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32 New Priests to be Ordained for the Legionaries of Christ

The Legionaries of Christ have announced the ordination of 32 new priests this year. They are from Germany, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, South Korea, El Salvador, Spain, the United States, Italy, Mexico and Venezuela.

29 of the new priests will be ordained together at the basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome on April 29, 2023, at 10:00 am Rome time, in a Mass officiated by Cardinal Fernando Vérgez, LC, president of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State and the Vatican City Governorate.  The ordination mass will be live-streamed on youtube, with a link for the broadcast to be published soon. Another three new priests will be ordained in their home countries.

Six of those to be ordained on April 29th are from or are currently serving in the North American Territory. Three are Americans: Deacon Thomas White, Deacon Matthew Bender, and Deacon Luke Gill.  There is one Canadian, Deacon André Blanchette, and one Korean, Deacon Stephen Cho. Deacon Markus Stehmer, a German who is currently serving in Philadelphia, will also be ordained. You can read their vocational testimonies here.

Legionaries of Christ North American Territorial Director Appointed for a Second Term 

On March 21, 2023, Father John Connor, general director of the Legionaries of Christ, announced the appointment of Father Shawn Aaron, LC, as North American territorial director for a new three-year term. Additionally, Father John Bartunek, LC, was named territorial vicar, and Fathers Steven Reilly, Bruce Wren, and Juan Pablo Durán as territorial councilors.

Father Connor also thanked Fathers David Daly and Juan José Hernández for their selfless service and support in the territorial government. They have made significant contributions, in recent years, as territorial councilors and will be missed.

The letter also states that the current territorial government’s term is extended through June 30, 2023, in order to sync with the Legionaries of Christ’s custom of starting new terms in the summer. The new territorial government begins its term on July 1, 2023.

Called to Mission: Building a Culture of Vocation in Cincinnati

In September of 1993, on the Feast of Our Mother of Sorrows, Maria Reinagel began her life as a Consecrated Woman of Regnum Christi, and for the past 30 years, she has served in a variety of roles, including spending 16 years as a faculty member helping to form young consecrated women at Mater Ecclesiae College. Today, she continues to work to support consecrated vocations, serving now as the Director of the Office for Consecrated Life, which seeks to build a culture of vocation and promote the beauty of consecrated life in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.

The Office for Consecrated Life includes two important dimensions. First, Maria acts as a liaison between the archbishop and religious men and women, providing support to those who have already given their lives to God in consecrated life. This entails fostering an appreciation for consecrated life, like hosting a Mass and bruncheon for jubilarians celebrating a milestone anniversary in religious life. Maria also organizes an annual conference for those who minister to and care for aging religious, and generates a media campaign to drum up support for the annual campaign for the Retirement Fund for Religious. For example, this year Maria invested in having a professional 4 minute video made with an appeal to support the fund using local religious, so that people could see how their donations are put to use and how religious and consecrated people in the archdiocese benefit from their support.

The second dimension of Maria’s role is to promote new vocations to consecrated life. This entails keeping up the archdiocese’s website for the Office of Consecrated Life, and working with vocation ministers to sponsor and promote any vocational events and retreats happening in the diocese. Maria is also the point person for those who have vocational inquiries not specifically related to diocesan priesthood, and in the last three and a half years, she’s spoken to over 40 people seeking guidance on vocational discernment, one of whom will soon likely be joining the Community of the Franciscan Sisters of the Renewal.

Through her role in the Office of Consecrated Life, Maria has had the opportunity to get to know the different religious communities in the archdiocese of Cincinnati and, in doing so, has grown in her own understanding of the history of the Church and religious life. And while Maria’s own call to consecrated life and her love for the Church have prepared her for this role of serving and promoting vocations, she believes that it was also her experience of journeying through the renewal process of Regnum Christi that helped to equip her in a vital way. “My own experience of renewal, and being accompanied through that, has favored my desire to walk along others and accompany them,” says Maria. “It opened up for me a clarity of what a gift that accompaniment is, and gives me the desire to help religious in the church to grow healthy and strong vocations.”

Another aspect of her role in supporting and promoting vocations that Maria loves most is the space it has provided for her to use her gifts of innovation and creativity. One of the ways she uses and cultivates her creativity is through poetry; Maria has been writing since she was young and has written over a hundred poems.

