“Just as the Christ invited the first apostles to ‘come and see,’ the young men are invited to come and encounter Christ in a profound way.” – Fr. Joseph Brickner, LC
Two events for boys and young men were held over the 2024-25 Christmas break at the Legionaries of Christ Seminary in Cheshire, Connecticut. The Christmas Test Your Call Retreat invited young men to discern their vocation in the heart of the novitiate community, while Ignition 2025 gave high school boys the opportunity to reignite their faith in God and grow in friendship with other Catholic young men.
Christmas Test Your Call Retreat
There was quite a bit of snow throughout Connecticut when close to 20 young men arrived at the novitiate over the Christmas break. God, however, had his own plans, and sent plenty of graces to help those in attendance in their vocational discernment. The young men from high school, college, and young professional life enjoyed time with the novices and young religious, received talks on discernment, witnessed the Regnum Christi charism at work, and took a deep dive into prayer.
The Test Your Call retreats allow young men to not just pray about their vocation, but truly experience life as a Legionary. During the weekend, participants attend daily Mass and adoration, have opportunities for spiritual direction and confession, and take part in workshops on discernment and prayer. They also get to enjoy sports, hikes, and conversations with the brothers at the novitiate.
This past Test Your Call retreat welcomed participants from across North America, including California, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Texas, North Carolina, and New York, as well as Saskatchewan and Ontario, Canada. “Test Your Call is important because the young men are able to experience a bit of the life of a Legionary of Christ, and hear the stories of the brothers,” says Fr. Joseph Brickner, who is the Aspirancy Program director for the Legionaries of Christ and one of the vocation directors for the southeast vocation team. “Just as the Christ invited the first apostles to ‘come and see,’ the young men are invited to come and encounter Christ in a profound way.”
Several of the young men who attended the Christmas Test Your Call took a further step in discernment and formally enrolled in the Aspirancy Program at the novitiate. The Aspirancy Program is an optional introductory program that aids men in taking a concrete step closer to Christ. The program is designed to help discern the “calling” through prayer, study, fraternity, and guidance. Participation enhances the understanding of the priesthood and Legionary life including the charism, mission, and community thus preparing young men for possible future steps like participating in the Legionary Candidacy Summer program.
There are two Test Your Call retreats happening at the novitiate this spring. The Holy Week Test Your Call Retreat, on April 16-21, invites young men to visit the novitiate during the most powerful and impactful time of the liturgical year, and join the brothers looking to accompany Christ through his passion and resurrection. The Spring Test Your Call Retreat is being held May 15-18; you can check out all upcoming events happening at Cheshire here.
Ignition Retreat 2025
The Ignition Retreat was held December 29, 2024 – January 2, 2025. This retreat for high school boys is an opportunity to live a deep experience of Catholic life, friendship, formation, and fun, and is run by the young adult men who are currently serving as missionaries within the Regnum Christi Mission Corps program. They and the participants are accompanied spiritually by a team of Legionary priests who serve as chaplains throughout the retreat.
This year, 90 boys attended the retreat from all over the United States and Canada. The retreat combined spiritual activities, like lectio divina, adoration, and the rosary, with fun events, including a soccer tournament, sports Olympics, a hike to a nearby mountain, and even a casino night! The theme of this year’s retreat was “Driven by Love,” and was inspired by themes in Guy Ritchie’s movie “The Covenant,” which the participants watched and discussed. There were talks by the RC Mission Corps missionaries, vocational testimonies by the Legionary brothers, and a Q&A about what life is like as a RCMC missionary.
“The main goal of Ignition is just to bring teens closer to Christ,” says Fr. Adam Zettel, who serves as one of the Canadian vocation coordinators in Oakville, Ontario. “There is a secondary goal which is very clear: to introduce them to the RC Mission Corps missionaries and the program, so they might discern if God is calling them also to be missionaries.”
For Fr. Adam, one of the highlights of the Ignition retreat happened on the night of December 31st; participants brought in the new year with confessions, music, and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, all while a violent thunderstorm provided natural fireworks outside the chapel. “During adoration, each missionary knelt in front of the altar, and the boys could approach them and ask them to pray for them personally. It was an intense moment of brotherly spiritual support and intercession.”
Regnum Christi Mission Corps is a 1-2 year Catholic youth and young adult missionary program that leads young people into a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ, forms them as Christian leaders and apostles, and sends them out to put their unique gifts and talents at the service of the evangelizing mission of the Church. RCMC is currently accepting applications for the 2025-2026 year from those graduating high school this year.
ECYD and Regnum Christi are also hosting the Jubilee Convention National High School Pilgrimage this summer on July 27th – August 4th, for students ages 16-18 years old. The Pilgrimage will include attendance at the Jubilee of Youth with Pope Francis and Regnum Christi International Encounter Day, as well as tours of Rome through the eyes of Church history, and trips to Assisi and Nettuno. There are only a few seats left in the boys track, and the girls track has already sold out: click here for more information or to register or join the waitlist.
