The Institute
Who we are
The Sacerdos Institute is an international academic organization which promotes the ongoing spiritual, theological, and pastoral formation of priests. Inspired by the Magisterium’s teaching on ongoing formation and priestly spirituality, the Institute has as its priorities: the formation of seminary formators, the promotion of priestly spiritual renewal and other activities that favor pastoral, theological, and philosophical studies.
Our team
Director
Fr. Edward McNamara, LC
Curriculum Vitae
Born in Dublin, Ireland in 1962. Member of the Congregation of the Legonaries of Christ since 1980. Ordained a priest in 1991.
Academic formation
- Bachelor in Philosophy 1988
- Laureate in Dogmatic Theology 1991
- Doctor of Dogmatic Theology 1996
Pastoral ministry
- 1991-2003 Assistant Pastor, Nostra Signora di Guadalupe e San Felipe Martire Parish, Rome.
- 2003 Spiritual Director, Maria Mater Ecclesiae International Pontifical College.
Academic activity
- Professor of Theological Methodology, General Sacraments and Liturgy, Regina Apostolorum Pontifical University, Rome.
- 2012-2019 Dean of the Athenaeum’s Theology Department.
- Council member of the Sacerdos Institute, named the Director in 2019.
Coordinator
Fr. Miguel Subirachs, LC
Born in Barcelona, Spain, in 1986. Member of the Congregation of the Legionaries of Christ since 2004. Ordained a priest in 2017.
Academic formation
- Course for seminary formators, 2023
- Course on Formative praxis, 2023
- Master in Psycho-pedagogy for Formation in Consecrated Life, 2017
- Bachelor’s in Theology, 2017
- Licentiate in Philosophy, 2014
- Bachelor’s in philosophy, 2009
Pastoral ministry
- Formator in the Philosophy community of the International College of the Legionaries of Christ, since 2021
- Vocational Promoter of the South of the Mexican Republic, 2018-2021
- Formator at the Minor Seminary of the Legionaries of Christ
- Organizer of the International Course for Seminary Formators, Rome, 2016
- Formator at the Propaedeutic Course for admission to the Legion of Christ, United States, 2014
- Educational and adolescent ministry, Barcelona, 2011-2012
- Educational and adolescent ministry, Guadalajara, Mexico, 2009-2011
Academic activities
- Member of the Sacerdos Institute, 2022-
Institute Council Members
Fr. Gonzalo Monzon, LC
Curriculum Vitae
Born in Barcelona, Spain, in 1973. Member of the Congregation of the Legionaries of Christ since 1992. Ordained a priest in 2003.
Academic formation
- Bachelor in Philosophy, 1997
- Laureate in Theology, 2012
- Master in School Management, 2013
- Master in Educational Leadership, 2017
- Master in Teaching and Learning, 2016
Pastoral ministry
- Formator of Theologians at the Legionaries’ College in Rome, 2011.
- Pastor, Saint Thérèse et Sacrés-Cœurs Parish, Rennes, France, 2008 -2010.
- Responsable of external activities, Dublin Oak Academy Dublin, Ireland, 2005-2010.
- Responsable of external activities, Ampleforth School York, England, 2005 – 2010.
- Founder and president, SPES Youth Association Bretagne, France, 2000-2010
- Regional director, youth and family pastoral ministry of the Regnum Christi Movement (Bretagna, Francia), 1997 – 2010
- Family pastoral work, Regnum Christi Movement, Rome, 2018
Academic activity
- Chaplain – Integral Formation Center, l’Università Europea di Roma, 2018 to the present
- Elementary and middle school teacher; Coordinator of the Languages Department; President, Highlands School, Barcelona, 2012- 2018
- Council member of the Sacerdos Institute, Director of the Priestly Renewal Course in the Holy Land, 2019
Fr. Enrique Tapia, LC
Curriculum Vitae
Born in Burgos, Spain in 1975. Member of the Congregation of the Legionaries of Christ since 1993. Ordained a priest in 2006.
