Fr. Jason Smith LC, a former Forest Lake resident and local high school graduate, was ordained a Catholic priest of the Legionaries of Christ on Saturday, Dec. 23, 2006 in Rome.

Franc Cardinal Rode CM, prefect of the Institute of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, presided over the ordination of 55 new Legionary priests.

The newly ordained men join the 650 Legionary priests already engaged around the world in a wide variety of apostolic works to help the Church and society. In addition to the now more than 700 Legionary priests, the order has more than 2500 seminaries in formation.

The new priests come from across the world: United States, 12; Canada, 3; Mexico, 22; Spain, 9; Italy, 3; Brazil, 2; Chile, 1; Venezuela, 1; Germany, 1; Ireland, 1.

The site of the ordination, The Basilica of St. Mary Major, is the oldest and most important Marian shrine in Rome. According to tradition, pilgrims returning from the Holy Land to Rome brought with them fragments of the manger in which Jesus was laid.

These relics are preserved in the basilica in a golden reliquary beneath the Altar of the Confession. Thus, this site has special meaning to Christians during the Christmas season.

"Be convinced that you are priests the world needs, because the world needs God, because without Him life has no meaning, because God is the only antidote to sadness and despair, because He is the only remedy to death," Cardinal Rode told the new Fathers in his homily. "Live joyfully! No difficulty, no weakness can ever be cause to abandon yourselves to sadness or despair."

Cardinal Rode ordained 59 Legionaries at the same site in November of 2004. At the end of that ceremony, he presented on behalf of Pope John Paul II, the definitive decree of approval of the statutes of the Regnum Christi Movement. Regnum Christi is the lay movement affiliated with the Legion.

The movement has more than 65,000 members around the world.

The ordination ceremony drew a crowd of more than 2500, including family members of the new Fathers, Regnum Christi members, nearly 600 Legionary Priests and Brothers working or studying in Rome and Italy, and several national ambassadors to the Holy See.

"We pray for these new priests to be holy, to live in order to love God and serve people in a spirit of charity," said Fr. Alvaro Corcuera LC, General Director of the Legionaries of Christ. "We pray that they may be priests according to the Heart of Christ, to share his love with others, giving their lives in service of the Holy Father and all Bishops in communion with him."

About Fr. Jason

Fr. Jason is 32 years old. Although he was born in Alexandria, MN, he grew up in Forest Lake, where his parents still live.

Jason's parents are Doug and Elaine Smith.

Every Sunday, he went to Mass at Forest Lake's St. Peter's Parish (in the Archdiocese of St. Paul/Minneapolis) and made his First Communion at eight years of age.

Fr. Jason began his education at St. Peter's parish school, and went to high school at Forest Lake Senior High.

He played baseball and was on the wrestling team, but his passion was always for the arts.

After graduating from high school, Jason attended the College of Associated Arts, in St Paul, where he began to pursue a career as an illustrator. However, it was precisely during his college days when Christ crossed his path.

After attending a Mass during a retreat, Jason left convinced of his calling to the priesthood. A few months later he joined the seminary of the Legionaries of Christ.

"Everyone was surprised," Jason said, "especially me. It was a sudden, complete change of the trajectory of my life. But Christ's call was so strong, so attractive, I left everything joyfully."

Fr. Jason has studied philosophy in New York and theology at the Regina Apostolorum in Rome. When he was not studying, he did youth work as well as development work for the Legion in the United States.

"I found my years of study and internship to be among the best of my life. Not because of what I did, or the experiences I had, but because it was marvelous to see God's action in the lives of the people I met."

Recently, Fr. Jason was named parochial vicar at Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Queen Creek, AZ. As well, he is assistant chaplain at the eastern campus of Arizona State University.

"It is a great grace to work with the people in Arizona. They are truly wonderful and kind. It is an honor to serve them as their priest."

Jason's younger brother, Aaron, is also a Legionary, preparing for the priesthood in Rome.

About The Legion

The Legion of Christ, founded in 1941, is a missionary congregation of Catholic priests committed to love Christ, serve people and building the Church.

The congregation is active around the world with ministry ranging from service to the third-world poor of Latin America to being "missionaries to an increasingly secularized world" in more prosperous countries.

Legionary priests work in conjunction with Regnum Christi to inspire laypersons who are deeply conscious of our baptismal commitment and ready to actively serve the needs of the universal Church, their own parishes and society.

In a spirit of faith, Legionaries honor all bishops in communion with the Pope as successors of the Apostles and witnesses of the Catholic faith. Legionaries seek to cooperate with bishops in the realization of diocesan pastoral programs, especially education, the family, social services and the mass media. They thus promote diocesan programs by contributing their own charism, which is a gift from God to the whole Church.

Regnum Christi is a Catholic movement at the service of mankind and the Church. Founded in 1959, Regnum Christi includes lay men and women, as well as deacons and priests. It contributes to spreading Christ's message to humanity by undertaking personal and organized activity.

Christians are called to play a personal role in the Church's mission. Regnum Christi members serve the Church through apostolic activities that spread the gospel message through attractive programs for kids, youth, young adults and parents.

Affiliation with the Regnum Christi Movement is a free response to a call from God's love. It entails a commitment to dedicate oneself, body and soul, to lead others to know and love Jesus Christ. That's why the movement offers extensive opportunity for personal faith formation and development, as well as the means to put faith into action through its many works of apostolate.

Regnum Christi's members, out of love for God and others and in communion with the Holy Father and the bishops, desire to make Christ's Gospel a reality in their own lives and in society. Thus, Regnum Christ is a way of living the universal call to holiness and to apostolic action with the Church.

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