FINAL PROFESSION OF BROTHERS MARCIANO LOPEZ SOLIS AND RODEL CERVANTES SAPALO

On Feb. 2, 2018, in front of a crowd that included members of the Augustinians of the Assumption, family, friends, parishoners, and locals, Bros. Rodel Cervantes, A.A., and Marciano Lopez, A.A., professed their final vows in Tlilapan, Mexico, where the Assumptionists have a parish.

In a post on Facebook, Cervantes said lying prostrate during the Litany of the Saints was “a very special moment.”

“Now I know the feeling of being prayed for by the people and calling the saints to help me fully live my religious vows until death,” he wrote. “Grateful for the Augustinians of the Assumption.”

Lopez, also in a post on Facebook, thanked all who attended the profession and said he appreciated everyone’s prayers.

During his homily, Fr. Dennis Gallagher, A.A., provincial superior of the North American Province, told the brothers that “the light of Christ shines forth this day as you profess your vows of poverty, chastity and obedience.”

“You are choosing to follow the path of self-emptying love, modeling your life after that of Jesus Christ, who is himself poor, chaste and obedient,” he said. “He is the one by whose light you see more clearly and love more deeply.  He is the one who gives meaning to every dimension of your life. He is the one who calls you to be a gentle light helping others to find their way.”

“Your profession day fills us with hope,” he continued. “Surrounded by those who love you, by brothers and by lay Assumptionists with whom you share your life, by the wider Assumption family, and by this parish community, you find yourselves lifted up by the prayers of the whole Church.

“Take courage in this as you embark upon this wonderful adventure,” he said.

By Jonathan Bishop