But for Maria, writing poetry has not simply been a creative outlet; as a woman who suffered abuse as a child, writing poems, particularly in the beginning, was a way of finding her voice, and learning to speak the things that she had suppressed, or had never expressed. As Maria’s poetry developed, it began to communicate her story of healing and how she has been blessed and healed by Christ’s grace, eventually becoming deepening reflections of prayer and of her experience of Christ and his personal and healing love for her.

Maria’s poetry writing is truly charismatic – a gift that she exercises with little effort, but has had a profound impact on those who read it. “When a poem comes out, it just pours out, and I didn’t put a lot of effort into it,” explains Maria, “but others are very touched by it, and it’s that disproportion that tells me that this is something that God is working through.” Maria has been continually urged to publish her poetry by those with whom she has shared it, but it wasn’t until she came across Journeys Revealed Ministries, a non-profit team of authors, speakers, and spiritual companions based out of Botkins, Ohio, that this idea of publishing a collection of poetry became a real possibility. Journeys Revealed Ministries is inspired by St. Thérèse of Lisieux and other great saints, and is dedicated to spreading the love of Jesus by sharing their stories through a variety of outlets, including publications, podcasts, and social media platforms. After Maria met with JRM’s founder, Julia Monnin, the group agreed to walk with Maria as she continued her discernment related to publishing a book of her poetry, and, as part of this discernment, she set to work on writing and submitting a manuscript.

However, it soon became apparent that Maria’s story was more than a random collection of poems – they tell of the healing of a soul – and she was encouraged to tie them together with a coherent narrative to help to fulfill the mission of the Journeys Revealed ministry which, through the sharing of personal experiences in real and relatable ways, seeks to shed light on the darkness and leads others to greater intimacy with Christ. Maria has spent the last year pondering each of the poems included in the manuscript, and writing a biographical introduction to each chapter. She is working to complete this second draft of her manuscript soon so that the book can be published within the next year or two (God-willing, of course), and hopes that the finished product will be a gift to all those who read it, particularly those who have experienced abuse or trauma. “I am very moved by the work our Lord is doing,” says Maria. “There are so many women especially who have suffered from abuse, and this has become a beautiful way for me to serve them and to show them Jesus’ healing power.”

Maria joined the consecrated community in Greater Cincinnati in 2015. In addition to her work as the Director of the Office for Consecrated Life for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, she is involved in adult ministry and is a spiritual director. You can watch a video of Maria’s mission to build a culture of vocation and promote the beauty of consecrated life as part of The Heart of the Consecrated Woman series on YouTube. You can find more information and resources about the discernment path at catholicaoc.org.

Below is a poem written by Maria to the laity, called to the mission of imaging the Church and transforming culture.

New RC Prayer Book Available in Paperback

The new RC lay members prayer book, Lord, Teach Us to Pray, is now available for purchase in the Regnum Christi Online Store.

The new prayer book is also available online, on the RC English App, and in audio book podcast format.

The publication of a new prayer book has been a constant request from many lay members and formators even before the approval of the Statutes. In this sense, Lord Teach Us to Pray reflects a path of renewal that began before 2019 and seeks to promote and give continuity to the renewal, incorporating new fruits. In addition, we hope that the next steps in the renewed prayer of the consecrated branches allow us to grow in some prayers and practices that are common to all vocations of Regnum Christi.

In an interview on the ‘what’s new and why’ of the new prayer book, Álvaro Abellán, a lay member involved with the commission that created the new prayer book, shares, “The main reason for this update is offered by the title. Lord, Teach us to Pray expresses the request lay members of Regnum Christi make to the Lord to renew our prayer and our life through dialoguing with him, living and praying as he did. In addition, we have confirmed established elements of our prayer tradition and have incorporated elements of the renewal of the charism that we see in many places, localities, and members of Regnum Christi, in order to make them available to all. There are also other reasons, linked to this, such as adapting the prayer book to the charismatic expression in our statutes and incorporating various requests that we have received during the last few years from many lay people and formators.”

