Questions and Answers about Regnum Christi

Do you have questions about Regnum Christi?  You’ll find answers here! Make sure to subscribe to our RC This Week e-newsletter where we will feature a different Question and Answer every week!

Questions range from the identity and spirituality of Regnum Christi, to how each vocation lives their call to Regnum Christi, what it means to be contemplative and evangelizing, how the Regnum Christi Federation is structured, and how people live Regnum Christi in localities across the North American Territory.

Each answer is based on the new Statutes of the Regnum Christi Federation, the Rule of Life for lay members of Regnum Christi, and the constitutions of the Legionaries of Christ, the Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi and the Lay Consecrated Men of Regnum Christi, along with other documents.  There is a “go deeper” feature for each question with links to supporting documents, spiritual resources, videos and more.

Click on a question to automatically scroll to the answer.

Part 1: Get to Know Regnum Christi

1. What is Regnum Christi?

2. What is the Regnum Christi Federation?

3. How many Regnum Christi members are there?

4. What is the purpose of the Regnum Christi Federation?

5. What is the Spirituality of Regnum Christi?

6. What does it mean to live communion?

7. How does Regnum Christi live communion?

8. What is the mission of Regnum Christi?

9. Why is Regnum Christi a Federation?

10. What are the Statutes and Regulations of the Regnum Christi Federation?

11. What apostolates does Regnum Christi do?

12. How do we carry out our mission in the Church?

13. What is our apostolic methodology?

14. How are the Statutes of the Regnum Christi Federation different than the Constitutions of the Legionaries of Christ, the Consecrated Women, or Lay Consecrated Men?

15. Why is Regnum Christi now called a Federation instead of a Movement?

16. What is ECYD and why is it so important?

Part 2: How do Lay Members Live the Regnum Christi Charism?

17. What is the Rule of Life of the Lay Faithful Associated to the Regnum Christi Federation?

18. What are the five elements of the lay members’ vocation in Regnum Christi?

19. Is there a prayer book for lay members of Regnum Christi?

20. How do lay people discern and join Regnum Christi? What does it mean to “associate?”

21. How are lay members of Regnum Christi organized and governed?

Part 3: The Consecrated and Religious Vocations in Regnum Christi

22. Are Legionaries of Christ, Consecrated Women and Lay Consecrated Men members of Regnum Christi?

23. How do the Legionaries of Christ and Consecrated Men and Women live Regnum Christi?

24. How are the Legionaries of Christ Governed? And the Consecrated Women?

25. What is the relationship between the Legionaries of Christ and the Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi?

26. Who are the Lay Consecrated Men of Regnum Christi and where are they?

27. Are Legionaries or Consecrated Men and Women who are not assigned to work on an apostolate of the Regnum Christi Federation still members of the Federation?

28. How are Legionary communities and Consecrated Women’s communities funded?

Part 4: How is Regnum Christi Governed?

29. What is the General Directive College of Regnum Christi?

30. What is the General Plenary Council?

31. What is the Territorial Directive College?

32. What is the Territorial Plenary Council?

33. What is the Territorial Economic Affairs Committee of the Regnum Christi Federation?

Part 5: Regnum Christi Across the North American Territory

34. What is the Mission Support Team?

35. Who do I contact for support at the Territorial Level?

36. What is the RC Life Department?

37. What is the ECYD Life Department?

38. What is the RC Formation Pathway?

39. What apostolates do we do in the North American Territory?

40. What is RC Education and where do we have RC schools?

Part 6: Learn More About Regnum Christi Localities

41. What is a Locality?

42. How many Localities are in the North American Territory?

43. What are the Fundamentals of a Vibrant Locality?

44. How does someone connect to Regnum Christi if they don’t live in a locality?

45. How do I connect with people in other localities?

46. What is the role of the local RC director?

47. How is the local RC director chosen?

48. What is the Difference Between a Local RC Director and a Local RC Directive College?

49. What is the role of the Section Director?

50. Does the Section Director have an AFIRE team?

51. How does Regnum Christi Create and Maintain Safe Environments?

52. Who should I contact with questions or concerns about safe environments?

Regnum Christi is a spiritual family and an apostolic body made up of four different vocations that all share the same Christ-centered, contemplative and evangelizing charism. Regnum Christi members seek to grow in a personal relationship with Christ through prayer, live holiness in their vocation and state of life, build a vibrant community of apostles, and evangelize with Christian boldness.

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Regnum Christi (Latin for “Kingdom of Christ”) is a Federation within the Catholic Church. The Regnum Christi Federation is a spiritual family and an apostolic body made up of four different vocations: the religious congregation of the Legionaries of Christ, the Society of Apostolic Life of the Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi, the Society of Apostolic Life of the Lay Consecrated Men of Regnum Christi, and the lay members of Regnum Christi who associate to the Federation as individuals. 

Every international Catholic organization that is formally approved by the Holy See takes on a specific form or structure that under the jurisdiction of a Vatican dicastery. On May 31st, 2019 — after years of discernment during which they were advised and guided by representatives appointed by the Holy Father — the Legionaries of Christ, the Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi, the Lay Consecrated Men of Regnum Christi, and the lay members of Regnum Christi received approval for their request to take on the form of a federation. This structure allows the Legionaries of Christ, the Consecrated Men, and the Consecrated Women to have proper autonomy and authority over their own individual vocations and institutions, while providing a shared governance of the common charism and identity of the Regnum Christi spiritual family, and the vocation of the lay members who associate to Regnum Christi. 

Becoming a federation provided a canonical structure for a spiritual reality: the shared identity, spirituality, communion, and mission of its members who live four distinct and autonomous vocations.  The Regnum Christi Federation provides unity among the federated institutions and the associated lay members. It seeks to be a vehicle of vocational growth and development for each of them, and for all of them.  

