Love One Another as I Have Loved You (John 15:12)
God sent many persons to manifest His love to Fr. Louis. What a call to love!
As a child, Father Louis de Vaugelas sat frequently to listen to his mother, Claude, read saint stories from classical French books. The images and words seemed to rise from the children's books and capture a young Louis' attention. His favorite was Saint Dominic Savio. Father Louis wanted to be a saint too.
Now a 44-year-old priest who serves as one of the Regnum Christi Women’s Section Chaplain, Father Louis encourages women to let the presence of Jesus shine in their lives. "Through listening to the Holy Spirit in these women, I constantly discover how to serve them better in their initiative for other women, for their families or for the evangelization," said Father Louis. The chaplain moved to Cincinnati three years ago. His parents – his father's name is Xavier – still live in France.
He is the oldest of five siblings and believes there are many things his parents did to allow him to listen to the voice of God in him. "My parents have been very aware of their mission as parents to discern what was their responsibility as parents. They did not abandon the responsibility to other persons and had all people involved in our educations constantly accountable to them," Father Louis said. "I observed a deep joy in my parents when they would follow what they discerned was God´s will against the mainstream current. I observed a greater peace in my family after my parents would lead us in prayer and I noticed the esteem that my parents had for prayerful and inspiring priests."
During family trips and vacations, the Vaugelas family would stop in convents, movement houses and rectories of priests' friends. "It brought all of us to experience a diversity of priests and nuns more charismatic or more traditional," Father Louis said. "The habitual dealing with all these consecrated persons in their convents or in our own house disposed me to appreciate the diversity and complementary of the gifts diocesan, religious, and lay in the church... My parents created a vocational culture: a culture that esteems priests and is open to the vocation."
Despite his upbringing, Father Louis remembers times when he was uncertain God had called him to be a priest. "In my case, the call was always foggy in such a way that I could deny it," he said. At age 17, he joined the Regnum Christi Movement during a Mass in the catacombs of Rome. "I joined consecrated life in Regnum Christi in the middle of my college life at the age of 20 for two years, until I joined the Legionary novitiate in Salamanca, Spain. After three years in that country, I was sent to Rome for five years of studies in the Rome Regina Apostolorum Athenaeum for philosophy and theology." During his time earning a bachelor's and master's degree there, Father Louis spent three years as an intern in Québec." On December 22, 2007, at the age of 33, Father Louis became a priest.
As the RC Women's Section Chaplain for Greater Cincinnati, he begins his day with "quality time with Jesus in the Legionary house before celebrating Mass with the Consecrated Women community." Father Louis spends a lot of time evangelizing – with one-on-one encounters, preaching or in preparation of preaching, and visiting Challenge clubs and families. He serves five cities in the Ohio Valley Locality from central Kentucky to Indianapolis to Cleveland. "The greatest joy in my job is when God uses me for a woman to grow in the awareness of the dignity that is in her," he said.
Before coming to Cincinnati, Father Louis served the Archdiocese of Montreal in Quebec, Canada. "St. Pierre Claver, St. Stanislas de Kostka and St. Enfant Jesus du Mile-end were immense parishes with very few people attending," he said. "In 60 years, Quebec society went from high percentage of attendance in church to very small and old attendance."
Fr. Louis found the time he spent as an associate pastor in Quebec to be very helpful. The diocesan clergy of the Montreal archdiocese and the team of Regnum Christi Consecrated Women were “Good Samaritans for me and affirmed the gift of God that was in me. God used them to shape my ministry in becoming more like a Good Samaritan to those in need and in affirming the unique gifts that are in others.”
Also while in Quebec, Father Louis realized his role was to reach couples.“I worked for six years in all kind of projects of evangelization such as retreats, camps, family catechism, family Masses, fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, mothers and sons, fathers and daughters, day camps and marriage prep," he said. "I always worked with volunteers and Regnum Christi members. But the day I finally found couples, I realized that everything began to grow in a more organic way and not on sand anymore. I saw that in that kind of secularized society the light projected by a married couple speaks so strongly of the Trinity (more even in their weaknesses) that it is almost irresistible to attract people to Jesus."
You might spot Father Louis playing tennis or training for a race in his down time. "Last year I ran the Flying Pig, but it took me five hours," he said. He also appreciates sharing a glass of Bordeaux. "Jesus began his public life when people were running out of wine. There is something very human here, not independent of the capacity to celebrate of his disciples," he said. "Also, Jesus did choose wine for us to make memory of him. In my priestly life, I noticed that wine frequently can dispose the heart to celebrate and open to deeper relationships."
There are many things Father Louis would like people to know about him as a Legionary priest:
“That I feel very evangelized here, and that I want to learn more of God through the word of God that each one is here for me.”
“That I have an interest to support more young couples.”
“That I dream of having a lot of Regnum Christi teams of couples.”
“That I am interested in RC projects of evangelization, even if they are out-of-the-box, new and small.”
“That I feel in this area, Regnum Christi people are very loving, and they care very, very well for their priests.”
“That I can´t change my French accent even if I tried very hard… so I don´t even try to anymore because people tell me to not lose it.”