The past Saturday, September 28th, Father Santiago Mejía, LC was ordained deacon at the Chapel of Saint John Paul II in the city of Aguascalientes, Mexico. The diaconal ordination was presided over by Mons. José María de la Torre, Bishop of Aguascalientes, and concelebrated by Father Paul Lara, LC, territorial director of the Legionaries of Christ in Monterrey.

He was accompanied by family members, students from Cumbres International School of Aguascalientes, the consecrated members of Regnum Christi of Aguascalientes, the collaborators working with him in the Guadalajara Norte area, the Legionaries of Christ from Aguascalientes and other cities, members and friends of Regnum Christi.

At the end of the Gospel proclamation by Father Benjamín Clariond, LC, director of the Cumbres International School Querétaro, Father Paul presented the candidate for the diaconate to the Bishop.

At the beginning of the homily, Mons. José María expressed that everyone present would participate in a significant event, full of symbolism: “the event that calls us together is that Santiago Mejía, after a long formation process in the religious congregation of the Legionaries of Christ, will consecrate his life to the Lord to dedicate his life to the service of the People of God, receiving the sacrament of ordination, in the degree of deacon.”

He affirmed, “the identity of the consecrated person is lived and expressed in the capacity to love, in permanence in love as Jesus understands and lives it. Thus, one can experience the perfect joy of a full existence.”

https://soundcloud.com/somosrc/homilia-mons-jose-maria-de-la-torre-martin-ordenacion-diaconal-aguascalientes-2019

He asked him, “to focus your personal life on others, on the others, to consider them important, recipients of your actions and concern.”

At the end, he said, “I would like to thank you for the great gesture of generosity you are making today. After a long discernment process, you have dared to take the big step of consecrating your life to the service of the Gospel of the Kingdom of God, proclaimed by Jesus Christ. The fact that a lifelong consecration is desired and sought by you, and that you now publicly manifest this intention, tells us that we are before the mystery of God who reaches and can do everything.”

During the ordination liturgy, the saints’ litany was sung, with the laying on of hands and the prayer of ordination, the bishop ordained Father Santiago Mejía as deacon. After the prayer of ordination, Father Paul and Father Adolfo helped the new deacon to vest with the stole and dalmatic.

Before the final blessing, Father Santiago thanked those present for their attendance and prayers.

Father Santiago Mejía, LC was born in November 1984 in Bogotá, Colombia, and grew up in Jacksonville, Florida, USA, where he encountered Regnum Christi. He was a collaborator in 2006 and entered the novitiate in Colombia in February 2007. He studied classical humanities at the Novitiate and Humanities Center in Salamanca, Spain, for two years. He completed his high school studies in philosophy and theology at the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum. He made his perpetual profession in January 2018. He carried out his apostolic work as director of ECYD and as a formation instructor at Cumbres International School, Aguascalientes. While studying in Rome, he collaborated with the international communication office.