All Things Women Travels to the Holy Land

On a weekend getaway with friends in 2015, Eileen Wieck, a long-time member of Regnum Christi, had a vision of what she desired for women. Sitting among her close friends, she floated the idea of a large-scale way to help other women find a place to share their God-given gifts. She laid out an ambitious plan, but at that time, holding babies in arms, and just wanting a weekend of quiet, Eileen’s friends’ responses were less enthusiastic than she had been hoping! Fast forward to 2023, and each of those friends, along with countless others, now believe that God is doing something beautiful through this initiative called All Things Women.

All Things Women is an apostolate for women who want to discover their unique identity in Christ while building authentic sisterhood with others. A woman who is secure in Christ’s love is confident, mature, and focused on rising by lifting up others. All Things Women started in San Jose, California and offers retreats, formative events, classes, mentorship, spiritual direction, and pilgrimage experiences while creating a platform for each woman to share her gifts.

All Things Women was launched through prayer with an original core group of 11 women who decided to journey together through The Forty Weeks Program, started by Fr. Bill Watson, SJ, based on the spiritual practices of St. Ignatius of Loyola, and aimed at teaching the examen prayer through a week-by-week process over 40 weeks. Over the last four years, All Things Women has launched over 25 Forty Weeks groups of men and women throughout the United States and Canada.

In November of 2022, All Things Women organized a small group of women to journey to the Holy Land, including Magdala, the birthplace of the apostolate’s patroness, Mary Magdalene. This group of 14 women was led by a team consisting of Fr. Brian Shininger, LC; Fr. Thomas Vendetti, LC; Consecrated Woman of Regnum Christi, Lisa Small, and Eileen herself. The goal of the pilgrimage – inner healing for women.

“When I first envisioned the Holy Land pilgrimage, I wanted to create an experience based on Fr. Eamon’s Sunrise Stroll and Chat,” says Eileen, who was inspired by the daily series by Legionary priest, Fr. Eamon Kelly, filmed out of Magdala. “I felt the peace of the nature surrounding Galilee and Mount Arbel through Fr. Eamon’s daily posts, and it seemed so different from the feedback I’d received from returning pilgrims, who would often say that their Holy Land experience was saturated, packed, and even a bit overwhelming.” Imagining a different experience for herself and for future pilgrims, one of quieter days, sunrise strolls, and peaceful walks along Galilee, Eileen set out to create something new for pilgrims. Although there is plenty of work still to be done to continue to tailor the pilgrimage experience to the desired vision, the feedback from this first pilgrimage that to the Holy Land that All Things Women led was very positive.

“What a blessing to be called upon as chaplain for this pilgrimage and this group in particular,” shared Fr. Thomas Vendetti, LC, the current program director for Our Lady of Santa Clara Retreat Center in San Jose. “Most of us already shared a deep bond in the Lord, and to experience the Holy Land together just took us to another level and accomplished the goals of All Things Women: identity and friendship in Christ.”

Lisa Small, long-time member and advisor of All Things Women shared:

“All Things Women is a beautiful apostolate for women to enter into an encounter with others, God, and themselves, to discover their true beauty and vocation of becoming a gift of self to all. Our trip to the Holy Land impressed me deeply – the women were so in love with the Lord, who continually blessed us in many creative and personal ways.”

The Holy Land pilgrimage included a four-night stay at the Magdala guesthouse, which is run by Legionary priests Fr. Juan Solano, Fr. Eamon Kelly, and Fr. Guillermo Garcia, as well as Consecrated Woman of Regnum Christi, Kathleen Nichols, and David Delgado. The group also spent six nights at the Notre Dame Center in Jerusalem.

For many of the women on the pilgrimage, one of the favorite moments was visiting the place of the Visitation, where Mary was greeted by Elizabeth. “We were reminded that women are called to be sisters, to be Mary and Elizabeth for each other,” says Lisa, “and that we can indeed find women in our lives who receive us just as we are, who build us up, and strengthen us.”

Besides being the founder of All Things Women, Eileen is a spiritual director, having served in this role within Regnum Christi for 28 years. She is committed to helping women grow in both self-knowledge and understanding of their identity in Jesus Christ. This understanding, along with an ever-deepening and personal prayer life, is what Eileen feels will ultimately lead women to the freedom and harmony they seek. Originally from Alberta, Canada, Eileen now lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband Vincent and her six beautiful children, where she enjoys spending time with her family in nature, having coffee with good friends, and gathering people together in ways that uplift and build community.

