Fr. Santiago Perez Santana Leaves Legion for Monterrey [Mexico] Diocese

[from Facebook]

Santiago Pérez Santana

Yesterday, after 23 years, and after much reflection and struggle I left the Legion of Christ.
I thank God for the good people I knew inside and for the good that has been done during this time.
I am not in agreement with many things, and I don't know how I have been able to bear with various situations these last few years.
The Archbishop of Monteery, Mons. Rogelio Cabrera, had been kind enough to accept me into his diocese and I thank him from the bottom of my soul. 
I still don't know what I will do but last night I got back to Monterrey, four and a half years after I left. 
I want to thank the kindness and affection of my dear people in Leon [Gto, Mexico].  It was impossible to say Good Bye to all but I hope to see you soon. 
Thanks also because if there is something I have learned during these years is that the only thing that matters and what lasts is precisely that: people and to love people. "To smell of the flock" as the Pope said the other day. 
A hug for all and a prayer for you all during the Mass I begin in a while.
Please pray for me.

Ayer, tras 23 años y después de mucho tiempo de reflexión y lucha, dejé la Legión de Cristo.

Agradezco a Dios la gente buena que he conocido dentro y el bien que se ha hecho a través de todo este tiempo. No estoy de acuerdo con muchas cosas, ni cómo se han llevado las diversas situaciones en estos últimos años.
El Arzobispo de Monterrey, Mons. Rogelio Cabrera, ha tenido a bien acogerme en su Diócesis y se lo agradezco en el alma. Todavía no sé qué voy a hacer pero anoche ya llegué a Monterrey, después de 4 años y medio de mi partida.
Quiero agradecer el cariño y la cercanía de mi querida gente de León. Imposible despedirme de todos pero nos veremos pronto. Gracias porque si algo he aprendido estos años, es que lo único que importa y lo que queda es eso. La gente y querer a la gente. “Oler a rebaño”, como decía el Papa el otro día. Un abrazo para todos y un recuerdo en la Misa que celebro en un rato. Pido oraciones por favor.

Fr. Thomas Willams Leaves Legion Priesthood to Do the Right Thing

When Fr. Williams acknowledged his paternity about a year ago it was announced that he was heading home to take care of a cancer.
Today it is announced that he has asked for his Dispensation from Celibacy and Priestly duties to take care of his child.
The blogger notes that he does not need a Dispensation from Celibacy to take care of his son; he could take a break from priestly ministry or simply become a lay person: the Church's terminology is horrible: to be reduced to the lay state/condition, "reduction in statum laicalem"
The blogger notes that according to Catholic Canon Law leaving the ministry and getting a Dispensation from the Vow of Celibacy are two separate steps -though they are often related.

 [In Our Father Maciel who art in Bed, the author tell the story of how Cardinal Hickey of Washington DC helped him through that process. Hopefully the Legion will help Fr. Thomas through it now, going though the appropriate Vatican channels and having to admit that their flawless training system does not always work -that the Legion is human and fallible like all other religious orders, and not necessarily superior to them. Something that they have tried to cover up for decades by under-reporting defections.]

The blogger further notes that Pope Francis has been very clear that when a priest gets involved with a woman he must think seriously of what he is doing and that in some case it is better for him to get a Dispensation from Celibacy and to get Married, to take care of mother -hopefully the woman he loves- and their child. 

Former Legionary Bishop Kevin J. Farrell of Dallas Marches Pro Immigrants

my friend, former confrere, now bishop of Dallas, Monsignor Kevin J. Farrell from Dublin exercised his Prophetic Ministry recently

Link contains text and VIDEO

Fr. Mathew Green's Homily for the Baptism of the Lord

Listen to former LC and presently parochial vicar at  Holy Family parish in Gloucester & Rockport, MA

Many former LC priests are doing well outside.

I have presented Fr.'s Web Page Link above

For Those Re-entering Normal Life

People leaving closed groups are very often ill prepared to leave and face the world; they lack Life Skills.
People are helping former Mormons and members of polygamous groups with this

Former members of Regnum Christi and Legion of Christ need something similar.

