Father Anthony Bannon, LC was born in Old Sod, Dublin (Ireland), on April 25, 1947. He had five siblings, Patricia, one of his sisters, is Consecrated of the Regnum Christi. Father Anthony felt the missionary calling and met the Legionaries of Christ in his hometown on September 14, 1964.

He made his first religious profession on September 15, 1966, and his perpetual profession on April 2, 1972. He was ordained a priest on December 24, 1975, by Cardinal Eduardo F. Pironio, then Pro-Perfect of the Congregation for Religious and Secular Institutes, at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Rome, Italy.

Father Anthony obtained his license in Philosophy from the Gregorian University in 1971 and his bachelor’s degree in Theology from the Angelicum University in 1975. During his pastoral work, he was a formator at the Instituto Cumbres and at the Irish Institute, both in Mexico City.

Soon after being ordained, he returned to Mexico for three months before heading to the United States. He exercised his ministry in the United States first as director of the apostolate and Rector of the Novitiate of the Legionaries of Christ, which at that time was located in Orange, CT. The Legionaries had young foundations during those years in New York, NY, Hamden, NJ, Washington, DC, and Detroit, MI, where Father Anthony supported as director.

On June 4, 1982, the Legionaries moved the novitiate from Orange, CT, to its current location in Cheshire, CT. On April 3, 1988, he was appointed Territorial Director of the Legionaries of Christ for all of the USA and Canada. Some apostolic initiatives began in the Far East, with foundations in the Philippines, South Korea, and invitations from Australia and New Zealand. He helped many young people in their vocational discernment for priesthood, religious life, and marriage.

On December 8, 2004, Father Anthony was appointed Assistant to the Territorial Director for religious life in North America until 2008. He was superior of the apostolic community in Dublin, Ireland, from 2011 to 2013, and in 2014, he went to Mexico City to serve as director of the Regnum Christi men’s section until March 2019.

He is the author of three works published by Ed. Circle Press: *Pedro en la orilla: Vocación en las Escrituras y en la vida real* (1996), *Vocación: Preguntas y Respuestas* (2001), and *Lánzate a las Profundidades: Retiro Espiritual Personal* (2005).

Father Anthony Bannon passed away at the age of 74 after battling cancer, on August 5, 2021, at 5:45 a.m. (TE), in a hospital near Cheshire, CT (USA).

Rest in peace!

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