At the beginning of August, over 200 Regnum Christi members, families, and friends gathered on the grounds of the Legionaries of Christ Novitiate and College of Humanities in Cheshire, Connecticut to celebrate the professions of four novices as they promised to follow Christ by living their vocations as consecrated religious of the Legionaries of Christ.

On August 9th, Br. Inoh Choe, Br. Austen Davis, Br. Mark Lawrence, and Br. Zachary Le Leux made their first professions of temporary vows at the annual Professions Mass. These young men professed vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience for the first time, making them religious seminarians. Fr. Shawn Aaron, LC, North American Territorial Director, presided, joined by over 25 Legionary priests, many of whom are presently engaged in teaching and accompanying these young men throughout their studies. There were also 14 seminarians who renewed their temporary vows.

This first profession of temporary vows marks the end of the two-year novitiate stage of the path to becoming a Legionary priest. These seminarians will then go on to complete one or two years of classical humanities studies, followed by three years studying philosophy in Rome, during which time these first vows will be renewed. This leads into two or three years of internship and three years of formal theology studies, followed by ordination to the transitional diaconate, and finally, ordination to the Legionary priesthood.

Upward Calling in Christ Jesus

In his homily during the Professions Mass, Fr. Shawn encouraged the four novices about to make their professions to focus not on what they are giving up, but on what they are taking up—the upward calling of Christ. “The first call in this upward calling is the call to existence. God called us into existence, he loved us into existence, and he precedes us with a love that we don’t deserve, and a yes that comes before our yes,” said Fr. Shawn. “As you make this step today, there is a yes that precedes yours, there is a love that is tenacious, that will never give up on you and calls you upward into his degree of loving. It is a noble calling—you are the blessed ones.”

“The next calling,” Fr. Shawn continued, “is the call to be prophetic witness through your life—through your poverty, your chastity, your obedience—that says this is worth giving my life to. Your simple yes, united to his yes, and preceded by his yes, is going to change human history.”

Friends & Family Gathering

Throughout the weekend, Regnum Christi members, friends, and supporters gathered as a spiritual family at Cheshire to enjoy activities including fellowship, Mass, barbecue picnics, and a soccer game. Fr. Timothy Walsh, LC, who serves as the rector of the seminary in Cheshire, also celebrated a marriage renewal where 17 couples, some of whom are parents of current seminarians, renewed their vows. This is the second year that the marriage renewal has been offered following the professions ceremony and it has quickly become a cherished tradition, offering a moving parallel between the two vocations and paths to holiness celebrated during the weekend—marriage and the religious life.

“It’s always a great day in Cheshire when the community comes together with members of Regnum Christi, friends, and supporters who attend the professions ceremony,” says Anne Ciacciarella, who works at the Cheshire seminary.