EUROPE/ITALY - Thirty eight Legionaries of Christ from 9 different countries ordained in Rome

Roma (Agenzia Fides) – Today, 30 June, in the Chapel of the Centro di Studi Superiori di Roma, 38 Legionaries of Christ were ordained deacons. The Mass was presided by Archbishop Mauro Piacenza, Secretary of the Congregation for the Clergy. Among the concelebrants, Fr. Álvaro Corcuera, L.C., director general of the Legionaries of Christ and the Regnum Christi Movement, and the Congregation's vicar general Fr Luis Garza, L.C.
The new deacons come from 9 different countries: Brazil (2), Canada (2), Czech Republic (1), Spain (6), Italy (1), Mexico (19), United States (5), Venezuela (1) and Vietnam (1). They include, two medical doctors, two engineers, one journalist, one doctor in Bio-Ethics, and an expert on the words of Tolkien. Jiři Brabec will be the first deacon of the Congregation of the Legionaries of Christ from the Czech Republic. Other Legionaries of Christ were ordained deacons in recent weeks in various cities of Mexico, Untied States, Spain and Germany. More deacons are soon to be ordained in France and in South America. Today the Congregation of the Legionaries of Christ is present in 22 countries, with 800 priests and 2,600 seminarians. It has 127 religious houses and runs more than 240 centres of education. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 30/6/2009; righe 14, parole 213)