Legion of Christ names new North American head

New York City, N.Y., Apr 14, 2014 / 14:07 pm

Maryland-born priest Father John Connor, L.C., has been named the head of the Legion of Christ's territory of North America.

"I'm humbled by this assignment and ask for the prayers of everyone in the North American Territory," Fr. Connor said April 14.

Fr. Eduardo Robles Gill, the Legion of Christ's general director, announced the appointment April 12. Fr. Connor will replace the territory's outgoing director Fr. Luis Garza as of May 1.

Fr. Connor said he especially wanted to thank Fr. Garza "for his leadership and example of faith and perseverance over the past several years."

Fr. Connor was born on Feb. 15, 1968, in Severna Park, Md, the Legion of Christ website says. He entered the Legion of Christ's novitiate in September 1991 in Roetgen, Germany. He was ordained a priest in January 2001 in Rome. He has a degree in business administration from Maryland's Loyola University.

He served as dean at the Everest Academy in Madrid, Spain from 1994 to 1997. In addition, he worked in the Legion of Christ's development office and coordinated the Legion's apostolate of Regnum Christi in New York. He helped to found and direct the Lumen Institute, a New York-based leadership formation program.

He served as territorial director of the Legion's Atlanta territory from 2010-2011, until the territory merged with the territory of New York. He then served as an assistant for the Legion's territorial director for in the territory of North America.

Fr. Connor will continue in his current role as head of the North America territory's Institutional Advancement Office.