Both the directors and their territorial councils are at the service of their entire territory and seek to develop the apostolic work of the Legionaries of Christ within the communities

Father John Connor, LC, General Director of the Legionaries of Christ, has announced the appointments for the Italy Territory and for the Rome Delegation.

Italy Territory

Along with the appointment of Father Savio, the appointment of Father Riccardo Garzari, LC, as territorial vicar has also been announced, as well as the territorial counselors Father Carlos Blanco, LC, Father Lorenzo Curbis, LC, and Father Enrico Trono, LC. The new territorial government will begin its three-year term on July 1, 2023.

In a letter sent to the Legionaries of Christ working in the Italy territory, Father John thanked them for their participation in the consultation process and reminded them of the importance of the territorial council:

“The authority of the territorial director is a service in favor of all members of his territory, which places a heavy burden and a grave responsibility on one person’s shoulders. Thanks to the council, the territorial directors do not bear these alone, and the talents of the counselors complement them. As the Holy Father told us in his speech at the end of the General Chapter three years ago: Councils have a very important function, although the counselors are not superiors. In fact, councils should be a valid help for superiors in their governance, but at the same time they also have a supervisory role over the work of the superiors themselves” (Pope Francis, speech to the capitular fathers, February 29, 2020).

He also expressed gratitude and recognition for the work of Father Andrea Giustiniani, LC, for his service as territorial director, his work accompanying the communities, his contributions to the work in the parishes run by the Legionaries in Italy, and his collaboration with Regnum Christi. Likewise, he thanked the outgoing counselors, Father Claudio García, LC, and Father Alberto Zanetti, LC, for their service and support in the territorial government over these past years.

The new government will have to ensure the fulfillment of the congregation’s mission: “In its mission to form apostles, Christian leaders at the service of the Church, the Legionaries make present the mystery of Christ who gathers the Apostles around Himself, reveals to them the love of His heart, forms them, and sends them out to collaborate with Him in establishing His Kingdom” (Cf. CLC 4)

P. Savio Zanetta, LC

Father Savio Zanetta, LC, was born on May 12, 1969, in Borgomanero (Novara), Italy. He entered the Legion in September 1990. He made his perpetual profession on September 27, 1998. He was ordained a priest on January 2, 2001. He holds a degree in philosophy from the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum. In 2001, he was director of the formation center for Regnum Christi consecrated members. From 2002 to 2011, he worked in Brazil as a vocations promoter for minors. In 2011, he was coordinator of the apostolate in the localities of Joinville and Curitiba.

From 2012 to 2015, he served as territorial director of Brazil. From 2015 to 2018, he was assistant to the theologians at the International Legionaries of Christ College in Rome. In 2018, he was appointed rector of the community of brothers at the General Headquarters.

P. Riccardo Garzari, LC

He was born on August 29, 1975, in Padua, Italy. He entered the Legion of Christ novitiate in the summer of 2000 in Gozzano, Italy. He made his perpetual profession on October 5, 2008, at the Higher Studies Center in Rome. After studying philosophy and theology at the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum in Rome, he was ordained a priest on December 12, 2011, at the Papal Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano.

Since 2011, he has exercised his priestly ministry in Palermo, Italy, in the youth section as an assistant and as a director. He has also served as a university chaplain. From 2020, he was appointed territorial counselor, vocations promoter for the locality, and local director of Regnum Christi in Palermo.

P. Carlos Blanco, LC

He was born on September 20, 1971, in León, Mexico. He entered the Legion of Christ novitiate in the summer of 1988 in Salamanca, Spain. He made his perpetual profession on October 6, 1996, at the Higher Studies Center in Rome. After studying philosophy and theology at the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum in Rome, he was ordained a priest on December 24, 2002.

From 2002 to 2004, he began his priestly ministry as a prefect of studies and administrator of the novitiate in Dublin, Ireland. He was later appointed superior of the apostolic community in Arezzo and parish priest. Since 2014, he has been serving in Padua and has collaborated as a territorial prefect of studies, director of the adult section. Currently, he is the local director of Regnum Christi in Triveneto and pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes in Padua.

P. Lorenzo Curbis, LC

He was born on January 29, 1973, in Turin, Italy. He entered the Legion of Christ in 2001 and did his novitiate in Gozzano, Italy. He obtained a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and theology from the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum. He made his perpetual profession on October 4, 2009, and was ordained a priest on December 15, 2012, at the Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano.

He has collaborated for many years at the Highlands College in Rome, as a teacher of Catholic formation and spiritual advisor. At the beginning of his priestly ministry, he was appointed director of the youth section in Florence, Italy, and from 2014 to 2015, he was pastor of the Parish of the Holy Apostles and Biagio.

P. Enrico Trono, LC

He was born on January 28, 1984, in Lecce, Italy. He entered the Legion of Christ novitiate in 2008 in Gozzano, Italy. He studied his license in philosophy and theology at the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum. He made his perpetual profession on August 26, 2018, and was ordained a priest on July 25, 2020, at the parish of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Rome.

During his apostolic practices, he collaborated as an auxiliary member of ECYD and the youth section in Guadalajara, as well as a formation instructor at Cumbres San Javier. In 2019, he began his ministry as an assistant to the youth section in Rome, as well as an assistant to the spiritual advisor at the European University of Rome. Currently, he is the director of the youth section in Rome and since 2022, he has also been the director of comprehensive formation at the European University of Rome, in addition to being an assistant at the university chaplaincy and chaplain of the university residence.

Rome Delegation

The General Director of the Legionaries of Christ, Father John Connor, LC, has announced the appointment of Father David Daly, LC, as the new delegate of the General Director for the houses of Rome, the unification of the two theology communities at the headquarters of the General Directorate, and the three-year appointment of Father Savio Zanetta, LC, as territorial director for Italy.

In a letter sent to the members of the Rome delegation, Father John announced the appointment of Father David Daly, LC, currently territorial vicar of the North America Territory, as the new delegate of the General Director for the international houses of Rome, effective September 1.

Additionally, the unification of the two theology colleges into a single community under the responsibility of Father Ignacio Sarre as rector has been announced, with its headquarters at the General Headquarters. Therefore, the brother theologians of the International College and their formation staff will relocate before the start of the next academic year. To accommodate everyone, the community of priest students will also move to the International College, where they will have facilities adapted to their needs. Along with this appointment, some changes within the delegation were also announced as a result of the discernment process regarding the spaces in Rome and the new appointment of Father Savio Zanetta, LC, as territorial director.

In the letter, Father John also took the opportunity to thank Father Hernán Jiménez, LC, for his work and dedication over these years of service as delegate.

P. David Daly, LC

Father David Patrick Daly, LC, was born on April 7, 1969, in Saint Louis, Missouri, United States. He entered the Novitiate on September 15, 1990, in Cheshire, Connecticut. He made his perpetual profession on September 15, 1995. He was ordained a priest on January 2, 2001, in Rome. He holds a degree in philosophy and theology from the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum.

During the courses from 1995 to 1996 and from 1998 to 1999, he was a member of the training team at the Cheshire Humanities and Sciences Center. Over several periods, between 2000 and 2008, he collaborated with the training teams at the Higher Studies Center in Thornwood and in Rome. From 2002 to 2004, he served as chaplain at Compass, working with university students in the northeastern United States. He was rector of the Cheshire Humanities and Sciences Center from 2014 to 2017. He was appointed territorial counselor for North America in 2017 and later territorial vicar.

Father David is also a member of the North America Territorial Steering Committee.