All Things Women works closely with Our Lady of Santa Clara Retreat Center in Cupertino, California for its retreats, and this partnership has been a great support to the apostolate. There are several upcoming events designed to nourish the body, mind, and soul:

The Restore our Hearts retreat will be held on March 17-19th, 2023. (This weekend retreat may be attended in an overnight, commuter, or virtual format.)

The Mother-Daughter Let Your Light Shine overnight retreat will be held on May 12-13th, 2023.

And save the date for upcoming events: the Replenish retreat on October 6-8, 2023 and the next Holy Land Pilgrimage in November of 2024! Registration for both events will be coming soon.

You can find out more about All Things Women online at www.allthingswomen.org or follow them @allthingswomen_ on Instagram. For more information, email allthingswomeninfo@gmail.com.

You can also check out their beautiful photo gallery, including pictures of their Holy Land pilgrimage here!

Cardinal Fernando Vérgez, LC, takes possession of the deanery of St. Mary of Mercy and St. Adrian

On January 29, Cardinal Fernando Vérgez, LC, the first Legionary of Christ to be created a cardinal, took possession of the deanery of St. Mary of Mercy and St. Adrian in Villa Albani, in the city of Rome.

Cardinal Vérgez presided at the Eucharistic celebration and several cardinals, bishops, and priests concelebrated with him. The parish community of the church of St. Mary of Mercy welcomed its new titular cardinal. At the beginning of the Eucharistic celebration, the papal bull was read, in which Pope Francis entrusted the pastoral care of this deanery to Cardinal Vérgez and named him it’s Titular Cardinal. Fr. Giuseppe Celano O. de M., pastor of the Church, welcomed the Cardinal for generously assuming this responsibility with the parish community and the Church of Rome.

During his homily, Cardinal Fernando placed his ministry and his work as pastor of the Church in the hands of God and thanked God for the mission that he has entrusted to him, as well as thanking all those who had accompanied him with their prayers and friendship. In his words, he confirmed his desire to accompany the faithful who form part of this parish community as a close and attentive pastor.

At the end of the mass, one woman representing the laity who compose the parish community addressed the Cardinal and made known their joy to receive him in their parish and the desire to embrace him as pastor.

The celebration was attended by more than 200 people, among them cardinals, bishops, priests, men and women religious, and laity. Card. Giuseppe Bertello, Card. Arthur Roche, Mons. Brian Farrell, LC, Mons. Renato Boccardo, Mons. Aurelio García Macías and Mons. Paul Tighe accompanied Cardinal Vérgez as he took possession of the parish.

Representing the Legion of Christ, Fr. John Connor, LC and Fr. Hernán Jiménez, LC were present, along with two deacons and some religious from the communities of Philiosophy and Theology.

Cardinal Fernando Vérgez Alzaga, LC

Cardinal Fernando Vérgez was born in Salamanca (Spain) on March 1, 1945. He made his perpetual profession on December 25, 1965 and was ordained a priest on November 26, 1969. He graduated in Philosophy and Theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University and graduated from the School of Archivists of the Vatican Secret Archives. On August 1, 1972, he began his service at the Holy See in the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life; in April 1984, he was transferred to the Pontifical Council for the Laity; in June 2004, he was appointed Head of the Internet Office of the Holy See; and finally, on January 10, 2008, he was appointed Director of the Telecommunications Office of the Vatican City State.

On August 30, 2013, he was appointed secretary general of the Governorate of Vatican City State and on October 15 of the same year he was elevated to the dignity of the episcopate, receiving the titular bishopric of Villamagna di Proconsolare. On September 29, 2020, he was appointed a member of the Commission for Reserved Affairs. On September 8, 2021, the Holy Father appointed him President of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State and President of the Governorate of Vatican City State, conferring on him at the same time the personal title of Archbishop. On August 27, 2022, he was created a cardinal by Pope Francis.

