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Testmonial of some former members:
Arnulfo Perez, May 24, 2002 Dear Fr. Bannon: It's been a long time.I hope you are doing well. (You always do). I think the last time I spoke with you was when I was helping at the Academy in Dallas in the mid 90's. After that, I enrolled at the University of Dallas as graduate student. I received my Master's two years later. Went back to Mexico and worked as full time teacher at the Tec de Monterrey. Later on I was offered a job by a software company and came to Florida. Last year I got married to a wonderful woman. She's from Brazil and we're preparing ourselves to receive our first baby. I cannot tell you what a happy man I am. But I can tell you why: because the Legionaries of Christ gave me the necessary foundation to build a house that no storm can make collapse. And you know how bad Hurricanes can get in Miami. As we are witnessing one of the worst anti-Catholic campaigns in the US history, we pray for those who are in the scandal business spraying their systematic mendacity. Fr. Bannon, if you ever require a testimonial (an insider as I was in the Legion for seven years), you can count on me. Truly yours in Christ:
Arnulfo Perez Barry Stechshulte, Mason, OH I was an LC from 1988 until 2000. I was in Theology and not ordained. In late 1997 I suffered a brain aneurysm and underwent 8 hours of surgery in Rome. The same operation as Nuestro Padre had in the early 80's. I came out of it okay, at about 80% of my former self. It was something I was born with. I am lucky to be alive. I should have dropped dead there in Rome. I continued in the Legion, working on the road in the US and in the vocation office. This helped tremendously with my rehabilitation. Down deep, however, I knew that the LC priesthood wasn't going to be for me, but I tried. Fr. Bailleres counseled me that he thought it best that I return to the lay state. He thought of me burning out after 5 years of priesthood, not able to meet the demands a Legionary priest faces everyday. He didn't want to see that happen to me. I insisted that I could do it and petitioned Nuestro Padre through Fr. Bannon. Several months later, NP thought I should go. So I left and returned to Ohio. Two weeks after I got home I applied for a job at Royalmont. The Legion didn't recommend this to me. I found out from a fellow ex-LC who heard there was an opening in this Ohio school. Royalmont is like about 15 other schools in the US that were started by inspiration from the Legion, usually by RC members, and that want to be Legionary schools. For these, the Legion started NCE (National Consultants for Education) a group that is adapting the LC school system to the American culture. NCE started in 1997 and has been a great work. There are only 4 fully LC schools in the US. Another 15 are like Royalmont, following LC curriculum and methods, but not owned by the LC. They all want to be full LC schools. Another category are schools that just want to use NCE as a consultant group, but are not necessarily going to become LC schools. At Royalmont we have the LC's here twice a month for Mass. Father usually has spiritual direction for RC members and teachers, and hears confessions of the students. He doesn't have any say in the management of the school, but his opinion is highly valued and asked for. There isn't anything subtle about it. We want the school to have an LC full time on staff and become a full LC school. The parents who are currently on the board would love to have an LC here and an LC on the board. They don't have any vested interest in the school other than making it a good school for their kids — and they know that the Legion would be the best for this. I am an employee of Royalmont, not of the LC. I work as the business manager of the school. I am not married and I'm in RC. Not everyone employed at Royalmont is a member of RC, and they don't have to be. I love my job and I love being a part of a growing Legionary apostolate in education in the US. I love being able to see and talk with LC's and have gotten nothing but support and good will from them. I still feel a part of the Legionary family. In the end, I see the provident hand of God at work in my life. He wanted me to give myself totally to him for those years in the Legion. I am glad that He lifted the burden of the priesthood from my shoulders. Looking at myself now I realize that I couldn't have done it. I know myself well enough and with a little humility I have accepted God's Will for me and am working at what He laid before me — without complaint, with gratitude and peace. No one deserves the priesthood. Who am I to tell God what I should be in life. I gave myself to Him and always told Him, "Whatever You want, Lord." I tried to be faithful to my Legionary life, struggled some, but never gave up. Our Lord is now asking something different from me and I am happy with that. Barry Stechshulte Bao Nguyen, September 11, 