By building and protecting this unity, the Regnum Christi Federation also supports the common mission ignited by the shared charism, and helps its members to flourish in their work of evangelization. The Federation directs and supports the lay members of Regnum Christi and the apostolic works and programs that belong to it, and it also promotes collaboration among all of the evangelizing work done by the members of the different Regnum Christi vocations.  

The Regnum Christi Federation is made up of over 25,000 members throughout 38 countries world-wide. 

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As of December 31st, 2020, there were 3,525 members of Regnum Christi in the North American Territory, and 1,660 members of ECYD, the Regnum Christi charism lived by adolescents. Worldwide, there are 24,908 members of Regnum Christi and 10,468 members of ECYD.

North American Territory

Lay members

3300

Consecrated Women

80

Lay Consecrated Men

3

Legionaries of Christ

142

Total Members

3525

 

Worldwide 

Lay members

22909

Consecrated Women

511

Lay Consecrated Men

56

Legionaries of Christ

1432

Total Members

24908

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Above all else, members of the Regnum Christi Federation “seek to give glory to God and make the Kingdom of Christ present in the hearts of all people and in society, by our sanctification in the state and condition of life to which God has called us, and by personal and communal apostolic action.” (SRCF 7)

As Cardinal João Braz de Aviz wrote in the decree establishing the Federation, the Regnum Christi Federation has the purpose of  “safeguarding, deepening, and promoting the common charism; encouraging collaboration in the apostolate; and benefiting from a common canonical structure that expresses the unity and fraternal communion of the components of the spiritual family.” Number 4 of the Statutes sets out this purpose more concretely as follows:

The Federation has the following specific purposes: 

  1. to provide a canonical structure that expresses the charismatic unity of all the components, and respects the individual identity of each one; 
  2. to safeguard, deepen and promote the common charismatic patrimony; 
  3. to stimulate the development of the common mission, at the service of the Church and society; 
  4. to promote collaboration in the apostolic activity of the federated institutions; 
  5. to direct the apostolic activity proper to the Federation; 
  6. to promote communion and preserve unity among the federated institutions and the associated faithful of the Federation; 
  7. to regulate and direct the participation of the associated faithful and ensure their formation; 
  8. to promote the vocation development and growth of all the federated institutions and of the associated faithful; 
  9. to help the federated institutions in a subsidiary manner, and to foster solidarity between localities, sections and works, according to circumstances and needs. (SRCF 4)

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The spirituality of Regnum Christi is the central part of the charism that is shared by all four vocations of the Regnum Christi Federation. It is Christ-centered and expressed by a lived, personal relationship with God that is both contemplative and evangelizing. Numbers 12-14 and 20 of the Statutes of Regnum Christi Federation articulate the spirituality as: 

Our spirituality is centered above all on Jesus Christ and born from experiencing his love. We seek to respond to our Friend and Lord with a personal, real, passionate and faithful love. Through the action of the Holy Spirit, we are sons and daughters in the Son who becomes the center, standard and model of our life. We learn to encounter him in the Gospel, the Eucharist, the cross and our neighbor.
Bearing witness to, proclaiming, and expanding the Kingdom of Christ constitutes the ideal that inspires and directs us. Our motto — “Christ our King, thy Kingdom come!” — expresses this longing. Therefore: 
  1. we seek to clothe ourselves with Christ in our hearts and in our works, so he reigns in our lives through a progressive configuration with him; 
  2. we let ourselves be permeated by Christ’s love for humanity, striving to have him reign in the hearts of all people and society. 
By revealing the love that burns in his Heart, Christ invites us to love him and all he loves: the Father who sent him to redeem us; the Blessed Virgin Mary, his Mother and ours; the Church — his Mystical Body — and the Pope; all people, his brothers and sisters, for whom he gave his life; and the spiritual family of Regnum Christi as a way to make his Kingdom present in our hearts and in society. 
We are contemplative and evangelizing: 
  1. Contemplative, because we discover Christ’s presence and love in our own hearts, in our neighbor and in the world. We seek to be men and women of interior life, lovers of prayer, and we recognize the primacy of God’s action in our growth in holiness and in the apostolate; 
  2. Evangelizing, because, driven by the desire of Christ to enkindle the fire of the Father’s love in all hearts, we live as missionary disciples who seek to proclaim the Kingdom and bring the light of the Gospel to everyone.
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Living communion is fundamental to our identity as Regnum Christi. God revealed himself to us as a communion of persons. In the Church, communion isn’t an abstract idea, it’s the concrete, mutual self-giving and sharing of a spirituality in a way that can’t contain itself – it becomes creative and fruitful, overflows in mission, and through this mission, reaches even more people with the love of Christ, inviting them in to the shared joy of knowing him. 

The first Christian communities were a model of what Christ-centered communion is — people of different vocations, priests, consecrated and lay, who lived a deep and shared spirituality and mutual support that could not be contained to remain just among themselves. It flowed out in mission, evangelizing the corners of the world.

Regnum Christi embraces a wide range of ages and cultures, as well as four distinct vocations; the religious life of the Legionaries of Christ, the lay consecrated life of the Consecrated Men and Consecrated Women, and the secular lay vocation of the lay members.  Each one of them shares the same charism, the charism of Regnum Christi, but each has a distinct and definite vocation, a call to fully live the life and mission God has given them.  

As members of a spiritual family and an apostolic body called together by Jesus Christ, we are recipients of a gift we share. We discover this gift present within each one of us, and we also discover it present in the other people who are called to live it together with us. 

Communion means acknowledging and respecting the unique autonomy of each different vocation, but also living as a spiritual family that creates common ground for mutual self-giving, supporting each other spiritually, sharing the joy of living the Regnum Christi charism, and working together to extend the Kingdom of Christ.  This autonomy, interdependence, and mutual support creates a culture that allows each member and each vocation to flourish in their uniqueness. 

