44 Legionary Priests Ordained This Weekend in Rome

Cardinal Beniamino Stella, Prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy, ordained 44 Legionaries of Christ priests in the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls in Rome. There were close to 3,000 persons present, including friends and family of the newly ordained priests. In his homily, Cardinal Stella said the 44 new Legionary

priests are “a gift for the Church and humanity,” and therefore there are “many reasons to rejoice today.”

The words of the Cardinal focused on three characteristics of a priest: “chosen from among men,” “constituted in the things which refer to God,” and “sent into the world.”

The Cardinal reminded the new ministers that the ministry is not a profession, in which man is the hero, however is somewhat an activity of God to which a man reacts with affection. "It is useful for a minister to keep up, for his entire life, the familiarity with having been picked… of the beauty of that 'first love' from which is conceived a yearning to do extraordinary things.

He invited the new priests to foster a relationship of love with Christ and to give witness of the Gospel through service to others. He reminded them that today the Church has entrusted them with a mission in which “God’s pedagogical itinerary has come to completion. Christ consecrates you to Himself in order to give you as a gift to everyone.”

“To celebrate this priestly ordination at the beginning of the Year of Mercy helps us to experience the love of God which knows no limits. Each one of these new priests is called to be a living image of the merciful Father whom Jesus has revealed to us, by reaching out to those persons most in need, to those who suffer, to bring them the light of faith and the witness of love,” commented Father Ignacio Sarre, L.C., rector of one of the houses of formation of the Legionaries of Christ in Rome.

"We are exceptionally grateful to the Ruler for these new ministers," said the General Executive of the Legionaries, Father Eduardo Robles-Gil, L.C. "We have awesome trust in these youthful clerics as we proceed with our way of remodel and administration to others. It gives us incredible delight to see bigger gatherings of men from nations, for example, Brazil and Colombia touch base to the ministry, as they have much to offer our Assemblage

The 44 new priests come from 11 different countries: Germany (2), Brazil (8), Canada (2), Colombia (6), Chile (2), Spain (2), United States (1), France (1), Italy (3), Mexico (16), Poland (1). They have obtained their philosophy and theology degrees from the Pontifical Atheneum Regina Apostolorum, and their period of study and preparation – about 12 years – also included 3 years of pastoral work in different countries around the world.

Each one of the 44 priests has published their vocation story on the website: http://www.regnumchristi.org/sites/ordenaciones2015/en/

The newly ordained priests are already exercising their ministry around the world.

The Legion of Christ, a religious congregation within the Catholic Church, has a presence in 22 countries. It currently has 4 bishops, 954 priests, and 836 religious in formation, according to data from December 31, 2014.

Below is a list of the new priests and their country of origin. 

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On the NET:

Photos of the Ordinations: https://goo.gl/a2P7CY

Text of the homily of Cardenal Stella (original in Italian, translations in Spanish, English, and Portuguese):http://goo.gl/RdkAO5

Names and Country of origin of the 44 Legionaries of Christ

ordained priests the 12^th of December, 2015 in Rome

United States

Brian D. HOELZEN, L.C. (Seattle)

Canada

1. Matthew WHALEN, L.C.
2. Sameer Vikram ADVANI, L.C.

Germany

     1. Daniel Egervári, L.C. (Schwabach, Alemania)

     2. Vincenz Heereman, L.C. (Meerbusch, Alemania)

Brazil

1. Cleverson BUFFON, L.C. (Paraná)
2. Paulo Cesar VALENTINI, L.C. (Santa Catarina)
3. Anderson PITZ, L.C. (Santa Catarina)
4. João Francisco Borin PETROSKI, L.C. (Paraná)
5. Fernando DE SOUZA VICENTE, L.C. (Paraná)
6. Daniel Mauricio FILHO, L.C. (Santa Catarina)
7. Danilo Renato STRADIOTO, L.C. (São Paulo)
8. Felipe Necco Ramos, L.C. (Rio de Janeiro)

Chile

1. Alexis GATICA, L.C. (Santiago de Chile)
2. Víctor Felipe RIVAS FRITZ, L.C. (Santiago de Chile)

Colombia

1. Juan Carlos QUINTERO, L.C. (Antioquia)
2. Abel RANGEL CRUZ, L.C. (Bogotá)
3. Miller MAZENETT HURTADO, L.C. (Bogotá)
4. Rogelio VILLEGAS PATIÑO, L.C. (Antioquia)
5. Néstor FONSECA FIGAREDO, L.C. (Boyacá)
6. William BÁEZ SAAVEDRA, L.C. (Santander)

France

            Jean-Christophe PONCET, L.C. (Versalles)

Italy

1. Lorenzo CAMPANELLA, L.C. (Brescia)
2. Stefano LOZZA, L.C. (Bergamo)
3. Federico MACCHI, L.C. (Ponsacco, Provincia di Pisa)

Mexico

1. Alejandro MIJANGOS HERRERA, L.C. (Villahermosa, Tabasco)
2. Jorge Alberto REYES CRUZ, L.C. (Ocotlán, Jalisco)
3. Jorge Enrique MÚJICA VILLEGAS, L.C. (Dolores Hidalgo, Guanajuato)
4. Carlos Oldaid GALLEGOS ROCHIN, L.C. (Villarhermosa, Tabasco)
5. Luis Miguel VARGAS MONTAÑEZ, L.C. (Aguascalientes, Ags.)
6. Álvaro AGUILAR ÁLVAREZ MIER Y TERÁN, L.C. (Ciudad de México)
7. Víctor ZAMORA LEÓN, L.C. (Ciudad de México)
8. Roberto JUÁREZ ÁLVAREZ, L.C. (Ciudad de México)
9. Arturo GUZMÁN VELÁZQUEZ, L.C. (Guadalajara,eJalisco)
10. Luis Manuel GUTIÉRREZ ROJAS, L.C. (Guadalajara, Jalisco)
11. Julio CASTRO BAEZA, L.C.(San José de Gracia, Mich.)
12. Daniel ZORRILLA GARZA, L.C. (Monterrey, N.L.)
13. Jorge ORTIZ CASTELLANOS, L.C. (Ciudad de México)
14. Gabriel ARENAS RAMÍREZ, L.C. (León, Guanajuato)
15. Pablo Yeudiel GONZÁLEZ CUÉLLAR, L.C. (Saltillo, Coah.)
16. Luis RAMÍREZ ALMANZA, L.C. 

Poland

            Wawrzyniec Piotr PRYCZKOWSKI, L.C.

Spain

1. Alberto PUÉRTOLAS GIL, L.C. (Barcelona)