Academic formation
- Laureate in Philosophy, specialized in Anthropology and Metaphysics.
- Laureate in Theology, specialized in Theological Anthropology.
- Doctor in Spiritual Theology, with a thesis on Vocational Discernment in St. John of Ávila.
- Several formative courses on spiritual direction, affective maturity, tools to understand and help those with same-sex attractions, psychology and the spiritual life, and the protection of minors.
Pastoral ministry
- Formator of novices in Santiago, Chile: 1996-1997
- Formator of minor seminarians in Porto Alegre, Brazil: 1997-1999
- Member of the General Curia of the Legionaries of Christ: 2001-2012
- Master of novices in Salamanca, Spain: 2012-2018
- Rector of the International Pontifical College Maria Mater Ecclesiae in Rome: 2018-present
Academic activity
- Professor of Theology in the Regina Apostolorum Pontifical Athenaeum in Rome:
- Council member of the Sacerdos Institute, named director of the Seminary Formators Course: 2019
Fr. Alex Yeung, LC
Curriculum Vitae
Nato negli Stati Uniti nel 1968. Membro della Congregazione dei Legionari di Cristo dal 1993. Sacerdote dal 2013.
Formazione accademica
- Dottore in Filosofia
- Laurea in Teologia, specializzazione in Dogmatica
- Laurea in Filosofia, specializzazione Filosofia sistematica
- Area di specializzazione: antropologia filosofica, filosofia della religione, filosofia cristiana, Tommaso D’Aquino.
- Aree di ricerca e di competenze: filosofia della cultura, teologia naturale, filosofia dell’arte, dialogo scienza-filosofia-fede, spiritualità di comunione ecclesiale, spiritualità sacerdotale, interculturalità.
Attività accademica
- Decano (2015- ) e docente straordinario della Facoltà di Filosofia presso l’Ateneo Pontificio Regina Apostolorum di Roma.
- Direttore (2017- ) e Coordinatore accademico (2015- ) del Corso internazionale per formatori di seminario.
- Membro del Consiglio dell’Istituto Sacerdos (2014- ).
Altro ministero pastorale
- Direttore del Sacerdos Institute for Priestly Life and Ministry (2003-2012), dedicato alla formazione permanente del clero nordamericano, attraverso ritiri, corsi e pubblicazioni.
- Editore della versione inglese della rivista Sacerdos: Resources for Priests, 2003-2007.
- Fondatore e direttore del Bethany Evenings for Priests, un’attività mensile dedicata alla formazione permanente, New York, 2002-2012.
- Predicatore di ritiri spirituali e esercizi ignaziani per sacerdoti diocesani.
- Direttore spirituale e confessore di sacerdoti, religiosi e seminaristi.
- Facilitatore del programma VIRTUS Protecting God’s Children (2013- )
Our mission and vision
Our mission is one we share with our partner, the Regina Apostolorum Pontifical Athenaeum: that is, the formation of apostles, Christian leaders (both clergy and laity) at the service of the Church who bear witness to the mystery of Christ; to create, in full communion with the magisterium of the Church, current of thought that can respond to man’s theoretic and existential questions and fill our society with the spirit of the Gospel.
The Institute strives to offer ongoing spiritual, theological, and pastoral formation to ordained ministers (without excluding candidates to the priesthood), based on the Magisterium’s teaching about ongoing formation and priestly spirituality, and fomenting the integration of doctrine and spirituality with the specific pastoral work of priests.
Every year, we welcome hundreds of priests from dioceses all over the world, fostering a spirit of communion, dialogue, encounter and renewal at the service of the Universal Church.
We greatly value the richness proper to each nation and people, and strive to incarnate this multicultural aspect of the Church through the development of interpersonal relations, the sharing of experiences, and daily personal testimonies of the protagonists of the New Evangelization.
Therefore, we are at the service of the Universal Church, helping her to respond to today’s new and increasing demands and the uncertainties of tomorrow’s society.