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Living communion is  a way of living characterized by “listening and valuing dialogue as a path desired by God for the mission of the Church and our mission, in accord with the relational nature of the person, as well as mature fraternal relationships that recognize the presence of God in the other, make others’ joys and sufferings our own, appreciate others’ personal gifts, and carry one another’s burdens with love (see Colossians 3:13) while rejecting rivalry, mistrust and envy.” (SRCF  29)

In Regnum Christi each unique vocation brings a different gift to the spiritual family, and to the mission, and the whole is more than the sum of the parts. Statute number 5 explains that:

“The Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi contribute, from their feminine identity, the gift of their lay consecration in a total and exclusive self-giving to the love of Christ.” 

“The Lay Consecrated Men of Regnum Christi contribute the gift of their lay secular consecration by the prophetic witness of being in the world without being of the world; by the evangelization of temporal realities; by availability, charity, professional abilities and joy in the service of Regnum Christi, the Church and all people.”

“The Legionaries of Christ, by their religious consecration, contribute the testimony of their self-giving to Jesus Christ and their complete availability for the fulfillment of the common mission. By their condition as priests, they make present Christ the Priest and the Good Shepherd through preaching, administering the sacraments and spiritual guidance.”

Lay members “contribute their secular nature and their apostolic action. The laypeople extend Christ’s presence in the midst of the world and seek to transform temporal realities with the message of the Gospel, especially family life, professional life and life in society.”

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The statutes of the Federation explain the mission of Regnum Christi as seeking to “make present the mystery of Christ who goes out to people, reveals the love of his heart to them, gathers them together and forms them as apostles and Christian leaders, sends them out and accompanies them as they collaborate in the evangelization of people and of society.” ( SFRC 8) 

The personal experience of Christ’s love produces an interior urging in our hearts that impels us to passionate self-giving in order to make his Kingdom present: “caritas Christi urget nos” (2 Corinthians 5:14). (SRCF 10)

This mission is lived out in multiple concrete ways, from the lived vocation of each member according to their state in life, to personal and institutional events, programs, and works of apostolate that seek to evangelize with the charism of Regnum Christi.  

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Regnum Christi was canonically recognized as a Federation in 2019, fruit of a journey of renewal and ecclesial maturity. 

Regnum Christi was born as an ecclesial movement of apostolate that seeks to make present the Kingdom of Christ through the sanctification of its members and through a personal and communal apostolic action so that Jesus Christ may reign in the hearts of all people and of society. The Legionaries of Christ were established in 1941 in Mexico. The first lay members of Regnum Christi joined in 1968 in Spain. The next year, the first Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi made their consecrations. The first Lay Consecrated Men of Regnum Christi made their consecrations in 1972.

From 2013 to 2018, a process of discernment and study was carried out by the lay members of Regnum Christi, as well as the members of the consecrated vocations, closely accompanied by a pontifical assistant, Father Gianfranco Ghirlanda, SJ. 

They sought to find a canonical structure that expressed the spiritual unity and the apostolic collaboration of all, promoted the identity and legitimate autonomy of each consecrated reality, and allowed the lay faithful of Regnum Christi to belong in a canonically recognized way. To achieve these goals the Religious Congregation of the Legionaries of Christ, the Society of Apostolic Life of the Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi, and the Society of Apostolic Life of the Lay Consecrated Men of Regnum Christi joined together to form the Regnum Christi Federation with which lay faithful who share the same spirit and mission can associate individually. 

“Regnum Christi thanks God and the Church for this step forward that allows it to better express the communion and co-responsibility of all and impels them forward in the mission of making the Kingdom of Christ present in the world.” (Preamble to the Statutes of the Regnum Christi Federation)

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The Statutes of the Regnum Christi Federation were developed over a period of four years by a process that included a global consultation of members involving all four vocations of Regnum Christi, accompanied by a representative of the Holy See, Fr. Giancarlo Ghirlanda, SJ.  The nature, composition, purposes, and activity of the Federation are governed by the Statutes of the Regnum Christi Federation which were approved on May 31st, 2019. 

The Regulations of the Regnum Christi Federation, the Rule of Life of the Lay Faithful Associated to the Regnum Christi Federation, and other official secondary documents of the Federation contain norms and governing regulations that are complementary to the Statutes. In particular, they define the territorial and local organization of the Federation and their respective applications.  

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The mission of Regnum Christi is lived out through apostolic evangelization in many ways, according to the needs of different cultures and the Church around the world.  

From the Statutes of the Regnum Christi Federation:

Seeking to respond effectively to the principal needs of evangelization in our own sphere of life and without excluding any type of apostolic activity, we undertake initiatives and establish apostolic works directed especially at proclaiming the faith and spreading Catholic doctrine; at the Christian formation and education of children, adolescents and young adults; at the promotion of marriage and the family; at vocation ministry; at the evangelization of the professions, of culture and of the media; and at the promotion of social justice and the practice of the works of mercy. (SRCF 11)

When choosing apostolic initiatives, the Federation as a whole, the members of the federated institutions, and the associated faithful seek to promote and undertake those that convey Christ’s message with the greatest possible scope and depth. Apostolic activity must be attentive to the needs of the Church and the world and with sincere respect for local cultures, seeking to adapt their apostolic activity to the circumstances of time and place, in each case opting for the most suitable methods and forms for evangelization. Apostolic activity, which includes apostolic works, programs and events, can be carried out on the institutional level or on the personal level, individually or as a group. 

(see SRCF 37-38, 40.1)

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In every way that Regnum Christi members evangelize, the charism gives our work a certain style with distinct characteristics. Regnum Christi refers to our style of evangelization as our “apostolic methodology,” and it is explained in the principles of apostolic action found in numbers 33- 39 of the Statutes. These principles are integrated into the way Regnum Christi evangelizes in formal works of apostolate, programs, and group or personal initiatives of evangelization. 

