Legionary Vocations
Testimonies of Discernment
What is
discernment?
We each have a vocation. We are all called to change the world in some way by living our God-given identity and purpose. Finding your vocation involves a profound commitment to following God’s unique call for you, and it requires intentional effort and prayer to understand.
The process of discovering God’s will for our lives is known as vocational discernment.
ELEMENTS OF DISCERNMENT
1
Build Self-Awareness
Know yourself—your strengths, weaknesses, desires, spiritual maturity, and your mental and physical health. Understanding yourself well helps you hear how God is calling you to serve him.
2
Be Rooted in the Faith
A strong man needs a solid foundation. Dive deep into the teachings of the Catholic Church. As you understand and embrace the Faith more deeply, God’s voice becomes clearer in leading you toward your vocation.
3
Know the Different Vocations
Understand the vocations—the life of a layperson in the world, either married, single, or consecrated; the ordained life of bishops, priests, and deacons; and the consecrated religious life. Learn what each entails and discover where your gifts and heart align with God’s plan.
4
Engage with Endurance & Trust
Discernment is a marathon, not a sprint. True strength lies in patience and persistence, trusting that God reveals His will in His perfect time. Keep praying, studying, and waiting with courage
5
Seek Brotherhood and Guidance
No man walks alone. Seek the wisdom of a priest or spiritual director who can challenge and support you as you uncover God’s plan.
LEGIONARIES OF CHRIST
Our Discernment Process
Tool Kit Discernment Groups
Take a step into the discernment journey with other young men with a Christ-centered, Scripture-based weekly online group that offers discernment tools. Six sessions, from Mid-October to mid-November.
Aspirancy Program
If a young man is open to the possibility of entering the candidacy program during the upcoming summer, he should consider joining the Legionaries of Christ Aspirancy Program. The Aspirancy is a time to deepen in the understanding of the charism of the congregation and Regnum Christi alongside other aspirants.
Who is the aspirancy program for?
- High school seniors (with parental permission)
- University seniors and select undergraduates
- Men working off financial debt
- Men wanting to experience the Legion and Regnum Christi charism, community, and apostolate
- Men needing time and guidance to strengthen certain habits and form virtues
- Men taking firm initial steps before Candidacy
Hear from participants in the Aspirancy Program
Meet Fr. Joseph: Director of the Aspirancy Program
Elijah Kehn: "God is forming me into the man He's calling me to be."
Jack Brooks: "I felt like I was lacking in a sense that I had as a missionary."
Luke Leger: "I know that I am not alone in walking my path towards God."
Candidacy Program
The candidacy program is a two-month summer program designed to discern whether God seems to be calling a man to be a priest with the Legionaries of Christ. Because community is so essential in the life of a Legionary of Christ, the candidates live together during this program in Cheshire, Connecticut.
They live like a Legionary: following a disciplined lifestyle and schedule, engaging in community life, attending courses, sports, and apostolate, and strengthening their prayer and sacramental life as a band of brothers seeking to follow God’s will.
Steps to enter the candidacy program:
- Request a Candidacy application (If the man and the Vocation Director agree)
- In-depth interview (if not completed earlier)
- Provide letters of recommendation
- Undergo criminal background check
- Complete medical exams
- If a call to enter the novitiate is discerned, a pre-seminary psychological exam and interview with the director of novices will be required.
Hear from participants in the 2025 Candidacy program
2023 Candidates' final week: silent retreat and reception of the cassock
Summer Candidacy 2022
Legionaries of Christ Novitiate
The novitiate is traditionally known among Legionaries as “the University where you study Christ.” It is a period marked by a particular separation from the world as the novice has limited access to internet and no cellphone or use of social media. This atmosphere allows him to hear the Lord speaking within his soul in order to discern his vocation as well as lay the foundation of a solid interior life, without which his future apostolate will be fruitless. The novice is systematically instructed in the spirituality of the Legionaries of Christ, the history of the Legion, human formation, and the theology of the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. After two years, the novitiate ends with the first profession of vows which he makes for 2 years.
Formation track
The Journey to the Priesthood
The candidacy program is a two-month summer program designed to discern whether God seems to be calling a man to be a priest with the Legionaries of Christ. Because community is so essential in the life of a Legionary of Christ, the candidates live together during this program in Cheshire, Connecticut.
They live like a Legionary: following a disciplined lifestyle and schedule, engaging in community life, attending courses, sports, and apostolate, and strengthening their prayer and sacramental life as a band of brothers seeking to follow God’s will.
The candidacy program is a two-month summer program designed to discern whether God seems to be calling a man to be a priest with the Legionaries of Christ. Because community is so essential in the life of a Legionary of Christ, the candidates live together during this program in Cheshire, Connecticut.
They live like a Legionary: following a disciplined lifestyle and schedule, engaging in community life, attending courses, sports, and apostolate, and strengthening their prayer and sacramental life as a band of brothers seeking to follow God’s will.
