of a large number of families to the Sacred Heart. Many legionaries are catechists and prepare thousands of children for the Sacraments. Attached Councils report extension and new praesidia being set up in their area. Since the visit of Bro. Bernardo a number of praesidia and Councils are doing crowd contact work.
Hermosillo Regia: 3 Comitia, 5 Curiae and 5 praesidia reported. The attached Curiae report extension and have set up new praesidia. Reports show that they are trying to put Bro. Bernardo's suggestions into practice. It may be possible to set up a new Comitium in the near future.
Monterrey Regia: Interesting reports were received from 2 Comitia, 2 Curiae and 4 praesidia. Attendance for both praesidia officers and Council officers is about 75%. An attached Curia reported that most of the Legion work is done in distant parishes where there is no resident priest. A new praesidium of young mothers is working well. They prepare children and adults for the Sacraments.
Central America
El Salvador
Senatus of San Salvador: The Senatus is very active in extension. There are many celebrations of the Word and people are taken to visit the Blessed Sacrament when they are being taught about the Eucharist. The Regia of Santa Ana will celebrate its 50th anniversary this year. The priest was brought to 5 people before death. A Junior Curia with 11 praesidia set up another praesidium. The junior legionaries prepared 2 Protestant children for First Holy Communion.
Guatemala
Comitium of Camotan: 5 senior, 1 junior Curiae and 3 praesidia recently reported. Home visitation, celebration of the Word and Eucharist Adoration feature in the reports. The junior movement is very strong. One junior Curia and 5 praesidia were set up. A senior Curia divided.
Nicaragua
Regia of Managua: The Regia has 1 Comitium, 5 Curiae and 18 praesidia attached. Prison and home visitation is carried out. One legionary is giving True Devotion preparation talks. The new Bishop of the Diocese of Matagalpa has asked to have the Legion set up in his Diocese.
Belize:
As well as the usual Legion apostolate, the legionaries do census work and take the Eucharist to the sick in hospital. One praesidium runs a bereavement group. They also conduct a children's programme on the radio every Sunday. Bro. Bernardo led a Peregrinatio Pro Christo team to Belize in December.
Africa
Benin
Cotenou Regia: Reports deal with contacting Christians and non-Catholics of all denominations in the course of home and hospital visitation, recruiting catechumens and the regularisation of marriages. Concern about the decreasing number of young adult legionaries is resulting in greater efforts to recruit children into junior praesidia or into 'Frank Duff' childrens' clubs where no praesidia exist. The Regia Spiritual Director devoted most of 6 days of his holidays to visitation of praesidia in Natitinga Diocese.
Councils under the caretakership of Cotonou Regia
Gabon
Oyem Comitium has set up a new praesidium and Liberville Comitium elected 4 new officers in 2005.
Ivory Coast
Regia of Abidjan:Details of election held last July have been received by the Concilium.
Congo
Brazzaville Regia: Works reported at Regia and Council levels include visitation of homes, hospitals and community centres, recruiting of catechumens, organisation of days of recollection, promotion of visitation of the Blessed Sacrament and recitation of the Rosary. Days of formation for legionaries are organised very frequently and Exploratio Dominicalis projects take place almost every Sunday. A project organised at Regia level had 290 participants.
Togo
Lomé Regia had reports of enrolment of many catechumens and many returns of lapsed to religious practice following contact in their homes or on the streets. Functions organised at all levels included retreats and sessions of formation for members. Masses and seminars to promote the Causes of the Venerable Edel Quinn and the Servants of God, Frank Duff and Alfie Lambe. One council attributed the release of an unjustly imprisoned legionary to the intercession of Edel Quinn. New praesidia were reported by several councils and Patrician meetings are increasing in number.
Senegal
Lomé Regia sent 2 legionaries to visit this area for which it is caretaker. In the course of 18 days there they got a great reception everywhere. A very detailed account of their work, experiences and observations deals with the follow up on previous suggestions and recommendations for the future. They met the Bishop of one Diocese, the Vicar General of another, senior Diocesan priests and Spiritual Directors. They had time to address some Legion groups and had meetings with officers of 4 Curiae.
Cameroon:
Two English speaking Curiae look after 2 praesidia in Yaoundé Central Prison. A new Junior Curia was established in Nyon. Works reported by Curiae in Kotto include setting up a new junior praesidium, organisation of 2 auxiliary rallies and a Patrician meeting, visitation of orphanages, hospitals for lepers and the blind and the organisation of Exploratio Dominicalis projects.
Guinea Equatorial
Bata Comitium visited 2 very distant Curiae. A great spirit of prayer and sacrafice was evident and membership included many young people. The Legion in Bata is indebted to the Salesian Community for providing spiritual guidance to its praesidia.
Extract from the Handbook - revised edition 2005 - Chapter 40
3. The Special Relationship with our Sister Churches
of the Orthodox Tradition
The work of bringing the message of Jesus Christ to every person, which, in the words of Pope Paul V1, is the "essential function of the Church" (EN:14), is closely linked to that other great commitment of the Church which is the promotion of reconciliation and unity among Christians. We recall here the prayer of our Lord at the Last Supper, "May they all be one. Father may they be one in Us, as You are in Me and I am in You, so that the world may believe it was You who sent Me." (Jn.17:21).
In the wake of the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) Christian Unity is one of the great priorities of the Catholic Church in these times, for as the same Council points out "the division among Christians openly contradicts the will of Christ, scandalises the world, and damages that most holy cause, the preaching of the gospel to every creature". (UR:1).
In the context of the above the following quotation from Pope John Paul 11 Apostolic Letter "Orientale Lumen" written as an aid to restoring unity with all Christians of the East is of the greatest importance:
"Since in fact, we believe that the venerable and ancient tradition of the Eastern Churches is an integral part of the heritage of Christ's Church, the first need for Catholics is to be familiar with that tradition, so as to be nourished by it and to encourage the process of unity in the best way possible for each.
Our Eastern Catholic brothers and sisters are very conscious of being the living bearers of this tradition, together with our Orthodox brothers and sisters. The members of the Catholic Church of the Latin tradition must also be fully acquainted with this treasure and thus feel, with the Pope, a passionate longing that the full manifestation of the Church's catholicity be restored to the Church and to the world, expressed not by a single tradition, and still lies by one community in opposition to the other; and that we too may all be granted a full taste of the divinely revealed and undivided heritage of the universal Church which is preserved and grows in the life of the Churches of the East as in those of the West. (No. 1)."
Further on the Holy Father speaking of the Orthodox Churches, says:
"A particularly close link already binds us to them. We have almost everything in common; and above all, we have in common the true longing for unity. (No. 3)."
These Orthodox Churches are truly our Sister Churches, we must promote in every way possible reconciliation and unity between us according to the mind of Christ and in keeping with the guidelines of the document "Unitatis Redintegratio" of the Second Vatican Council.
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April 2006 Concilium Meeting
Due to the fact that Easter Sunday will fall on the 3rd Sunday in April 2006, (ordinarily the Sunday for the monthly meeting of the Concilium) please note that the meeting in April 2006 will take place on Sunday 23rd 2006 DV.
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