Page 268 - 聖母軍團員手冊（英文版，2014年5月-2022年1月更新版）

Legion HANDBOOK D10944_1 26/02/2014 15:53 Page 263

CHAPTER 38 THE PATRICIANS 263
of responsibility for its welfare. So our Patricians must be
supporters of their spiritual fatherland, the Church. The Rule
does not insist that they be devout or even practis ing
Catholics, but only that their allegiance be broadly Catholic.
Rooted anti-Catholic Catholics do not enter into this category.
Unless the bishop declares to the contrary, non-Catholics
may not attend the meetings.
The Patrician meeting is held monthly. Punctuality and
continu ity are essential. Meetings should not be omitted
except it is genuinely impossible to hold them. It is not
obligatory that a member attend every meeting. A system of
reminding members of the next meeting will be necessary.
It is desirable that a branch should not exceed 50 in
number, and even that size presents its difficulties.

Setting: To be avoided is the theatre effect of a platform
and audience; but neither is there to be an air of disorder. As
far as possible the seats are to be arranged in semi-circular
formation with the table completing the circle. On the table is
the Legion altar of which the vexillum is an essential part.
The meeting should possess all the elements of
attractiveness, including the material comforts of proper
seating, lighting, and temperature.
Expenses are to be met by a secret bag collection, and a
state ment of accounts is to be given at each meeting.

Order of the meeting
1. The meeting begins with the Patrician prayer said in
unison, standing.
2. A Paper or talk, strictly limited to 15 minutes, on the
subject for discussion, is given by a lay person. It need not last
that time. If it goes longer, it is like all excess — harmful. It is
not necessary that the Paper be given by an expert. Expertness
may mean too much learning and too great length, which at
the beginning of the meeting could ruin it. It has been
suggested, on the other hand, that there is no need for a
Paper. But obviously it is necessary that some pre limin ary
research be done on the subject. This can only be effectively
ensured by appointing someone to do it. The meeting must
be furnished with raw material on which to work.