The principles of apostolic action are: development of Christian leadership, working person-to-person, accompaniment, formation of formators, working for the greatest possible scope and depth of impact, adaptation to times and places, organization and effectiveness. 

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The apostolic methodology of Regnum Christi, also known as our principles of apostolic action, refers to the way we carry out our evangelizing mission in any apostolic work we undertake as individuals, groups, or institutions. It’s the character with which we live out our mission.

From the Statutes of the Regnum Christi Federation:

The personal experience of Christ’s love produces an interior urging in our hearts that impels us to passionate self-giving in order to make his Kingdom present: “caritas Christi urget nos” (2 Corinthians 5:14). This passion moves us to take on a way of living that is characterized by: 

  1. accepting that following Christ includes spiritual combat, the struggle marked by perseverance and trust in the Lord in the face of the reality of evil and sin in one’s own life and in society, moved by the power of love to the extreme; 
  2. undertaking with a magnanimous, enthusiastic, and creative heart the actions that make the Kingdom present in greater depth and extent; 
  3. going out to address the most pressing needs of the world and the Church; 
  4. facing challenges with courage and boldness in our personal lives and in the apostolate; 
  5. making the most of the opportunities that arise in life to proclaim the love of Christ with Christian audacity; 
  6. fulfilling the responsibilities we assumed and striving to give the best of ourselves both in our formation and in our work. (SRCF 10)

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When the different vocations of Regnum Christi decided they wanted to be united together in one canonical body, they needed to create a set of statutes that would articulate, govern, and preserve the aspects of their charism, organization and identity that they share in common.

The Statutes of the Regnum Christi Federation preserve, foster, and govern the shared common charismatic identity and mission of all members of Regnum Christi, as well as the particular identity of the lay members.  They do not govern the way the members of the consecrated vocations live their vows or elements of their identity that are unique to their individual institutions.

The Legionaries of Christ, the Consecrated Women, and the Lay Consecrated Men each have their own constitutions which govern their own individual identities and vocations.

From the Statutes of the Regnum Christi Federation:

We recognize it as God’s plan that the Legionaries of Christ, the Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi, the Lay Consecrated Men of Regnum Christi and the associated faithful live in a profound communion and that we are to be witnesses to the love of Jesus Christ by the unity and charity among us. These institutions, their members, and the associated faithful share a common spirituality and mission, which each lives according to their individual identity and vocation, as expressed in their proper law. This spiritual foundation must inspire and guide the governing bodies of the Federation at its various levels and in the different circumstances of time and place. (SRCF 6)

What is established regarding authority in the Federation applies to its governing bodies, works and activities, in full respect of the autonomy of the federated institutions and the relevant proper law of each of them. (SRCF 55)

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In the Catholic Church, the term “movement” refers to a juridical form which can be adopted by an organization that is predominantly made up of laity and falls under the Dicastery for the Laity, Family, and Life. They do not contain religious congregations or societies of apostolic life. During the work on the renewal of Regnum Christi, it became clear that a different structure was necessary in order to be able to have a canonical structure that maintained the unity of all four vocations as a spiritual family.

After looking at all options available and discerning together, the religious congregation of the Legionaries of Christ, the Society of Apostolic Life of the Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi, and the Society of Apostolic Life of the Lay Consecrated Men of Regnum Christi joined together to form the Regnum Christi Federation with which lay faithful who share the same spirit and mission can associate individually. Federations are governed by the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, which also governs the individual institutions of the Legionaries of Christ, the Consecrated Women, and the Lay Consecrated Men.

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ECYD Is Regnum Christi’s youth organization in which adolescents live the same Regnum Christi charism adapted to their age.  ECYD is important because of the eternal value of helping young people encounter Christ as their best friend, share this with other friends, and realize that they too have a part in Christ’s mission of extending his Kingdom.  

The name “ECYD” is an acronym that represents “encounters, convictions, your decisions”, and is used as such globally, independent of a country’s language. The name denotes the dynamic of ECYD’s life: through different experiences of encounter, adolescents acquire firm life convictions and learn to make free and responsible decisions according to Gospel criteria.  The ECYD mission is to collaborate with Christ so that he might reign in the hearts of adolescents and in the world.   Every ECYD member lives the 5 essential elements of ECYD life: prayer and the sacraments, formation, team life, accompaniment, and apostolate.

From the Statutes of the Regnum Christi Federation:

§1. The Federation, in its work for the evangelization and formation of adolescents, directs an organization called ECYD (Encounters, Convictions, Your Decisions), in which adolescents live the charism in a way suited to their age. 

§2. ECYD is governed by its own statutes. 

§3. Taking into account the importance of ECYD, the federated institutions and associated faithful should promote its growth in numbers and strength. 

(SRCF 47)

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The Rule of Life of the Lay Faithful Associated with the Regnum Christi Federation was composed by lay members of Regnum Christi in a four-year global process and approved at the second session of the 2018 General Assembly by the lay member delegates, and delegates from the three consecrated vocations. It contains the norms that define the way in which lay members live out the Regnum Christi charism. 

This rule recognizes, protects, and promotes the concrete vocation, identity and way of life of the lay members of Regnum Christi in five elements: spiritual life, formation, apostolate, personal accompaniment, and team life. It is a framework that allows us to present clearly and concisely the way of life of the lay members of Regnum Christi, “a Christian way of life that is active and enthusiastic in love, a lifestyle that helps people to live out their baptismal commitments and fulfill the mission of being Christian yeast in the world” ( Communique from Lay members at General Assembly). 