2002 I spent a few years in the Apostolic school run by the Legionaries of Christ and stayed on for another seven years. I spent a total of ten years in the Legion. In those ten years I learned what it is to be human, a Catholic and a man that is true to himself. The ten years that I spent in the Legion can be described as ten beautiful years, even the days that a classmate and I faked being sick so as to skip classes. How about the Saturday hike with Br. Patrick or the basketball game in the Interlake high school gym? I go back to the good old days and remember the beautiful things about Center Harbor. Regarding the staff, Fr. Fergus was a total father figure to us. He was holy and exemplary. He was a man that was in total union with God. I remember the many days that he didn't sleep for more than 4 hours. He would be the last one to go to bed and the first one up. I believe he average no more than 5 hours of sleep a day. How about the "Kerryman" jokes that he told us in meditation? The other priest at the time was Fr. Desmond. He was a simple priest that was in love with life. There wasn't a soul that he was not caring towards. He was funny and tried his best to put a smile on everyone's face. He too spent countless tiring hours taking care of us kids. My favorite of all Legionary priests is Fr. Kevin. At that time he was but 27 years old. Great in basketball and humble as a St. Francis of Assisi. I remember one time he got upset in a basketball game. After the game he went to each of us one by one and apologized for giving a bad example. How many of us are willing to do that? To this day he would call me up and ask me how I am doing. At the end of the conversation he would always end with the comment, "Let me know if you need anything". I can go on with all the priests and brothers that took care of us during those years. The way that they took care of us was with lots of care and tenderness. Of course, at time they would lose their patience with us but who wouldn't be? My mom got mad at me all the time. As time goes on I continue with my formation. I met other fathers and brothers of top quality. They are some of the nicest people that I have ever met. True to themselves and their mission. They gave all to the mission. When I say all, I mean all. Their passion is for all to love Christ totally. They work hard and long hours so as to spread the teaching of Christ to all. I can't see why an organization that is totally passionate about loving Christ and to build his kingdom can be so totally attacked. I understand why some can be bitter with the Legion and I don't for an instant judge them on it. But let us see the picture objectively. How many Legionaries fathers and brothers do you know? And how many of them are "bad"? I bet the number is small if not only one or two. Throughout my years of formation I have known hundreds of Legionary fathers and brothers and off of my head I can only think of two Legionary fathers that I didn't get along with. They weren't bad. We just didn't get along. It happens to the best of us. I can see why they are so attacked and the reason is that they are totally passionate about getting things done. They act and when one acts in a passionate way, a lot of the times it comes across as being stuck up or offensive. Being in the work force, one learns this principle fairly quickly. Sometimes toes will have to be stepped on to get things done and people don't like that. Please don't let one blemished priest ruin the good names of the other 2500 good and holy priests and seminarians. One bad apple in the basket does not mean the rest of the apples in the basket are bad. On the contrary, most Legionary priests and seminarians are kind, holy and totally passionate in giving their lives for others. You can ask any ex Legionaries: being a Legionary is a life long boot camp of training to love and serve others totally in the name of Christ. It isn't easy to do that. It isn't fun to be a Legionary but they are willing to go through pain and suffering for a higher cause of build Christ Kingdom on earth. Before I end this note I would like to tell you a bit about myself. I left the Legion of Christ 5 years ago after spending about ten years in the Legion. I am now over in California working for Sony Electronics as a Product Engineer. I am still single but hope to get married in about two years. Yours in Christ, Bao Nguyen Lindsay Mieth, September 30, 2002 Thy Kingdom Come! All is well. The baby has just recovered from a slight case of bronchitis and is now her usual playful self. When you have children you will truly know how wonderful are the blessings God showers upon us. As regards the adjustment. There is no doubt the first steps are painful. I must start by saying that throughout my life I have only experienced the abundance of love God has for me. He has always been right at my side and sometimes stepping in to carry me when I was too weak to continue myself. It's not easy to