Con•sol•i•date v., 1. to unite into a single whole. 2. to make or become firm or secure.

Consolidation has been the task of the past few years for Regnum Christi members and Legionaries in the North American territory. One recent step in this task was the decision to send the novices in Cornwall, ON to Cheshire, CT, and to give the apostolic school students in Cornwall the option of attending the minor seminaries in Indiana or New Hampshire.

Closing the Legionary house in Cornwall could be seen as simply a disappointment, but the dictionary definition of consolidate cited above is a reminder that in its real meaning, consolidation is not a movement of shrinking and disappearing – even if it feels like it at times – but one of unifying and growing in security. It’s a chance to regroup and consider our priorities: continued joyful service of the Church, with a stronger community life and more stable apostolic commitments.

“These ‘new beginnings’ help us experience the closeness of Christ,” says Fr. John Luxbacher LC, instructor of novices in Cornwall; “He is in charge, since he is the one who has called us to be part of this spiritual family of the Legion of Christ and Regnum Christi. Now that this decision has been made, our sights are set on the work before us: how can we best build up Christ’s Kingdom? How

	Consecrated women in Montreal

can we use our resources and personnel to serve the Church in Canada?”

By strengthening Legionary and consecrated communities in Canada, our hope is to grow solidly and provide better support for Regnum Christi members and the dioceses where they work.

These goodbyes can be disheartening, and for this reason, we wanted to take a moment – or an article, rather – to highlight some of our work in Canada. This is not meant to be an exhaustive list, but just a sampling of how Regnum Christi members serve the Church in Canada.

Both the Legionaries and the consecrated women have communities in Montreal, where they serve the local parishes – the consecrated women work with youth and family ministry, and the Legionaries assist the parish priests with the celebration of the sacraments. The Legionaries also have a community in Oakville, near Toronto, where they also help with youth ministry and parish work.

One of the highlights of Regnum Christi work in eastern Canada is the summer Camp Alizé for girls, with a French version in Québec and an English version in Ontario. For boys, there is Camp Caribou, a ‘survivor’ camp on the St. Lawrence River.  

Two priests and two consecrated women also work in Calgary, AB each month, where they help with local Regnum Christi events and provide spiritual services at Clearwater Academy. Regnum Christi members run two medieval-themed summer camps in Alberta each year: Camp Archātheos for boys and Camp Captivenia for girls. During the year, they keep busy with marriage renewal retreats and Challenge and Conquest clubs, among other events.

This is just a taste of how Regnum Christi members are supporting the Catholic Church across Canada – an endeavor which began 20 years ago and continues stronger each year, thanks to the dedication of laypeople, Legionaries, and consecrated members.

“When we began work in Canada it was because of our great desire to transmit Christ’s love and offer as many good priests to the Church as possible,” Fr. Luxbacher wrote to Canadian Regnum Christi members; “This is still our desire! We are committed to working here, serving the Church in Canada.”