North American Territory
Legionary Diaconate
Ordinations 2026
ORDAINED TO SERVE
This summer in the North American Territory five Legionaries will be ordained to the transitional diaconate, in anticipation of their priestly ordination in 2027.
They are among 21 Legionaries globally who will be ordained as deacons this year.
Br. Andrew Kang, LC
Will be ordained to the transitional diaconate on August 26, 2026, at 3:00 PM in Seoul, South Korea.
Br. Santiago Canales, LC
On September 4th of this year, Br. Santiago will be ordained to the transitional diaconate in Puebla, Mexico
Br. Darius Lawrence, LC, Br. Bernardo Ross, LC, and Br. John Sester, LC
Will be ordained to the transitional diaconate by His Excellency, The Most Reverend Edward J. Burns, on September 5th at 10 am in Dallas, Texas.
Are you a young man who is discerning the priesthood? Join us in Dallas for our Come & See Discernment Experience, September 4-7. Click for more information.
Br. Santiago Canales, LC
Br. Santiago
Canales, LC
"My only goal is to serve the Lord and his souls with a joyful and faithful heart, always obedient to his will."
Br. Santiago Canales is originally from Puebla, Mexico, where he attended a Regnum Christi school from kindergarten through high school. He then obtained his bachelor’s degree in clinical psychology at Ibero-American University in Mexico City, and before entering the seminary, he worked as a mentor at a Regnum Christi university in Mexico. A key step in his discernment process occurred when he volunteered for two years with the Magdala Center in the Holy Land.
On September 4th of this year, Br. Santiago will be ordained to the transitional diaconate in Puebla, Mexico.
You can follow Br. Santiago on Instagram @santiagocanaleslc.
Br. Andrew Kang, LC
Br. Andrew
Kang, LC
“I am looking forward to sharing my joy and faith with young people, and I hope to become the best Legionary I can be.”
Br. Andrew Kang is from South Korea and is currently preparing for his ordination to the transitional diaconate. His ordination will take place on August 26, 2026, at 3:00 PM in Seoul, South Korea. After spending two years of formation in the United States and three years in Rome, Br. Andrew returned to Korea for a year and a half to fulfill his mandatory military service. He then served in the Philippines as a missionary before returning to Rome to complete his studies.
Throughout his formation, Br. Andrew has been actively engaged in digital evangelization. On Instagram, he has been blending elements of Korean culture, like K-pop, with his love for the Catholic faith as a way to bring the Gospel to a new generation. Follow him on Instagram @coreano_lc.
Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty, my memory, my understanding, and my entire will, All I have and call my own. You have given all to me. To you, Lord, I return it. Everything is yours; do with it what you will. Give me only your love and your grace, that is enough for me.
Sucipe, Saint Ignatius of Loyola, 1491-1556
Br. Darius Lawrence, LC
Br. Darius
Lawrence, LC
"I pray that the Holy Spirit uses me as an instrument to share ...the joy that is a life lived with Christ and the family of the Church."
Br. Darius is originally from San Diego, California. He has spent most of his formation in Europe, attending a year of novitiate and doing his internship working in an apostolic school in Germany, then spent the past five years in Rome completing his final studies in theology while also serving as a philosophy professor at Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum. He will be ordained to the transitional diaconate on September 5th in Dallas, Texas.
Br. Darius has a YouTube channel called Church Headlines, where he publishes a regular news recap of the most significant events in the Church and around the world. You can watch Church Headlines on YouTube, listen on Spotify, or find it in the podcasts on the Regnum Christi app.
Br. Bernardo Ross, LC
Br. Bernardo
Ross, LC
“My goal is to simply learn from everyone around me, and bring others a little closer to Christ!”
Br. Bernardo Ross is originally from San Antonio, Texas. He graduated from Texas A&M University in 2015, where, after a profound conversion from a secular college lifestyle, he discerned a call to the priesthood. He will be ordained to the transitional diaconate on September 5th in Dallas, Texas.
Br. Bernardo is passionate about evangelization through modern media, seeking to present the Catholic faith in a clear, engaging, and intellectually honest way for a generation searching for meaning, vocation, and truth. Creatively engaging contemporary culture, he strives to open paths of dialogue that lead people closer to Christ. You can follow him on Instagram and TikTok.
Br. John Sester, LC
Br. John
Sester, LC
“I hope to guide and serve with the Heart of Jesus, and I hope to spend my diaconate in preparation for the depth of the priesthood that is to follow.”
Br. John Sester is from Rogers, Minnesota and loves reading, writing, sketching, playing guitar—anything that has to do with the artistic expression of the human heart. He has recently completed his theology studies in Rome and will be ordained to the transitional diaconate along with Br. Darius and Br. Bernardo in Dallas, Texas, on September 5th.
About the
Diaconate
“The Church wants those preparing for the priesthood to live first as deacons, to teach them that service is essential to the ordained ministry. Through the imposition of the hands by the bishop, the deacon is consecrated to “serve in the diaconia of liturgy, word, and charity.” He fulfils this mission of service especially when he prays the Liturgy of the Hours in the name of the Church, be it personally, in community or on the apostolate; when he collaborates with the priests at the altar and the pulpit; and when he carries out acts of charity. During the diaconate the Legionary should become familiar with pastoral ministry, preparing for priestly ordination with a prayerful spirit rooted in his relationship with Christ.”