explain; however, for me it was simply realizing that I was called to help God's church but not the way I had wanted. Rather, God has his own plans and though I may have desired the priesthood, I came to realize I was in love with the idea of the priesthood and not with the reality of the priesthood in itself. In order to have a steady vocation to anything, I have come to realize I must have both. That is, the idea attracts me as well as the details. I have come to realize that my life now truly represents God's will for me as I have discovered that there is no hurdle or difficulty which I face which inhibits my will to struggle to continue on my way to heaven by means of this road. Malena and I have a wonderful and open marriage and together we have faced some rather difficult moments. Nonetheless, I can truly say we are even more in love today than when we were married. I will give you an example. We were immediately blessed with a child just a few months after being married and well, it seemed bliss truly existed on earth. Within a few months of Maria's birth, Malena discovered she was carrying our second child. Once again, we were so happy and ecstatic that our dreams of having a large family were becoming a reality. Then, 2 months into the pregnancy, our second child was taken into heaven. The pain and stress caused by this event was something rather indescribable and at times we really had difficulties expressing ourselves to each other. All kinds of emotions and sentiments flooded our relationship and for a while it was just all we could do not to lament the loss of our second child. As time passed, we once again discovered Malena was carrying our next child, only to have him too taken up to God. It almost became an obsession every month our relationship more and more centered on having our second child. Then, as time passed and we began truly surrendering ourselves to God's will, the pain began to cede and a calmness and serenity returned to our souls. Once again, we have found genuine happiness in simply knowing we are doing God's will and in doing so, He is taking care of us as His beloved children we hope to remain. It really depends on us remaining open to Him. Now, though we still have not been able to successfully sustain another pregnancy, the desire no longer hinges on our wants, rather, our hope is simply to allow God to act through us and in doing so, make sure we do everything possible to permit His will to come to fruition. In this it requires a lot of sacrifice on our parts, avoiding anything which could impact negatively the possibility of a pregnancy even if it means denying certain treatments which could make her more comfortable. Malena suffers from asthma and here they want to treat her with cortisone. Using cortisone at the beginning of a pregnancy can cause a spontaneous abortion. So, in order to avoid this, at times she has to endure rather difficult moments with the asthma and in this we both suffer as she goes into and leaves a crisis. We have demanded and are now working with alternative therapies which will not compromise a pregnancy, however in today's environment, we find often that even here, the world of medicine does not understand our mentality. In short Joe, I think perhaps all this simply leads to one thing. Doing God's will remains the guide rule of our lives by which we must measure all our actions. This and this alone, must be the element which an exLC successfully assimilates before anything else will make much of a difference in his life. The change takes time and patience and understanding. Perhaps most of all, it requires us to accept God's will and not allow the devil to poison our souls with doubts, anger or frustration. After all, once we begin living as God has designed, we become truly happy with our selves and our lives. As I look over the past years, I can only see the abundance of love God has showered upon me so I know that with God's will in mind, a transition only needs a little time and practical steps.For these reasons Joe, I think this could be a great work of love for our brothers who should remain always our friends and companions. I suppose the first thing is to help them reach the inner happiness and understanding of which I speak here. At the same time, practically speaking, explaining the need to search out the family and have them not only accept but come to love the Legion for the care she has bestowed upon him in arriving at this decision is critical in order to have him step out and live a well adjusted lay life. Many who have tried and found the priesthood not to be their calling have been blessed with finally resolving the doubt that could have caused needless stress in their lives. Now they can be focused on living as a dedicated Christian serving God and Church as a layman. If he needs assistance with practical things, I think indeed the guardian angel program could help resolve practical difficulties that could make his adjustment more difficult. Yet