A Legatus trifecta

Legatus charters three chapters to end 2011, kicking off 25th anniversary year . . .

When 2011 dawned, no one could have predicted that Legatus would have ended its 24th year with three chapters achieving chartered status within a two-week span. But Legatus beat the odds by doing just that.

The streak began on Nov. 18 with a record-setting event in Orange County, Calif. The fourth Legatus chapter in Orange County — the Orange Canyons Chapter — reached chartering status with 38 member-couples, besting the New Orleans Chapter’s 37 couples in August 2000.

The South Bay of Los Angeles Chapter chartered three days later on Nov. 21 with 21 couples, followed by the Lexington Chapter in Kentucky on Dec. 1. The three new chapters expand Legatus to a total of 73 chartered active chapters with four others in development.

Orange Canyons

Orange Canyons Chapter

The Orange Canyons black-tie chartering event on Nov. 18 began with Mass, celebrated by Bishop Tod Brown of the Orange diocese, at the Coto de Caza Golf and Racquet Club in Coto De Caza, Calif.

Aside from having the largest number of members at its chartering, the chapter also boasts one of the quickest charterings in Legatus history. Members held their first organizational meeting in August, their first official meeting in November, and they chartered a month later.

“We have a great group of people who are growing together spiritually and are becoming great friends, better Catholics, better husbands, better wives,” said Mike Caspino, the chapter’s founding president. “It’s so exciting to see the growth in just 94 days. People here just caught the fever of Legatus.”

Caspino, who spearheaded the new chapter’s rapid growth, credits other Legates for mentoring the chapter to chartering. He says Manny Montanez (Orange Coast), Ralph Linzmeier (Orange Coast) and Tim Busch (Orange County) went out of their way to help develop the chapter.

“They were behind us 100%,” Caspino said. “I credit a great deal to them and their spouses.”

South Bay of Los Angeles

South Bay Chapter

Three days later, Los Angeles Archbishop Jose Gómez celebrated the South Bay of Los Angeles Chapter’s chartering Mass and ceremony at Marymount College in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif. Legatus founder Tom Monaghan and executive director John Hunt joined members for the historic event.

The South Bay Chapter met for the first time in 2007, growing gradually over the years. But after four years of sporadic growth, the chapter registered its 20th member couple qualifying it for chartering.

Archbishop Jose Gomez

Incoming chapter president Viktor Rzeteljski says the chapter’s road to chartering was nothing short of miraculous. The chapter had only 11 member couples a year ago, but founding president Des Armstrong set a goal to charter by the end of 2011 and did it. “It was meant to happen,” Rzeteljski said. “God was with us. We couldn’t have gotten there by our own efforts.”

Monaghan commended members for their perseverance in reaching the milestone. “It took a lot of hard work to get to this point, but you didn’t give up,” he said. “It’s that kind of attitude that makes saints.”

In his address to members after dinner, Archbishop Gómez encouraged Legates to be joyful evangelizers in a world that has lost its sense of God. “The Christian story changed the world once, and it will change the world again,” he said. “But this time it’s our turn. We are the ones working with God and his grace and the Holy Spirit who must be the missionaries of our time.

“Please know that I am here to help you in any way I can, to help you grow in your faith and to help you in the challenges you face in bringing the Gospel of hope to the people in our world.”

Lexington

Lexington Chapter

Legatus’ lone Kentucky chapter’s steady growth since 2006 resulted in its chartering on Dec. 1. Led by the chapter’s chaplain, Lexington Bishop Ronald Gainer, Legates persisted in their desire to attain charter status.

Bishop Gainer initiated the chapter after a chance meeting with Monaghan in Rome in 2005. Despite the few Catholics in the diocese, Legates and their bishop drew 21 member-couples for the historic event.

Chapter president Lee Hall commended Bishop Gainer for his efforts to found a chapter in the diocese, which encompasses more than 16,000 square miles. Despite its large geographic size, only three percent of the population is Catholic, making it the smallest diocese in the country with a Legatus chapter.

“What we’ve accomplished here is remarkable,” Hall said. “We’re in the Bible Belt of Kentucky in the poorest, most unchurched area of the United States. But we have a group of committed Catholics like this who have risen up, taken the challenge and created something we can be really proud of.”

Bishop Ronald Gainer

The chartering event began at St. Peter Claver Parish with Mass celebrated by Bishop Gainer. The celebration continued a few blocks away at The Carrick House Restaurant.

After dinner, Monaghan congratulated members for bringing Legatus to the Blue Grass State and exhorted them to seek holiness by praying the rosary and to going to Confession and daily Mass.

“It’s such a fulfilling experience. The homilies are short, there’s no parking problem and there’s no collection. You should try it,” he said to rousing laughter. “You have to be an example to others by being exemplary in your conduct because people will know you’re Catholic — especially in an area like this where there are so few Catholics.”

Patrick Novecosky is Legatus magazine’s editor.