A view of the Legionary novices in Ireland making their religious profession.

September 15, 2011. Dublin, Ireland. This past Sunday, September 11, a Youth and Family Day was held at the Faith and Family Center in the south of Dublin, followed by the religious profession of Legionary novices at the novitiate in Leopardstown, Dublin.

The family day began at ten o’clock in the morning. The children enjoyed games and Kids’ Net and Good Shepherd faith formation activities. The adults followed a program of talks and workshops aimed at helping them grow in their knowledge of the Catholic faith.

The first talk, given by Fr Anthony Bannon, LC, was on the topic of Family and Faith. In his talk, the new superior of the Legionary community in Dublin emphasized the importance of love in the family as part of God’s plan for the world.  Two workshops followed, which focused on preparing the next Eucharistic Congress to be held in Ireland in 2012, with talks

	Legionary priests gave several talks on living the faith in daily life.

on the new English translation of the missal and on Eucharistic Miracles, presented by Fr Michael Mullan, LC, and Fr Fergal O’Duill, LC. Finally, Fr Sylvester Heereman, LC, the current territorial director, spoke on hope in our daily life.

The talks were followed by a family barbecue on the grounds.

Professions and farewell from the novices in Dublin

At 3 pm the families gathered at the Foxrock parish church to participate in the Mass and witness the ceremony of religious profession, presided over by Fr Sylvester Heereman, our territorial director, and concelebrated by 15 Legionary and diocesan priests. Some of the novices’ families came from Mexico, Korea, and the United States to be present as their sons took their first step in religious life by taking the temporary vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience.

After almost 50 years of forming novices for the Legionaries of Christ in Ireland, this religious profession marks the

	Families gathered for a barbecue on the grounds of the Faith and Family Center.

end of an era. Thus, the attendees knew that the celebration would not only be special, but would have a particular farewell flavor.

After the Mass, the guests were invited to a reception at the novitiate. There, they were able to congratulate the newly professed religious and chat with their families. In the course of the evening, the newly professed put on a show, singing Irish songs and telling stories about their first two years in the Legion. Two families gave their testimony of how God guided them in their marriage and with their children. A Regnum Christi Mission Corps volunteer from Mexico put on a lively violin performance, and two songs from Fr Michael Mullan, LC, left people asking for more. The newly professed then presented their mothers with bouquets of flowers.

The evening ended on a positive note, focusing on the way forward during the coming years in Ireland while the formation program there has been put on hold.