we must always keep in mind with each step that strengthens his resolve to do God's will and forming a more united family should be a priority for the exLC. I hope this is of some service and count on me for whatever assistance I may be able to offer in this program. Affectionately yours in Christ and the Movement, Lindsay Joseph Blitz, December 02, 200 First of all, I was in the Legion for a total of 11 years. I was in the Apostolic School for high school, then candidacy, novitiate, humanities program, philosophy studies in Rome, and on Apostolate in Europe for a few years. I have no bitterness towards the Legion because I think that the formation I received gave me valuable tools for my life, principles of faith and fortitude, which have been very helpful to me since I left the Legion. The Legion is not a cult, the Legion doesn't place inhuman demands on its members, it is a religious congregation designed to serve the Church and help its men prepare to do that. It is not perfect, as no human organization is, but it is in no way cultish. It is approved by the Church, and there are no cults with the Pope's blessing. I think that for many people religious discipline is tough to handle and because they are wimps; they label a cult anything requiring them to change or show a bit of self-mastery ... that's rubbish. Anyhow, as far as not being able to criticize superiors, this is what the vow means: One cannot criticize superiors to one's fellow seminarians (what good would it do I ask?) One can criticize or complain about a superior to a higher superior; that is fine and sensible since only they can really do something about it. It is all too human to gossip and gossipy groups can form and along with it dissent. Personally, as a member of the Legion for 11 years I have had few instances where there was a superior who bothered me and the times I did I was listened to by their superiors. *** After a long period of discernment I was told by my spiritual director that even though in many ways I fit in with the Legion, my heart wasn't totally there. I sort of knew that deep down but I wanted to give my vocation (if I had one) the best chance I had. I discerned the hard way, which was being honest with my spiritual director, trusting his advice, praying, and trying to live out what I thought might be my vocation. I grew from merely being there in the apostolic school to a genuine curiosity about whether or not I was to be an LC, to trying to be one, to being one, and the pain/relief of finding out that God was calling me elsewhere. It was painful but I am at peace with myself and I know that God had me there for a reason and I learned a lot. I guess it was a mutual decision that I had a different vocation ... painful, yes, fact of life, yes ... bitter, not really. I personally have done my best to go on with the life God has given me after I left the Legion. I am now married and we are expecting our first baby in April. It has been difficult to determine what career I want to follow but that's life in some ways. I am a youth minister at a parish presently. I will figure things out as far as the career goes. I have been through much more traumatic things since I left and if it wasn't for the formation I received in the Legion I would be a mental case. My faith and principles were nurtured, founded, and practiced while I was in the Legion and I use them for my life. I know what it means to be an LC, to live their vigorous lifestyle, to try and face myself. The Legion made me face myself and find God in my discernment process; it took time, but I value what I received. — Joe C. Blitz Francis Testa (Francis is a screenwriter and film producer in Canada) My time in the Legion was short and painful, and dare I say, mystifying. I was there for about 6.5 years, and everyday it was hard to get out of bed. The demands were severe at times and the Legionary code of conduct wasalways taxing on me and my ego but never beyond the reach of what I was capable of with the help of God. When I was told by my superiors that my path did not lie on the Legion's trail, I didn't think they were being unkind or booting me out, but I thought in the only terms that the entire Legion as an entity depended on to make sense: I thought in terms of faith. God wanted me here for this many years and now He wants me out, back in the world. The same courage and trust in Him that I required to enter — to leave the woman I loved, the company I started with two partners, the home I knew and "ran" — that same confidence and faith and courage to serve God was required again. During my time in the Legion never a day went by that I believed I was there purely by my own volition. The entire lifestyle, work ethic, vision of life and purpose of existence, was almost entirely contrary to what I had previously thought. Therefore, to call it as it was and still is, I was there because God had a plan and if I wanted to fulfill it, I had to walk this difficult