Church of St. Mary of Mercy and St. Adrian

The Church of St. Mary of Mercy and St. Adrian is a parish see, instituted by Pope Pius XI on February 2, 1932 with the apostolic constitution In Salaria Huius Almae Urbis; since June 7, 1967 it has been the seat of the cardinal title of “St. Mary of Mercy and St. Adrian in Villa Albani” instituted by Pope Paul VI with the apostolic constitution Hac Nostra Aetate. The church is administered by the Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mercy.

Catholic World Mission Welcomes New Executive Director, James Flanagan

Catholic World Mission has recently welcomed its newest member to the team – James Flanagan took on the role of Executive Director in January of this year.

James is a devout Catholic with over 12 years of leadership and success in communications as well as various non-profit recognitions. He has served close to nine years in the Army, where he had the honor to lead many successful teams in war zones and across the world, including in Afghanistan, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, South Korea, and Turkey. After leaving the military in the fall of 2017, James moved back to Georgia and worked in Senior and Executive corporate communications roles for Fortune 250 companies with an emphasis on Corporate Social Responsibility. James holds a BBA from the University of Georgia and a JD from the Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law.

For James, it is his previous service in the military that has well-equipped him for his new role as Executive Director of Catholic World Mission:

“I was honored to be a part of something larger than myself when I was in the military. Each day, I knew that I was a part of a great mission, no matter how small my contribution might have been, and it was extremely humbling. After the military, I had the opportunity to lead some amazing teams and projects in Corporate America, but that feeling of being part of a great mission was missing. Now I am blessed to be a part of a great mission each day at CWM!”

Catholic World Mission is a family of donors, partners, and communities that uplifts the poor, shares the Gospel, and ignites the Holy Spirit to transform the world, one community at a time. Founded in 1998, Catholic World Mission is a Regnum Christi outreach that works to spread the message of the Catholic Church and rebuild communities worldwide with a trinitarian approach that involves collaboration between the community in need, a dedicated partner who helps oversee the project (which can include priests, religious, bishops, and lay people), and a generous family of supporters. For this reason, an important aspect of every mission entails getting to know the people in the communities being served and ensuring that they are actively involved in finding a solution to their needs, and forming relationships in order to create long-term results. “Our trinitarian approach of connecting donors with local project managers to support communities in need provides a real impact each day,” says James.

Catholic World Mission projects fall under three main categories or pillars. Through the Dignified Living Pillar, CWM responds to the call of the Catholic Church to perform the Corporal Works of Mercy: feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, clothing the naked, sheltering the homeless, and visiting the sick. For example, CWM has been working in the village of Ndekesha in the Democratic Republic of Congo, rebuilding the orphanage which had been closed in 1998 due to war and increased violence in the area, and working to construct a water tower to provide safe access to clean drinking water to the 16,000 residents.

The Evangelization Pillar uplifts the poor by sharing the Gospel of Christ, partnering with communities in need to remove the obstruction of spiritual despair so that people can experience spiritual and emotional growth. CWM has built the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Enchi, Ghana; 11 community centers which double as churches in India; and missionary centers in Costa Rica. The organization also works to provide and assist in seminarian formation, lay evangelization, and opportunities for Eucharistic Adoration.

The third pillar of Catholic World Mission is Education, which CWM believes has the power to attack poverty at the root level, allowing individuals to realize their God-given potential to elevate their lives and communities. CWM works closely with Mano Amiga schools around the world, and currently is working to transform Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Nursery and Primary School in Oyede, Nigeria from a dilapidated church building to a safe and functional education facility that can be used for meetings, church activities, weddings, and even as a stronghold in times of disaster.

A key aspect of Catholic World Mission’s projects is that CWM never accepts funds that would restrict or prevent them from not only uplifting the poor, but also spreading the Gospel. When communities receive aid from Catholic World Mission, they also hear the Good News of Jesus Christ and experience His love and the support of a community who truly cares for them – CWM supports the work of priests, religious, missionaries, and lay people working to make a difference in the lives of others, both materially and spiritually. As a Catholic mission organization, they remain fully in line with Scripture, Catholic Church teaching, and the guidance of Pope Francis, whose words continue to fuel CMW to persevere in caring for the whole person:

“It is not enough to offer someone a sandwich unless it is accompanied by the possibility of learning how to stand on one’s own two feet. Charity that leaves the poor person as he is is not sufficient. True mercy, the mercy God gives us and teaches us, demands justice; it demands that the poor find the way to be poor no longer.”