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The five elements of a lay member’s vocation to Regnum Christi shape the way they respond to the personal call from God that they have experienced and embraced by associating to the Regnum Christi Federation.  These five facets of life outline how they live their baptismal commitments in the midst of temporal realities according to the charism of Regnum Christi.  In fulfilling their vocation, they extend Christ’s presence in the world and transform human realities, especially in their family, professional, and social lives, in accordance with the Gospel

From the Rule of Life of the Lay Faithful Associated to the Regnum Christi Federation:

Regnum Christi proposes a Christianity that is active and enthusiastic in love, and a way of life that helps members live their baptismal commitments and fulfill the mission of being Christian leaven in the world. Lay members of Regnum Christi develop this way of life in their spiritual life, formation, apostolate, personal accompaniment, and team life. (RL 2)

The path of living our commitments in Regnum Christi is made clear as we engage in what the Rule of Life calls “the five elements proper to the life of the lay member of Regnum Christi.” Here again we see how the Regnum Christi charism is able to help translate the basic elements of Catholic living into a focused, practical reality. The five elements are: 1) spiritual life; 2) formation; 3) apostolate; 4) personal and communal accompaniment; and 5) team life. Each of these elements is described by its own article in the first chapter of the Rule of Life. (from What is Regnum Christi?: A Regnum Christi Essay Introducing the Statutes of the RC Federation and the Rule of Life for Lay Members, p. 83)

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Prayer should be the atmosphere that envelops every aspect of our daily life, from putting bread on the table to our other basic concerns such as love, work, health, friendship, suffering, and even current events that affect the nation, the world, and the Church.

Regnum Christi offers its members a Prayer Book to help them to pray in the various circumstances of life, and to promote spiritual communion with other members worldwide. In addition to the Regnum Christi prayers, it includes a selection of other prayers from the Church’s long tradition, approved and enriched by the popes. The prayer book is available online, in paperback, and in the Regnum Christi English App.

From the Rule of Life of the Lay Faithful Associated to the Regnum Christi Federation:

Lay members of Regnum Christi understand their spiritual life as a progressive development of the Trinitarian life within them, which leads to configuration with Christ. Therefore, they live it as a dynamic relationship of love with God, nourished by the sacraments, the Word of God, the liturgy, prayer, and the exercise of the moral and theological virtues. Their spiritual life permeates and harmonizes all aspects of their life. 

The spiritual practices recommended to lay members of Regnum Christi are means to help them grow in their relationship of love with Christ. With the help of their spiritual director, they gradually learn mental prayer and how to live the other practices recommended in the Prayer Book. As a privileged means to spiritual progress, it is recommended they participate yearly in spiritual exercises or a triduum of renewal. (RL 3, 5)

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The vocation to Regnum Christi is a call to a charismatic family that is discerned, embraced, and lived according to ones’ state in life. Every Regnum Christi locality offers an invitation to potential members to explore a possible vocation within the spiritual family. 

The Regnum Christi Discernment Series begins with an overview of our history, an explanation of what a charism is according to the Church, and what a vocation in Regnum Christi looks like. It leads potential members through a series of discussions that present the spirituality, communion, and mission of Regnum Christi and the way of life of a member. The final session in the series allows the potential member to experience the Regnum Christi team prayer called, the “Encounter with Christ.”  The Discernment Series is housed in the RC Spirituality Center online in the RC Formation Pathway, Discernment Phase. 

The Rule of Life sets out the lay vocation and the process to associate as follows:

§1. The lay members of Regnum Christi are Catholics who, without assuming the evangelical counsels by a sacred bond, personally embrace a vocation from God to live their baptismal commitments in the midst of temporal realities according to the charism of Regnum Christi, the fundamental traits of which are described in numbers six to thirty of the Statutes of the Regnum Christi Federation and in this Rule of Life.
§2. These faithful join Regnum Christi by individual association to the Federation, and are admitted by the section directors, according to the norms of the Statutes of the Federation and this Rule of Life. (RL 1)

The lay member, by associating to the Federation, consciously accepts their baptismal vocation to holiness and apostolate, and gives themselves to Christ so that he may reign in their heart and in society. In this way, they begin a journey of assimilating and living the spirit, communion and mission of Regnum Christi as described in the Statutes of the Regnum Christi Federation, especially through the five elements proper to the life of the lay member of Regnum Christi. (RL 16)

§1. The decision to request association to the Federation must be the fruit of proper discernment and a free response to the call of God. 

§2. Admission is the responsibility of the section director, and can be granted in response to a written request by the person interested in associating, with the recommendation of the team leader or another member, after a period of participation in the life of Regnum Christi long enough to ensure that both the person and the section director have come to know each other sufficiently. 

§3. Association takes place, ordinarily after a spiritual triduum, through a formal act or ceremony as established in the Rites of Regnum Christi, which must express what is established in numbers 16 and 17 of this Rule of Life. The association is registered in an official record.  (RL 20)

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Regnum Christi lay members are governed by the Federation. At the global level, the General Directive College of Regnum Christi directs the Federation. There are nine Regnum Christi territories worldwide and each one has a Territorial Directive College which governs the Regnum Christi Federation, including the lay members, in that territory.  

The lay members of Regnum Christi are grouped into sections, typically Men, Women, Young Men (16-30) and Young Women (16-30) sections. Each section is directed by a section director. All the sections in a certain geographic area of a territory form part of a Regnum Christi Locality which is directed by the local Regnum Christi Director.  

Every six years, a General Convention is held in Rome with elected delegates from all vocations of Regnum Christi around the world, including lay members.  This Convention holds authority over the Regnum Christi Federation, charts the course for the General Directive College, and oversees the identity of lay members globally.   

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Yes. All members of the Congregation of the Legionaries of Christ, the Society of Apostolic Life of the Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi, and the Society of Apostolic Life of the Lay Consecrated Men of Regnum Christi are members of the Regnum Christi Federation, and share a common charism with the lay members of Regnum Christi.