road for as long as He wanted me to. But isn't the same faith required to become a priest not required by an ex-Legionary — which I am now — if he serves the same God who loved him when he wore a cassock and still loves him now that he does not? I have to add that Marciel Macial remains to this moment an inspiration in my own life and in the moments of what I believe are difficult trials though in the history of the founder of the Legion of Christ, my trials are mere hiccups!), and I constantly think about the life he fought for me to have as a Legionary. My service to the Church, though happily not ended, began when I met him as a visitor many summers ago and I hope one day to meet him again and thank him for his leadership and example. He never guaranteed that I would be a priest, or that I would have all I wanted in life, or that I wouldn't choke on a fish bone at dinner. Heguaranteed that I would be given the best opportunity to learn, to pray, and to serve the Church as a Legionary, and he delivered. In turn, he expected me to reciprocate with giving my all for as long as I was there. And I did to the best of my ability. He also guaranteed me that I would have crosses, difficulties, times of great darkness and times of sacrifice as a Legionary. And lo and behold, he delivered on that too. Thought my life as a Legionary has ended, my life as a soldier for Christ will never end until I am dead. The Legion promised to teach me how to fight for the Church and a soldier who is trained to fight should never complain about where he is posted. He should just fight with what he's given to fight with. The Legion taught me how to pray, how to think, how to love my enemy and do good to those who persecute me...in short, The Legion taught me how to follow Christ, and I hope I don't let God or Father Macial down. I'm proud to have been given the opportunity to serve with the many great Legionaries who put up with me either as superiors or brothers. I'm proud to have served the Roman Catholic Church in the uniform of the legionary priest, and I consider my short time in the Legion the one thing that may get me into heaven when I die. I'm also grateful to God for the hardship that followed my departure from the Legion and the opportunity to use the faith I was taught how to use while wearing the Legionary uniform. The war is not yet over and I do not feel abandoned or forgotten by the Legionaries of Christ. I simply feel that I am fighting the same fight on a different battlefield. Sincerely, Malachy Fivey, October 15, 2003 I have fond memories of my years with the LCs. I am now a teacher in Thailand and teach my students what the LCs engraved into my heart: Know yourself, accept yourself and better yourself. I would like to say hello to Fr. James McKenna L.C. one of the world's few holy men. He will remember me. Ask him to write to me. Good website brings back many good memories. In Christ,Malachy Fivey Rene Montemayor A.R.T.! Leaving the novitiate was very hard. I had fallen so much in love with religious life. I thought I was so sure of my life. The change was devastating. Life went on though, and now it's great. When I was told by my novitiate instructor that maybe I didn't have a vocation and to consider the possibility of married life, I was completely shocked. "It can't be true!" I would tell myself. He "has" to be wrong. I thought about it as requested to do so (briefly of course, I knew the answer before I even considered the possibility of not having a vocation), then I came back with a big, "No, I do have a vocation. I can't see myself anywhere else doing anything different." I dismissed the thought away as if it was a passing temptation to grow lax in my commitment to Christ. Inexplicably, something new happened. Religious life grew harder and harder. It became hard work. It wasn't as easy as before. Not that religious life was ever easy, but it was never this hard either. I was confused. I didn't know what was happening to me. I thought I was falling into laziness and just needed to try harder. No matter how hard I tried to be the first in the shower, the first at morning prayers, run the hardest, exercise the most vigorously (all out of love for Christ and souls); I was slowing down at every turn. The more I tried, the more I slowed down. I knew something was happening that was beyond my control. Little did I know that God was preparing me. He had removed His graces for religious life from me and was giving me new ones for lay life. [Mind you, it took years of reflecting to understand what I previously said.] In the initial stage of confusion, I approached my superior. With so much tenderness, he embraced me with his compassion. He asked, are you willing to accept that you might not have a vocation to be a priest? Before I gave my well-prepared response—"But I -DO- have a vocation." He slipped in another thing just as gently as he began speaking with me. Fr. Bannon and I both agree that it would be best for