What is LEM?
Laicos Eucarísticos Mercedarios (LEM), translated as Mercedarian Laity of the Blessed Sacrament, is an ecclesial movement based on our Mercedarian-Eucharistic Charism that welcomes lay people, single or married, to participate in our spiritual experience in communion with the Church!
Why become a LEM member?
LEM presents a path of holiness by living the charism of the Mercedarian Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament!
This happens by sharing who we are at the intellectual level by getting to know our history, spiritually by sharing in our prayer life, and by making promises upon Profession.
Formation Process
Similar to our own discernment process as Religious Sisters, LEM members go through a formation process consisting of:
1
POSTULANCY (1 year)
You will meet with a formation director and go through study modules in preparation for entering the Movement.
2
NOVITIATE (1.5 years)
You will be received into the Movement as a member of the fraternity. Your studies with a formation director will bring you further into living the charism of the Mercedarian Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament as you discern whether to make promises in this Lay Movement.
3
PROFESSION
You are fully received into the Mercedarian-Eucharistic Lay Movement for life. You promise to live according to our charism and spirituality as an extension of your baptismal consecration, and assume the privileges and responsibilities that this entails within our Institute.
We invite you to first Come and See, joining in an initial course before discerning if you would like to enter Postulancy. As a Postulant, you will be required to:
- Attend an hour-long class twice a month
- Read required materials and participate in formation process
- Have a desire to grow in love for Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and our charism!
Even during our time with Catholic Gators, Catherine and I could already see the seeds of a Eucharistic spirituality through our daily practice of going to Mass and being rooted in liturgical prayer. Through LEM, what we are experiencing as a family is a living out of the Mercedarian spirituality, of “becoming Eucharist” in the way in which we unite ourselves to Christ out of love for Him and allow ourselves to be poured out first to each other as husband and wife, and then to our children. It is in this way, we evangelize with Mary in light of the Eucharist, striving to be “light and leaven” to the world in need of the Gospel. To experience support from our Mercedarian family has been a great joy and blessing to us as we continue to strive for holiness!
Deadline to apply is September 1, 2024!
Email lem@mercedariansisters.org with any questions.
"*" indicates required fields