HONG KONG (SE): The Comitium of Legion of Mary in Hong Kong was promoted to the status of Regia by the Legion’s Council in Dublin, Ireland, during the meeting of the council in June. The new status came into effect on September 8.
The Regia and Senatus are very important councils in the government of the Legion of Mary worldwide. The Concilium always gives the matter serious consideration before this status conferred on a council.
Commencing September 8, all Chinese-speaking curia in Hong Kong, including junior ones, are affiliated with the Regia. Curia Caritas, the English-speaking curia, is raised as Comitium and is affiliated with the Regia. All English-speaking curiae in Hong Kong, Kowloon and the New Territories, including junior curiae and Korean-speaking curiae, will be affiliated with the new Comitium [English].
Bishop Stephen Chow Sau Yan, SJ, also acknowledged the upgrading in his letter to the Legion of Mary on August 30 and appointed Father Francis Tam Kam-wing as the spiritual director of the Regia and Father Paul Tam Wing-ming as the spiritual director of the Comitium [English].
According to Mable Tsang Chor-mei, vice-president of the Hong Kong Regia, the expansion is a result of the increased praesidia in recent years. More attention is needed to accommodate the increasing number of praesidia, as advised by the Concilium in Dublin.
During the 100th anniversary of the Legion of Mary, the Comitium initiated several activities and extensions in different parishes that had no Legion of Mary before. While these parishes are mainly located in the New Territories, there is a need to split the already very large curiae into two or three curiae for the sake of geographical needs, better management as advised by the Concilium and room for further extension.
…the Concilium in Dublin advised us in a visit in 2019 that each curia should not be managing over 15 praesidia. That is why we see the need for restructuring
Mabel Tsang
“The Legion of Mary always has to do extension work. So, upgrading to Regia is for better management and room for expansion,” Tsang told the Sunday Examiner.
“Secondly, the Concilium in Dublin advised us in a visit in 2019 that each curia should not be managing over 15 praesidia. That is why we see the need for restructuring,” she continued. “As a result, there is a need to train and involve more new officers to contribute to the community.”
The approval for the restructuring was announced at the end of the Mass for the closing of the centenary of the Legion of Mary at the Cathedral of Immaculate Conception, Caine Road, on September 4.
The Mass was celebrated by Father Francis Tam and concelebrated by Father Paul Tam, Father Joseph Kim, Father Lo King-yip and Father Michael Noh.
Margaret Madar, former president of Curia Caritas and now the president of the Comitium [English], said the curia was raised to Comitium because of the dedication and good experience of its spiritual director, Father Paul Tam, who was a member Legion of Mary before he joined the seminary.
She said there is a need to manage all the English-speaking curiae under a Comitium due to rapid expansion and, above all, the convenience of using English in meetings.
She said that when the Chinese- and the English-speaking curia had meetings, there was a need for interpretation for the English-speaking communities and, particularly, the Korean-speaking members who could not understand Chinese at all.
She believes she can handle the duties with the support of other curia members. “We belong to a strongly-united community, and I have already received calls from curia members asking what they can do to help,” she said.
Madar said that although the legionaries have more frequent meetings and responsibilities than other communities, they remain faithful and joyful. They realise the importance of supporting one another, and humbly serve by following the example of Mary.
“This is why people working overseas, like the Filipinos, can find a sense of belonging in the Legion of Mary. They feel like we are a family,” she said.
“Now, with the size of our legionaries in Hong Kong and Macau, we can do more for the Diocese of Hong Kong and the Diocese of Macau in evangelisation,” Father Paul Tam told the Sunday Examiner [see page 10].
“I have always been delighted to see the vast structure of our organisation and its universality. It is not an organisation of a few people. It is a global organisation. In faithfulness and in fidelity we are united through Mary,” he said.