you if you return home. At that point, my whole resistance buckled. I knew that one person may be wrong. Two people being in accord, though, was a sign of the Spirit at work guiding me to a new horizon. I wanted to break out in tears, but it was time for action not lamentation, that would come later if at all. A Legionary hears the voice of God calling and he jumps into action after he heeds His commands. I nodded in acceptance, and was ready for my next order. I was still a soldier for Christ. My new life began. It was almost as confusing as when my life in the novitiate began. I had more questions than answers. One answer was clear though, God was asking this of me and I wanted to do it out of love for Him. If he felt that he wanted me to serve Him somewhere else doing something different, who was I to challenge the orders of my Commander? I was but a soldier poised for battle, ready to fight for the Kingdom on whatever front I was asked to defend. Who was I to question the wisdom of being called away from the forefront to serve in the sidelines? It was saddening and hurtful to leave, but I knew what I had to do. "FIAT MIHI SECUNDUM VERBUM TUUM!" this became my new battle cry. I now have a fiancé who loves God as much if not more than I do. I don't question that wisdom anymore. I now understand many of the why's I used to ask. I hope to help raise religious leaders for Our Mother the Church. I know that with the companion that God has blessed me with, there will be many good things to come and all for the glory of Christ. I will serve Christ on the front of my own home. AMEN. René Montemayor Michael Collins Congratulations on your site, formerlegionaries.net! I was surfing the net some months ago when I saw the exlegionaries.com website; it is poisonous. I was with the Legion from 1981 to 1989 and have had no contact with the Legion since 1989. I was wondering if you have an email address for Fr. Anthony. It was wonderful to see the photographs of him — looking just as I remember, but for a little more grey hair. I was pleasantly surprised to see that you had chosen to put this work (formerlegionaries.net) under the patronage of one of the saints for two reasons. It means to my mind that the Legion, in a spirit of genuine charity, is reaching out to the alumni, gathering them together, and moving forward. Also, I am a practicing lawyer and have tried to live my professional life keeping in mind More's commitment to integrity and professional excellence. I am only too happy to express my gratitude for what I received from the Legion. Sadly, not all those who have lived with the Legion feel the same way. The Legion is not perfect, no one is. The Church is made up of sinners. Even Pope John Paul has asked for pardon for the sins committed by members of the Church. No one ever claimed that Legionaries don't need the sacrament of reconciliation. What is extraordinary, however, is the claim that the Legion is some sort of malevolent institution operating within the Church to the detriment of all those who don't participate in the Legionary conspiracy. Even where the allegations are a little more down to earth, who ever claims to be so accurate and objective in their judgement as to be entitled (obliged?) to enumerate, record and publicize the alleged wrongdoing of a brother, a friend, even a total stranger? The exalted position from which the Legion's critics hurl so many stones, great and small, is truly breathtaking. I feel very strongly about the criticisms. They do much harm, incalculable harm. I want to make the point that, as a matter of principle, as a matter of FAITH, the men who comprise the Legion suffer from original sin. They wouldn't be Legionaries, men striving to be saints, if they didn't. To those who believe that a Legionary is, or should be already perfect I say: grow up, or get a copy of the Catechism, or both! The fact is that the Legion is a great gift to the Church and a person need look no farther than the comments of Pope John Paul for confirmation. And if that isn't sufficient, then they've got a problem not only with the Legion, but also the Church." I have rarely encountered such holiness of life as I have found it in the Legion. The Legion is an authentic expression of the Church and Legionaries are genuine, ardent followers of Christ. St. Peter wasn't perfect and neither were James and John, nor were any of The Twelve; but, they are the Apostles, pillars of the Church. It is no different – I repeat, no different – with the Legion. Legionaries are genuine apostles of Christ and His Church. Michael J. Collins Michael J. Houser, Seminarian, Archdiocese of St. Louis; May 12, 2005 Thy Kingdom Come! I became acquainted with the Legion as a boy when Gateway Academy was first being founded in St. Louis. I visited the apostolic school briefly when I was about eleven, and had thoughts of joining it for several years: I always had wanted to be a priest. Finally, when I was about to start high