For people coming into American society -and it may be applicable to others- experienced psychologist and "cult expert", Livia Bardin, has written STARTING OUT: in Mainstream America

Fr. Alvaro Corcuera, former Superior General of the the Legion of Christ, seriously ill

the blogger has lambasted legion superiors for decades for their deception and malice.
But at this moment

LET US PRAY FOR FR. ALVARO whom I know personally

It is not his fault that from an early age he fell under the evil spell of Fr. Maciel.
Now he faces a mass in his brain, a terrible prospect.
I pray for him that the Lord will spare him too much suffering and restore him to health if it is God's Holy Will.
May the Holy Spirit strengthen Fr. Alvaro and the Blessed Virgin accompany him.
....

We had thought that Father Alvaro’s health would improve with the sabbatical that he requested in his letter to the Papal Delegate on October 9. But, his headaches became worse while he was spending Christmas with the community in Cheshire. On December 30, he put his plans to visit other communities in the US on hold and went to the hospital in Hartford, CT.

The doctors found an abnormal growth in his brain. They are now conducting tests to determine its cause. It is possible that Father Alvaro will have to undergo an operation in the near future. Father Alvaro’s brother and sisters and extended family have been informed. 

"One step at a time" by Nieves Garcia

Nieves posted the following link recently on Facebook

[where I know a lot of you are instead of being here and following me!]

A long time ago when i was in the Regnum Christi, we were asked to write a testimony about what it meant for us to be co-founders...you know what I mean. I remember explaining that it meant walking in the dark; that it was incredible not to be able to see but just to keep putting one foot in front of the other, knowing you are not going to fall. The female director rebuked me and asked why I would say such a thing.

Now I see that my life was always like that and still is! Keep going! Not to stop because I don't see everything clearly. Maybe life itself is just like that. It is one day after another. We can't stop time. Every day we have to make decisions, even if it is just to get up in the morning. I wasn't motivated every day but I had to walk. I could not step off the train of life.

I want to make definitive decisions but I did not know which. I realized that each day had only one burden, one decision that needed to be taken. Just one step in front of the other. That was all....

[translate the rest on your own...]

Un pie delante de otro, nada más

Hace tiempo estando en el RC, se nos pidió a varias un testimonio acerca de lo que era para nosotras ser cofundadoras...en fin. Recuerdo que expliqué que para mí era caminar en la niebla, que lo increible era no ver pero seguir poniendo un pie delante de otro, con la certeza de no caer. La directora me llamó la atención y me dijo que cómo decía eso. 

Ahora veo que así ha sido mi vida y lo sigue siendo: ¡caminar! no detenerse, precisamente porque no veo todo claro. Quizás en parte la vida misma te obliga, un día se sucede al otro y no puedes detener el paso del tiempo. Cada día hay que tomar decisiones, aunque sea levantarse en la mañana. No todos los días he tenido el ánimo, pero había que caminar. No podía "bajarme" del tren de la vida misma.

Quería tomar decisiones definitivas, pero no sabía cuales. Y me di cuenta que cada día tenía un solo afán, una sola decisión que tomar. Y con ello era suficiente. Solo un pie delante del otro, nada más.

Y la experiencia que me iba saliendo al paso, en las cosas más sencillas, es que había Alguien, distinto de mí, que me cuidaba. Cuando llegué a Madrid la ciudad me resultaba extraña, pero incluso cuando cogía el metro, había una voz interior que me decía, no vayas por aquí, toma este otro camino, y ...acertaba. Yo pensaba a veces que estaba loca, que me inventaba todo, pero era real, era Alguien distinto a mí.

Recuerdo un día de profunda soledad interior, que me envolvía una sensación de abandono, que fui a ver a un matrimonio con dos niñas pequeñas. Era víspera de Navidad. Al rato de estar sentada, llegó la niña pequeña, de apenas 5 años, me vió, y sin conocer se sentó en mis piernas, me abrazo con fuerza y me dijo: te quiero mucho. No sabía ni mi nombre, y sus padres me dijeron que no era dada a acercarse a extraños. Estuvo toda la tarde en mi regazo, abrazada. Y cuando me fui me regaló un árbol de plastilina, que aún conservo.

Ese Alguien conocía el estado de mi alma, y me quiso decir a través del medio más  limpio, que era amada.

Gracias Jesús mío, por tu cariño providente. Tú no escuchabas mis palabras de enfado, solo veías mis lágrimas, y salías a mi paso para decirme, la frase más repetida de tu Evangelio: No tengas miedo.