The General Directorate of the Legionaries of Christ has announced the decisions made for Brazil. The current director is being renewed, who will begin a transition process with the person who will assume the role in July 2025.

Today, Friday, May 31, 2024, Fr. John Connor, L.C., General Director of the Legionaries of Christ, sent a letter to the members of the territory of Brazil in which he announces the renewal of the territorial government with Fr. André Delvaux, L.C., to “finish some initiated processes” of great apostolic impact in that country. In the same letter, the General Director informs that starting July 1, 2025, Fr. Julio Martí, L.C., will assume as the new territorial director, so that “with his experience in governance, he can give a new boost to the territory.”

In the same letter, it is communicated that the counselors during the remainder of Fr. André’s term will be Fathers: Alejandro Fuentes, Bruno do Espírito Santo, Osvaldo Verdín, and Rafael Kizimia, L.C. In his letter, Fr. John also thanks the outgoing counselors: Fr. Manuel Flores, Fr. Fabio Guedes, and Fr. Esaúl Toscano, highlighting their commitment and service.

Father John also expressed his gratitude to all the Legionaries in the territory for their participation in the consultation and especially thanked Fr. André for his work as territorial director in recent years.

Fr. André Delvaux, L.C.

Fr. André was born on September 21, 1975, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He entered the Legion of Christ novitiate in October 2002, in Arujá, Brazil, and made his first profession there in 2004. He studied classical humanities in Salamanca, Spain. He completed his philosophical formation at the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum and finished his theological studies at the Seminary María Mater Ecclesiae in São Paulo, Brazil. He took his perpetual vows on February 20, 2010, in the United States. He was ordained a priest on December 15, 2012, in Rome.

His first years of ministry were as manager of the Novitiate in Arujá. Then, in 2014, he was appointed novice instructor for the same center. In 2016, he was appointed coordinator of apostolate in São Paulo. In 2017, he was appointed delegate for apostolate in the territory of Brazil. Since 2018, he has been the executive responsible for the Regnum Christi Federation in Brazil and a member of the Territorial Council of the Legion of Christ.

Since 2021, he has been the territorial director of the Legionaries of Christ in Brazil. For Fr. André, “it is a joy to serve in a country where the Church is being renewed and which offers immense opportunities for evangelization.” He also emphasized that “Fr. Julio is a great reinforcement for the territory and will greatly help the mission in these lands.”

Fr. Julio Martí, L.C.

Fr. Julio Martí, LC, was born in Caracas, Venezuela, on May 15, 1967. He studied primary and secondary education with the Marist Brothers and graduated as a civil engineer from Andrés Bello Catholic University in Caracas in 1990. He encountered the Legion and Regnum Christi in 1983 and joined in 1985, as a member of what was then known as “Second Degree,” before entering the Legion. He joined the Legion in 1991. He did his Novitiate in Cheshire, USA, and from 1993 to 1997 studied philosophy and theology at the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum. He was ordained a priest on September 3, 1997, in Monterrey, Mexico.

During his first four years of priesthood, he served as rector of the Humanities Center and Novitiate in Cheshire, USA, and then as novice instructor for seven years (also in Cheshire). From 2008 to 2011, he was the territorial director of New York. From 2011 to 2012, he supported the territorial directors of Brazil and Venezuela in the area of religious life. From 2012 to 2018, he was the territorial director of Venezuela.

From September 2018 until June 1, 2019, he was part of the territorial administration team in Venezuela and local director of Panama. Since June 1, 2019, he has been the director of the Cumbres Institute of Caracas and at the same time continues as local director of Panama.

Fr. Alejandro Fuentes, L.C.
Territorial Counselor

 

Father Alejandro Fuentes, L.C., was born on April 17, 1967, in León, Guanajuato, Mexico. He entered the Vocational Center in September 1983 in Ontaneda, Spain. In September 1984, he entered the Novitiate, and in September 1986, he made his first vows. He made his perpetual vows on April 19, 1992. He studied classical humanities in Salamanca, Spain. He studied theology at the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum.

He was ordained a priest on December 22, 1996. Since 2015, he has been rector of the Vocational Center in Curitiba and since 2019, local coordinator of apostolate in the same city; since 2018, he has been a territorial counselor, and since 2020, territorial coordinator of safe environments.

From 2021 to 2022, he was a territorial counselor, and since 2022, territorial administrator.

 

 

Fr. Bruno do Espírito Santo, L.C.
Territorial Counselor

Father Bruno Atila do Espírito Santo, LC, was born on April 7, 1983, in Salto, São Paulo, Brazil. In January 1997, he entered the Vocational Center in Arujá, Brazil; in March 2000, he entered the Novitiate, and in March 2002, he made his first vows. He studied classical humanities in Salamanca, Spain. He holds a degree in philosophy from the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum and a doctorate in Patristic Theology from the Institutum Patristicum Augustinianum, in Rome. He completed his apostolic practices as discipline prefect at the Vocational Center in Arujá, Brazil, and later as assistant to humanists in Salamanca, Spain.

He was ordained a priest on December 13, 2014. Since 2020, he has been a professor and director of the Instituto Teológico María Mater Eclesiae in Brazil.

Since 2021, he has been a territorial counselor in Brazil.

 

Fr. Osvaldo Verdín, L.C.
Territorial Counselor

 

Father Jesús Osvaldo Verdín, L.C., was born on October 3, 1971, in Jalisco, Mexico. He entered the Novitiate in Canada in 1998, and in September 2000, he made his first vows. He studied classical humanities in Cheshire. He holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum. He completed his apostolic practices in Mexico and studied theology in Mexico.

He was ordained a priest on December 20, 2012. After ordination, he was sent to Brasília, where he remains to this day. He has been director of the men’s and women’s sections of Regnum Christi and advisor to the Domus Mariae in Brasília.

 

 

Fr. Rafael Kizimia, L.C.
Territorial Counselor

 

Father Rafael Kizimia, L.C., was born on October 14, 1985, in São Paulo, Brazil. He entered the novitiate in Arujá in 2004 and was sent to Salamanca a few months later. After his first profession on January 17, 2006, he began studies in humanities. He studied philosophy at the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum. During his practices, he was a novice assistant in Arujá and discipline prefect at the Vocational Center in Curitiba. He returned to Rome for his theological studies.

He was ordained a priest on December 10, 2016. After ordination, he was an assistant to humanists and novices in Monterrey, and since 2019, he has been working apostolically in the youth section of Rio de Janeiro. Since 2023, he has been the superior of the Rio apostolate house.

 

 

We entrust in our prayers those who have been leading the territory and those who are taking on this new task, asking the Blessed Virgin to accompany and guide them.