From the Statutes of the Regnum Christi Federation:

The Congregation of the Legionaries of Christ, the Society of Apostolic Life of the Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi, and the Society of Apostolic Life of the Lay Consecrated Men of Regnum Christi, their members and the other faithful individually associated with the Federation, belong to Regnum Christi, a spiritual family and apostolic body. (SRCF 3)

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As members of Regnum Christi, the Legionaries of Christ, Consecrated Women, and Lay Consecrated Men share a common charism and a common mission. Within the Federation, we live this out through an emphasis on communion, shared formation, and collaboration in the mission.  In their unique vocations, they live the shared charism according to their own call and state in life, with their own constitutions and governing structures. As individuals who bear the Regnum Christi charism as a gift from God, they each live the charism in their spiritual lives, personal and community lives, and in all the daily ways that they aspire to live the fullness of their vocations.

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The Religious Congregation of the Legionaries of Christ is governed by their General Director, Fr. John Connor, LC, and his council in Rome.  At the territorial level, the Legionaries of Christ have territorial directors and territorial councils that oversee the local superiors and their communities. Here in the North American Territory the territorial director of the Legionaries of Christ is Fr. Shawn Aaron, LC.

When the Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi were established in 1969, they were established under the governance of the Legionaries of Christ. In 2012, the Pontifical Delegate, Cardinal Velasio De Paolis, granted autonomy of government and internal life to both the Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi and the Lay Consecrated Men of Regnum Christi.  Each vocation now has their own general and territorial directors and governing structures that are autonomous. 

In 2013, the Holy See approved the statutes of both the Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi and the Lay Consecrated Men of Regnum Christi. 

On November 25, 2018, the Solemnity of Christ the King, Archbishop José Rodríguez Carballo, OFM, secretary of the Congregation for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life (CIVCSVA), presented the Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi and the Lay Consecrated Men of Regnum Christi with decrees to canonically establish them as societies of apostolic life of pontifical right, recognizing their individual autonomy.

The current general director of the Consecrated Women is Nancy Nohrden, and the general director of the Lay Consecrated Men is Félix Gómez Rueda. Each have their own council. In the North American Territory the territorial director of the Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi is Kathleen Murphy, and the territorial director of the Lay Consecrated Men of Regnum Christi is Jose Mateos.

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Although historically the Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi were governed by the general director of the Legionaries of Christ, that is no longer the case.  In 2012, the Pontifical Delegate, Cardinal Velasio De Paolis, granted autonomy of government and internal life to the Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi and the Lay Consecrated Men of Regnum Christi.  Each vocation now has their own general and territorial directors and governing structures that are autonomous.

The Legionaries of Christ and the Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi share a common charism and identity which they live out through their equal commitment to the Regnum Christi Federation and through joint apostolic initiatives. 

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Lay Consecrated Men are part of the Regnum Christi family, embracing its mission to extend Christ’s Kingdom. They are men who live in the world with professional careers, but have also answered a call to totally surrender their lives to God in Regnum Christi, striving to radiate Christ from within the culture, making it a place of encounter with God. 

The Society of Apostolic Life of the Lay Consecrated Men of Regnum Christi unites the lay dimension of life to a total and exclusive consecration to God, lived in poverty, chastity, and obedience, enriched by the charism of Regnum Christi. In this way, it seeks to offer the Christian man of today a path to fulfillment characterized by consecration in the midst of the world.

Lay Consecrated Men of Regnum Christi live in Mexico, Chile, Italy, Ireland, Spain and the United States.

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All Legionaries of Christ, Consecrated Women, and Lay Consecrated Men are members of the Regnum Christi Federation. They may or may not be assigned to apostolic missions run by the Regnum Christi Federation, but they still live the same charismatic mission as all other Regnum Christi members. This commitment to the Regnum Christi Federation is outlined in their respective statutes and constitutions:

From the Statutes of the Regnum Christi Federation:

The Congregation of the Legionaries of Christ, the Society of Apostolic Life of the Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi, and the Society of Apostolic Life of the Lay Consecrated Men of Regnum Christi, their members and the other faithful individually associated with the Federation, belong to Regnum Christi, a spiritual family and apostolic body. (SRCF 3)

From the Constitutions of the Legionaries of Christ:

  1. The Congregation of the Legionaries of Christ
    • is a clerical religious institute of pontifical right, composed of priests and candidates for the priesthood;
    • belongs constitutively to the spiritual family and apostolic body of Regnum Christi;
    • is part of the Regnum Christi Federation, which is regulated by its own statutes. (Constitutions of the Congregation of the Legionaries of Christ #1)

From the Constitutions of the Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi

  1. The Society of Apostolic Life of the Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi is a society of pontifical right, whose members assume the evangelical councils, constituted according to the norms of canon law, with Constitutions approved by the Holy See.
  2. The Society is federated with the clerical religious institute of the Legionaries of Christ and the Society of Apostolic Life of the Lay Consecrated Men of Regnum Christi. Together with them, and with the laity who associate individually with the federation, they form part of the Regnum Christi Movement. ( Constitutions of the Society of Apostolic Life of the Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi #1, translated from the original Spanish)

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Unlike communities of diocesan priests, the Legionaries of Christ and Consecrated Women do not typically receive funding from a local diocese. They live in community where they share a home and hold goods in common, under the authority of a community superior or director. Communities are established in various localities across the territory. Each community works in collaboration with the locality to secure the financial resources needed to cover their housing, living and mission expenses. 

Communities in various localities are each unique and develop their own individual funding models.   Some typical sources of funding for their respective needs are through: direct support from the locality and sections; local donor support, joint or individual campaigns and fundraising events such as galas; stipends paid for work in local institutions and stipends from serving at local events and activities.

The Legionaries and Consecrated Women also raise funds to support their respective institutions, covering the costs associated with vocations promotion, seminarian and candidate formation, governance, long-term care, evangelization projects, and more.  

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Regnum Christi is not governed by one person as a general director with personal authority. Instead, it is governed collegially by the General Directors of the Legionaries of Christ, Consecrated Women, and Lay Consecrated Men, as well as two lay members.  Together they make up the General Directive College of Regnum Christi.

