Path to Rome Testimonials
Victor, United States

My association with Miles Jesu began a few short years ago, when i had the privilege of meeting three exceptional priests, Fathers Sullivan, Cahill, and Knoll, MJ. Never had i met such an extraordinarily dedicated group of priests. These men epitomize what all priests should be, as they live and breathe Jesus, and have a hunger for souls. What i have found since that initial meeting is that all Miles Jesu priests are exceptional, so these men, praise God, are simply the norm.

As a result of my association with these men, i sought out additional information about Miles Jesu. The more i learned, the more i knew that i had to be associated with this fine group of dedicated men and women. Miles Jesu is the first and only organization that i actually felt compelled to join. As a full-time evangelist, i feel right at home. My application for membership in the Vinculum was accepted a little more that a year ago. Over the years, i have lectured at conferences across the country, and even organized a few of my own, but i can honestly say that i never enjoyed a conference more than i did the Path to Rome International Conference held in Phoenix, Arizona. The presentations ranged from good to excellent. It is not often that such an international roster of speakers are brought together. The most notable were, His Eminence Dario Cardinal Castrillon Hoyos, from Rome, Most Rev. Thomas J. Olmsted, of Phoenix, His Excellency Hector Riesle from Chile, Felipe Riesle von Habsburg, and H.I.R.H. Archduchess Alexandra of Austria. I also especially enjoyed the presentations of Linda Poindexter, Kathleen Clark, David Rey, MJ, Peter Kreeft and Dr. Bernard Nathanson. Stephen Ryan, MJ did a superb job as Master of Ceremonies; with his wit and wisdom, he kept the conference flowing properly.

The unfortunate absence of Very Rev. Fr. Alphonsus Duran, MJ was the only drawback to the conference as a number of people, including myself, missed him.

Many of the people who attended were, as i was, at their first Path to Rome Conference, yet, a feeling of camaraderie seemed to permeate the air. People openly introduced themselves to other attendees and the conversation was open and lively. The accommodations were excellent, the menu diverse and for the most part very good. Good food certainly seemed to add to the enjoyment of the conversation.

The table conversations were eclectic as attendees came from Europe, Africa, South America, Asia and of course the United States. Yet, regardless of our origins, we were bound together by our Catholicity. A number of the people with whom i spoke wanted to know more about Miles Jesu, and were attracted to the conference because of the wonderful roster of speakers. Much of our conversations centered upon Miles Jesu and the work members are engaged in all over the world. People asked about the origins and history of Miles Jesu, and some were surprised to learn about our 26 houses in 13 countries.

Many of the attendees expressed a desire to contribute, either financially or with prayer, to the work. One family donated $2,500 towards the purchase of an automobile to be used by the Miles Jesu mission in Ukraine.

Another topic of conversation focused upon the teachings of the Church. It seems that for some, the lectures stimulated a desire to learn more about Catholicism and the necessity of evangelization.

There was always a priest available to hear the confessions of the penitents and from what i observed, they were kept quite busy. The Divine Liturgy and Holy Mass were celebrated with exceptional dignity and beauty. We were at the foot of the Cross with Mary, Mary Magdalene, and St. John, the disciple that Jesus loved, and then one could not help but feel the love of Jesus enveloping us as we knelt before His Eucharistic Presence.

One of the real highlights of the conference was being able to witness the consecrations of three young members of Miles Jesu; Brad Poore, MJ, Elizabeth Baez, MJ and Mark Whelan, MJ. They officially became consecrated, celibate, Domus members. I was so very proud of them that the ceremony actually brought me to tears of joy. In a way, i envy them, their youth. They are truly blessed to be intimately united to Christ at such a young age.

As Father Cahill pointed out, they will probably never receive the attention and respect given to those who wear the priestly collar, but in fact, it is men and women like these that are the backbone of Miles Jesu and the Catholic Church. Let us pray that they will live long lives in His faithful service.

All in all, the conference was a little bit of heaven. I praise and thank the Lord for the speakers, and all of the Miles Jesu members who worked so hard to make the conference not only possible, but successful. Let’s hope that we will all get together next year.