23 new Legionary priests to be ordained at the Vatican

null / Credit: Courtesy of Regnum Christi Spain

Puebla, Mexico, Mar 27, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

Twenty-three men will be ordained as new Legionaries of Christ priests at the Vatican this spring. The celebration will be especially significant in Latin America, as 16 of the 23 new priests come from Latin American countries.

The future priests come from various countries: one from Argentina, three from Colombia, one from El Salvador, nine from Mexico, two from Venezuela, one from the United States, and two from Brazil. From Europe, two priests will be ordained from Germany, one from Spain, and one from France.

The ceremony will take place on Saturday, May 3, at 10 a.m. Rome time in the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, presided over by Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell, camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church.

The event will be broadcast live on YouTube in Italian, with simultaneous commentary in Spanish and English.

Vocation testimonies

A special Legionaries of Christ website dedicated to sharing information about ordinations features the testimonies of the future priests. 

One of them is Camilo Palomino, a Colombian seminarian who said regarding his vocation: “Jesus taught us that ‘there is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends,’ and this becomes a reality when we commit our lives to him.” He also emphasized that God “is not outdone in generosity,” which he said he has experienced time and again in his own life.

Adrián Olvera, a Mexican who will also be ordained in Rome, shared his vocational experience: “I can say with certainty that God always goes beyond what we imagine and surprises us in unexpected ways. We just need to be willing to let ourselves be surprised,” he said in reference to becoming a Legionary priest.

Vocations on the rise

According to the website, the Legionaries of Christ congregation at the end of 2024 had 1,309 members, of whom 1,033 are priests. The congregation’s growth continues, with 1,017 priests recorded in 2023, an increase of 24 over the previous year.

Mexico is the country with the largest number of priests in the congregation (406), followed by the United States (169) and Spain (148). The Legionaries of Christ’s formation process lasts 12 years before priestly ordination.

Currently, the congregation has a permanent presence in 23 countries, organized into nine territories and two delegations. It also has a community of student priests in Rome, an international pontifical seminary there, and an interdiocesan seminary and theological institute in São Paulo, Brazil.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.