Catholic World Mission serves communities all throughout the United States, South America, Africa, Europe, and Asia, but each project and location is chosen with great prayer and consideration; CWM works where they are most needed, and where they can guide the community toward self-sufficiency through the three pillars of education, evangelization, and physical restoration.

For James, it has been an honor to be asked to lead the Catholic World Mission team, and he is grateful for the efforts of each member of the staff, who have been instrumental in building the organization. He looks forward to collaborating with each one of the leaders on the Board of Directors, which includes a number of lay Regnum Christi members and Legionary priests, like Fr. Joshua West and Fr. Daniel Brandenburg, who has served as the board’s chairman since 2017, and whose leadership and faith has been pivotal in driving the CWM mission. James looks forward to leading the CWM team of passionate individuals, connecting with donors, collaborating with partners, and promoting the mission. “By working together, we have the opportunity to make Catholic World Mission the most impactful organization of its kind!”

James is married to Dr. Elaine Flanagan, a Catholic convert and pediatrician at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Together, they have two young daughters, Rose and Grace. They attend Mary Our Queen parish in Peachtree Corners, Georgia.

If you feel called to support projects around the world to evangelize, improve education, or promote the dignity of life, visit catholicworldmission.org or contribute to the Annual Fund Drive for 2023.

To read of some of Catholic World Mission’s recent projects, like the opening of the Pope Francis School and Health Center, a multipurpose campus in Ghana that cares for vulnerable children and orphans who parents suffer from HIV/AIDS, check out their recent successes. Or follow Catholic World Mission on any one of their social links:

Resources for Lent 2023 from Regnum Christi

Regnum Christi is here to accompany you throughout the season of Lent with resources to support you in your journey with Jesus, created by different members of the RC spiritual family.

Lent at the Met with Fr. Jason Smith, LC

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then be ready for volumes of insight! This Lent, Fr. Jason Smith, LC, will take us on a tour through New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met) and shares his reflections through a series of videos.

Enhance your Lent with something different this year! Let the Holy Spirit speak to you through Beauty about God’s Truth and Goodness. Check it out.

Journey with a Father’s Heart by Teresa Williams

Pray a novena to St. Joseph

Written by Teresa Williams, CRC, these nine daily meditations will pull text from Pope Francis’s Apostolic Letter: Patris Corde (With the Father’s Heart). Each day will include the text, a short meditation, and a prayer. See it Here.

Exodus: Pilgrimage of Freedom with Kathleen Nichols

With music by recording artists Matt Maher, join Consecrated Woman Kathleen Nichols on a virtual pilgrimage of 20 minutes a day.

In this lenten journey of prayer, you will follow the ancient Israelites from slavery in Egypt, through Sinai, into the desert and into the Holy Land. Sign up here.

Lenten Resolutions with Holly Gustafson

Regnum Christi lay member Holly Gustafson shares her guide to Lenten Resolutions to Make the Most of Your Day. If this isn’t what you’re looking for this Lent, you might try one of these these Lenten themes she has written about in previous years, like:

Lenten Resolutions When You Have Relationships in Need of Healing

Lenten Resolutions for Your Mental Health

Lenten Resolutions to Improve Your Relationship with Food

Lenten Resolutions for Your Marriage

Holly, her husband James, and their five children in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. She received her Masters in Linguistics at the University of Manitoba and now pursues her love of language through her profession as a professor of Linguistics, art, writing, public speaking, and unsolicited grammatical advice. Her favorite show is always the one she’s currently watching, and her favorite saint is always the one she’s currently reading. The best advice she ever received was from her spiritual friend, St. Faustina, who told her that when in doubt, “Always ask Love. It advises best.”

40 Days to Peace & Union with God by Fr. John Bartunek, LC

In the tradition of his popular Bible study devotional The Better Part, Fr. John Bartunek, LC, offers 40 Days to Peace and Union with God, published by Sophia Press.  The stirring meditations it contains will guide you in the way of mental prayer—the prayer of the saints.