According to the Statutes of the Regnum Christi Federation (n. 79), the college is responsible for implementing the directives and indications given by the General Convention; ensuring that everyone, especially the territorial directive colleges, fulfill their responsibilities according to proper law; furthering the consolidation, projection, and development of the apostolic activity of Regnum Christi, fostering international formation initiatives, especially for formators of lay members, and promoting pastoral work for vocations; supervising the administration of the Federation and promoting a healthy economy based on solidarity; and promoting appropriate institutional communication.

The General Directive College is comprised of the General Directors of the Legionaries of Christ, Fr. John Connor, LC, the Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi, Nancy Nohrden, the Lay Consecrated Men of Regnum Christi, Felix Gomez Rueda, and two lay members of Regnum Christi, Francisco Gámez (Venezuela/Canada) and Alvaro Ábellán (Spain), who were selected by the lay members at the last Regnum Christi General Assembly. 

From the Statutes of the Regnum Christi Federation:

1.The general directive college is responsible for ensuring that the Federation fulfills its purposes, as established in number 4 of these Statutes. (SRCF 78)

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The General Plenary Council is a body that provides assistance to the General Directive College, offering its opinion or consent as appropriate on topics related to the governance of the Federation, particularly those related to the evangelizing strategy and plans for the fulfillment of the common mission. 

The General Plenary Council is made up of the General Councils of the Legionaries of Christ, the Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi, and the Lay Consecrated Men of Regnum Christi, the two lay members who sit on the General Directive College, and four additional lay members of Regnum Christi elected by and from among the delegates of the lay members in the general convention. 

The General Plenary Council typically meets twice per year to address topics relevant to the identity and mission of Regnum Christi. The lay members of the Plenary Council meet periodically to identify and prepare topics for discussion related to the lay mission and identity. Any lay members wishing to contribute to this discussion are invited to contact any one of the lay representatives. 

From the Statutes of the Regnum Christi Federation:

§1. The general plenary council is a body that assists the general directive college. Its collaboration expresses the spirit of communion that characterizes the Federation. 

§2. It offers its consent or opinion whenever the general directive college requests it, in accordance with proper law, and so assists it in the exercise of authority. 

§3. Its collaboration is necessary and particularly important when it offers its opinion on documents intended for the entire Federation, guidelines for evangelization and plans for the fulfillment of the common mission. 

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The Territorial Directive College is the governing body for the Regnum Christi Federation in the territory. According to the Statutes of the Regnum Christi Federation, the Territorial Directive College is responsible for implementing the directives and indications given by the General Directive College; ensuring that everyone, especially the Regnum Christi local directors, fulfill their responsibilities according to the statutes; furthering the consolidation, projection, and development of the apostolic activity of Regnum Christi, fostering territorial formation initiatives, especially for formators, promoting pastoral work for vocations, supervising the administration of the Federation, promoting a healthy economy based on solidarity; and fostering vertical and horizontal communication in the territory.

The Territorial Directive College is made up of the territorial directors of the federated institutions present in the territory, as well as two lay members of Regnum Christi. If one of the federated institutions does not have a significant presence in the territory, an alternative composition can be proposed to the General Directive College. This is the case in the North American Territory.  The Territorial Directive College is made up of the territorial director and territorial vicar of the Legionaries of Christ, the territorial director and first councilor of the Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi, as well two lay members of Regnum Christi.

The current members of the Territorial Directive College are 

  • Fr. Shawn Aaron, LC: territorial director of the Legionaries of Christ 
  • Charlie Bradley: lay member
  • Fr. David Daly, LC: territorial vicar of the Legionaries of Christ
  • Glory Darbellay: first counselor of the Consecrated Woman of Regnum Christi
  • Coleen Fink: lay member
  • Kathleen Murphy: territorial director of the Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi

 

From the Regulations of the Regnum Christi Federation: 

21. § 1. In each territory, the Federation is directed by a directive college, formed by the territorial directors of the federated institutions. 

§ 3. The college is attended by two lay members, appointed as determined by its Regulations. They have a consultative vote in meetings. (RRCF 21)

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The Territorial Plenary Council is a body that provides assistance to the Territorial Directive College.  It offers its consent or opinion when requested by the college , and in this way assists the college in the exercise of its authority. Its collaboration is particularly necessary and important when offering its opinion on the evangelization strategy, guidelines and plans for the fulfillment of the common mission in the territory. 

The Territorial Plenary Council is made up of the territorial councilors of the federated institutions, as well as the two lay members who are on the Territorial Directive College and two additional lay members.

The two additional lay members are summoned by the Territorial Directive College after a timely consultation with the local directors. 

From the Statutes and Regulations of the Regnum Christi Federation: 

§3. The general or territorial directive college is assisted by the general or territorial plenary council, which assists it in the exercise of authority, offering their consent or opinion, as determined by proper law. (SRCF 56)

34. § 1. The Territorial Plenary Council is a body that provides assistance to the directive college. Their collaboration expresses the spirit of communion that characterizes the Federation. 

§ 2. It offers its consent or opinion when requested by the directive college, in accordance with proper law, and in this way assists the directive college in the exercise of its authority. 

§ 3. Its collaboration is particularly necessary and important when offering its opinion on documents, evangelization guidelines, and plans for the fulfillment of the common mission in the territory. (RRCF 34)

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The Territorial Economic Affairs Committee is a committee appointed by the Territorial Directive College to provide it with advice related to economic issues of the Federation. The Territorial Economic Affairs Committee is formed by three or five members of the Territorial Plenary Council, appointed by the General Directive College.   

