ROME—Forty-four Legionaries of Christ were ordained to the priest-hood Dec. 24 by Archbishop Leonardo Sandri, substitute for general affairs of the Vatican Secretariat of State. The ordination liturgy took place in the chapel of the Legion's Center for Higher Studies in Rome.

In his homily, Archbishop Sandri expressed his joy at ordaining the new priests.

“Today your religious family will be enriched by 44 new priests,” he said. “It is an event that fills the Church with joy and draws our thoughts to Jesus' words, ‘by their fruits you will know them.’”

Speaking to the candidates, the archbishop reminded them that in their configuration to Christ through priestly ordination, they will be like him: teachers of the faith and guides of the faithful on the path to holiness.

“These new brother priests are a gift to the universal Church,” said Father Marcial Maciel, the 82-year-old founder and general director of the Legion of Christ who was also present at the ordination ceremony. “Each new priest is now sacramentally configured to Jesus Christ—and called to follow his example of sacrificial love and service.”

One of the new priests, Father Lawrence Merta, a native of Brownsville, Texas, said he and his fellow ordinands sense how much their priestly ministry is needed.

“After so many years of formation and preparation for the priest-hood, the mission of giving God's love to souls is an urgent matter,” Father Merta said. “Christ has given me the gift of gifts. I owe him my generous and total response.”

The formation process for a Legionary priest typically takes 12 to 14 years. It includes a two-year novitiate, studies in classical humanities and philosophy, a few years of apostolic internship and finally theology study at the Regina Apostolorum, Pontifical University in Rome.

“God chose us to be priests in this precise moment of history,” said Father Steven Liscinsky of Stratford, Conn. “Never has a world so filled with hatred and violence been in greater need of ministers of God's love and forgiveness.”

The new priests come from Brazil, Canada, Chile, France, Germany, Korea, the United States, Spain, Ireland, Italy and Mexico. Eleven of the new priests are from the United States and three are from Canada.

Their apostolic assignments range from missionary work to chaplaincies at the more than 130 Legionary schools. Some of the new priests will serve in several of the Legion's 11 universities; others will help with Legionary youth clubs now active in 20 countries.

New Legionary priests from the United States include Father Shawn Aaron, Modesto, Calif.; Father Matthew Brackett, Still River, Mass.; Father John Bullock, Houston; Father Simon Chung, Los Angeles; Father Steven Liscinsky, Stratford, Conn.; Father Daniel Massick, Colfax, Calif.; Father Lawrence Merta, Brownsville, Texas; Father Jonathan Morris, Cleveland; Father John Sasse, Louisville, Ky.; Father Charles Sikorsky, Baltimore; and Father Daniel Wilson, Yorba Linda, Calif.

(Register staff)