This practical companion will help you actively engage in mental prayer and cultivate a fruitful friendship with Christ. It will also teach you to rest in God’s love and receive healing, grace, peace, and joy during this sacred season.

As Fr. Bartunek breaks open the Scriptures from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday, you will grow in reading, meditating upon, absorbing, and applying the Gospels to your life. These brief, power-packed reflections focus on Lenten themes from true fasting and carrying one’s Cross to overcoming fear and temptation and experiencing renewal. By drawing nearer to God through this prayer experience, He will draw near to you in a more intimate and profound way than ever before.

The Liturgy Day by Day by Fr. Nikola Derpich, LC

The second volume of the Liturgy, Day by Day series gives a homiletic reflection for each day of Lent and for Sunday through Friday of Holy Week to help you better understand Sacred Scripture as it is proclaimed daily in the liturgy and helps us go deeper in the mystery of Christ. From Ash Wednesday to Good Friday the second volume of the Liturgy, Day by Day will take you from the desert to the foot of the Cross on Calvary to witness the depth of Our Lord’s love for you. Now available on Amazon in print and Kindle format.

Lenten Retreat Guides from the RC Spirituality Center

Check out our seven Lenten Retreat Guides for your next gathering! Retreat Guides are easy to use with a group, family, or alone. Each Retreat Guide offers a series of short videos exploring some great topics. Included are questions for reflection or discussion. Invite your friends and dive deep this Lent.  See them Here.

Stations of the Cross with the Legionaries of Christ

Join the Legionaries of Christ this lent for the Stations of the Cross.  They will be publishing meditations on the Stations every Wednesday and Friday during Lent on their Facebook and Instagram accounts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Three Legionaries of Christ Make First Profession of Vows

In a Mass at the Legionaries of Christ’s Novitiate and College of Humanities August 13th, 2022, presided by General Director Fr. John Connor, LC, three Legionaries made their first vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. Get to know a bit about them and keep them in your prayers.

 

 

Ever since I was a young boy, I always dreamed about being a priest. I also dreamed about being a racecar driver, so my resolution was the following: I would become a priest, lead the prayer before the race, and then get into my car and start racing. However, God had a slightly different plan. When I was eleven, I went to a camp in Nebraska, which a Legionary helped run. This was the first time I began seriously to consider a possible vocation. This led me to visit the Sacred Heart Apostolic School in 2014 which I joined at age twelve that very same year. I graduated from Sacred Heart in 2020, and entered the novitiate after the summer candidacy program. Although I stopped pursuing my dream to be a racecar driver, the race of a lifetime – with the Legion – has only begun.

 

 

I grew up in the Church going to Mass every week and attending a youth group at my parish. I joined the military as a way to pay for college and found myself at Louisiana State University studying electrical engineering and getting involved with the Catholic Center on campus.

My whole life changed when I encountered Jesus Christ in the Eucharist. I no longer needed the party scene or a relationship. I grew in my faith and confidence in the Lord.

During my senior year, I became a missionary with FOCUS—and found myself completely abandoned to the Lord. I left the prospects of a high-paying job and a relationship behind to go on mission. During two years as a missionary, I discerned that the Lord was asking me to take a leap of faith. At the Novitiate in Cheshire, I found a young, vibrant community of religious, and was attracted to the Legionary charism because of the brotherhood, adventure and mission that I found.

 

My father was a Legionary brother for several years and both he and my mother are Regnum Christi members, so I’ve known the Legion since I was born! In 2018, as a sophomore in High School, I went to a “Test Your Call” retreat in Cheshire, Connecticut and my journey towards the priesthood began. It left a deep impression on me and I felt drawn to the Legionary lifestyle. I still remember speaking with Father John Curran LC after the retreat and knowing in my heart that I needed to take the next step. From that point on I felt like I had a treasure inside of me, but I didn’t know what to do with it. 2 years later, after I graduated high school, I couldn’t keep the treasure contained any longer. After receiving my father’s blessing and with the support of my family I began the path toward the priesthood in the Legion!

During the professions Mass these three second-year novices made their first vows, and the second-year humanists also renewed their vows before heading off to Rome to continue their studies in philosophy. You can watch the Mass here.

 

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