Anthony Freeman was born on July 23, 1988, in
Houma, Louisiana, to Brian and Debbie Freeman (née Lirette). His parents were devout Catholics who were active in church activities. He spent his childhood years studying at the East Thibodaux Middle School where he graduated in 2002. From 2002 to 2005, he became a student in the Legionary Minor Seminaries in
Center Harbor, New Hampshire, and in
Colfax, California. He was known to be a diligent and cheerful boy to his professors. After a series of vocation discernment, he entered the
Novitiate of the Legionaries of Christ in
Cheshire, Connecticut, on 2005, and made his first profession of vows on September 2, 2007. During his apostolic internship, he collaborated with the congregation's vocation promotion and institutional development efforts. He studied one year of
liberal arts in
Salamanca, Spain and completed his bachelor's degree in
philosophy in
Thornwood, New York. He obtained a licentiate degree in philosophy and a degree in
theology from the
Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum in Rome. On August 10, 2013, he made his final
profession of vows and on February 26, 2017, received the
ministry of acolytes. On the day he died, he had just finished an eight-day silent retreat in his community and had served the Easter Sunday Mass presided by
Pope Francis in
St. Peter's Square. Friends and colleagues are now putting up an effort to have him considered for
beatification. ==
One Step Closer==