Father Andrés Cuellar, LC was ordained a priest at the cathedral of León, Gto., by Mons. Alfonso Cortés Contreras, Archbishop of León.
Approximately a year ago, he was ordained a deacon along with other fellow Legionaries in the same city. Now, Father Andrés has joined the local Church together with 14 diocesan priests from the Archdiocese of León.
He was accompanied in the ceremony by his family, friends, Legionaries of Christ from the area, and members of Regnum Christi. For Father Andrés, the diaconate was an opportunity to see and experience the richness that the priesthood brings, and consequently, to increase the desire to reach this moment.
The Eucharistic celebration began at 10 in the morning. After reading the readings and the Gospel, the preparatory rite was performed, which consists of presenting the candidates, followed by the homily, the priestly promises, and the promise of obedience.
Mons. Alfonso asked the new priests, for the love of Jesus Christ, not to tire of being merciful and to strive to have the Lord’s capacity, who came not to condemn but to forgive.
He sent them to rescue the lost sheep and to spread mercy, to treat others well, and to have the wisdom to preach Christ’s love correctly, the Good Shepherd.
Subsequently, the rite of priestly ordination was carried out, where the candidates prostrated themselves, and the archbishop, concelebrants, and attendees, kneeling, recited the litany of saints to entrust them and pray for the vocation and holiness of the young priests.
Then came the moment of laying on of hands, the investiture of the priestly vestments, which were imposed by the parents of the ordinands, the anointing of the hands, the presentation of the chalice, the paten, and the peace embrace.
Profile of Father Andrés Cuellar, LC
He was born in León, Gto., on June 10, 1991. In 2003, he entered the vocational center of León. In 2007, he began his novitiate in Dublin, Ireland. In 2009, he started his humanities studies in Salamanca, Spain. In 2013, after completing his philosophy baccalaureate, he was assigned to collaborate for three years at the vocational center in Ajusco, Mexico City. In 2016, he returned to Rome to study for a license in philosophy and a bachelor’s in Theology, which he completed in 2021. Since 2017, he has supported the apostolate in Bratislava, Slovakia, where he has been assigned for his priestly ministry.