school, I read Fr. Maciel's Time and Eternity and found that I had the same desire as he to give my life to something lasting. This moved me to act decisively that summer to attend the summer program: this came as a surprise to my parents, who I think were a little afraid that someone was "pressuring" me, but I can honestly say that no Legionary had even mentioned the Apostolic School to me for at least a year before I went there. The decision was entirely my own, wanting to give God the first shot at my life. When I first came to the summer program, I was amazed at the fact that here were about 60 boys my own age who shared a desire to give God everything. I had grown up among devout Catholics all my life, but had never seen any young people so serious about holiness and priesthood, about living counter-cultural virtues such as purity, and I knew that this would be the best place for me to grow closer to God. Throughout the three years that I was there, I certainly became well aware of the human faults and failings of my brothers, but I also remained convinced of the ideal of holiness set before us, of which Christ was the exemplar, and which we saw well reflected in all we read and heard from Fr. Maciel, not to mention all the other holy priests I encountered: the good-humored and ever-patient Fr. Kevin, the kindly Fr. David, the vivacious Fr. Victor, always full of simple love for God and desire to serve, the contagiously jolly Fr. Bailleres, and of course Fr. Bannon, quiet but ever thoughtful and perceptive, the consummate gentleman. These men were all thoroughly their own individual selves, and yet a common thread did shine through them all: a single-minded love for Christ and the Church, and a true sense of joy and peace. Mere apostolics though we were, I and my brothers were proud to write "aLC" after our names, and to think of ourselves as already striving to live the Legionary charism. I don't mean to say that those three years were smooth sailing; I had my struggles, as every Christian does, and had to deal on and off, especially the last year, with issues that Fr. Kevin patiently tried to help me through. As it came time for candidacy, so far from trying to coercively force me into the Legion, he and Fr. Christopher Brackett were of the opinion that these difficulties were a sign I wasn't called to the Legion at that time. After a little reluctance, I saw the wisdom of this advice and left the candidacy in mid-summer. My younger brother joined the apostolic school soon after and is now a professed Legionary; I have always been immensely proud that he followed Christ along the same path that had done me so much good. I spent my college years in Steubenville as a Regnum Christi member; I wasn't the exemplary RC apostle, but I can't deny that Fr. Michael Goodyear, LC was a key figure in keeping me spiritually strong in those years, together with all the formation in prayer and Christian virtue I'd received from the apostolic school. As the time came for me to choose my path in life, and I began to look seriously at priesthood again, it was Fr. Michael who suggested I look into the Archdiocese; after a year-long correspondence in which he made himself very available to me, it was Fr. Bannon who confirmed me in following that same path after I made a final visit to the Legion in Holy Week 2003. While I am truly grateful to be now in formation to be a diocesan priest, I like to think that I will always have a little of the Legion in me: a quote from Fr. Maciel about the priesthood is posted on my door. One of my deepest wishes is to go back one day and say Mass in Center Harbor as a newly-ordained priest and give thanks to God for having first spoken to my heart there. That's my experience of the Legion; of course, I will always submit to theChurch's judgment, as Fr. Maciel himself does, but I can't in good conscience think that anyone guilty of the things said about Fr. Maciel could have done such good for so many people in the Church. It isn't the first time a great order or a great founder have suffered this; look at the insane envy and slander that led to the suppression of the Jesuits in 1773, on the eve of the French Revolution, when the Church needed them most! I remember being a precandidate in 1996 when we heard that these accusations were being made; our response as a community was to offer some sacrifices and have weekly Eucharistic adoration. One of the most valuable lessons I learned from the Legion was how to speak well of everyone, yes, of our superiors, but also of our enemies, as far as that was possible. Our attitude towards problems of any kind in the Church was not to gossip about them, but seek to be more faithful ourselves. It's a habit I've tried (imperfectly) to practice; would that it were inculcated in all priests and seminarians! Praying that God will continue to bless the good work he's begun in you, I remain, Michael J. Houser
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