The Economic Affairs Committee reviews the Federation’s annual budget and provides its opinion to the Territorial Directive College, ensuring alignment with the territorial strategy, evidence of fiscal responsibility, commitment of respecting donor’s intentions, and ownership and administration of any assets are intended for the overall good of the Federation. (cf. Regulations of the RCF #35)

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The Mission Support Team is the work team responsible for implementing the strategies and plans of the Territorial Directive College. The Mission Support Team is committed to working closely with localities and apostolates to provide the guidance, service, and support most needed to move the mission of Regnum Christi forward. The Mission Support Team is comprised of the directors of each of the five territorial departments: 

RC Life 

The RC Life team provides the means needed (training, coaching, accompaniment, resources, etc.) to enable and encourage Regnum Christi members to fully live the five dimensions of their Regnum Christi identity. The RC Life Director provides support to all RC members (Legionary, consecrated and lay faithful), particularly those serving in key roles (section directors, team leaders, spiritual directors, chaplains, etc.) plus oversees those territorial governed apostolates that serve this audience in localities, namely: the RC Spirituality Center, RC Mission Corps and Mission Youth. 

ECYD Life 

The ECYD Life team provides the means needed (training, coaching, accompaniment, resources, etc.) to enable and encourage the growth of ECYD in localities. The ECYD Life Director provides support to ECYD directors, team leaders and ECYD members, plus oversees those territorial governed apostolates that serve this audience in localities, namely: Challenge, Conquest and ECYD Mission Corps.

RCD Support 

The RCD Support director works directly with the RC local directors to provide direction, formation, coaching and support to help them fulfill their RC local director responsibilities, and acts as the liaison between the RC local directors and the Territorial Directive College. 

Marketing & Communications 

The Marketing & Communications department supports the Territorial Directive College, all departments, and all federated institutions of the Regnum Christi Federation with promoting and safeguarding the visual identity, handling public relations and media relations, promoting a culture of communication, collaborating with the other communications offices throughout the world, coaching and supporting in times of crisis, and equipping RC members with tools and resources to help further the mission in respect to communications and marketing. 

Administration 

The territorial administrator is appointed by the Territorial Directive College to oversee the administration of the Federation. The Territorial Administration office supports the Federation’s territorial departments, programs, localities and sections with financial, operational and administrative services and support including RC event management services. 

The Mission Support Team Director is appointed by the Territorial Directive College to oversee the implementation of its plans and directives. The Mission Support Team Director provides the leadership and support needed to enable the Mission Support Team members to fulfill their respective responsibilities and better serve the mission through their collaboration and mutual accountability.  

From the Statutes of the Regnum Christi Federation:

37. The Territorial Directive College must establish specialized work teams, which help it in the fulfillment of its functions as they are determined, and thus support the common mission. (RRCF 37)

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The Mission Support Team is available for support from the Territorial level in the five following departments:

Mission Support Team Director & Territorial Secretary Cathie Zentner

[email protected] 

RC Life 

Donna Garrett 

[email protected]  

ECYD Life

Maria Knuth

[email protected]

RCD Support

Yvonne Nuxoll

[email protected]

Marketing & Communications 

Kerrie Rivard

[email protected]

Administration

Todd Brechbill

[email protected] 

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RC Life Department serves and supports the localities in the growth and development of Regnum Christi in the territory. The department works to encourage synergy between different localities, sections and institutions, programs and apostolates for the purposes of evangelization and to assess how Regnum Christi can help address the needs of the local church. 

The department is committed to the training, support and accompaniment of the section directors, leadership teams, section chaplains, spiritual directors, team leaders and members of Regnum Christi. It manages Regnum Christi programs ​ (Mission Youth Missions, RC Spirituality, RC Mission Corps), develops formative resources and experiences , builds bridges across audiences (ECYD Life, RC local directors, chaplains, schools, RC institutions) and intentionally collaborates on a general level (RC Life and Mission) for the development and distribution of resources to strengthen and mobilize the Regnum Christi charism worldwide. The safeguarding and promoting the transmission of the Regnum Christi identity within our members along with the ongoing development, maturation and maintenance of the RC Formation Pathway in both content, availability and distribution are a priority.

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The ECYD Life Department aims to serve and support the localities in the growth and development of ECYD in the territory by safeguarding and promoting ECYD identity and by offering support to the local ECYD directors, adult formators, team leaders and members. The department also manages the ECYD programs and resources created on a national level​​.  It can help you in the locality by offering specialized support for everything ECYD from apostolic mentoring for your adult mentors, to training and professional development, to resources to support the growth of ECYD life in your locality, to the ECYD Programs that can be a resource to evangelize young people and grow ECYD.

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Formation is one of the five elements of the Regnum Christi way of life. Formation refers to an ongoing path of personal and communal growth. This path has some common elements, but individual members follow it in unique ways at a personalized pace, in accordance with God’s providential and loving action in their lives.

Regnum Christi has set out a pathway of formation that aligns with the phases of a person’s formation in Regnum Christi. The Regnum Christi Formation Pathway proposes four phases in a Regnum Christi member’s formation.

  1. A Discernment phase prior to associating into Regnum Christi. This primary objective in this phase is to respond accurately and generously to the question “Is God inviting me to join Regnum Christi?”
  2. An Initial phase, where the new member learns the history of Regnum Christi and begins to unpack its specific charism to lay the groundwork for a solid and fruitful integration into the life of Regnum Christi. 
  3. Core formation phase looks to fill in the gaps of a member’s integral formation to a lay a foundation for a holy and fruitful apostolic life.
  4. Ongoing Formation is a lifelong process that helps the member move toward Christian Maturity. (from the RC Essay, Our Formation Pathway)

The Regnum Christi Formation Pathway is available on the RC Spirituality.org site. Section directors, team leaders, section chaplains and individual Regnum Christi members can make use of this Pathway to help plan and support their ongoing formation needs. 

From the Statutes of the Regnum Christi Federation:

§1. To share a spirit and a mission requires that the formation of all must take into account the characteristic features and requirements of that spirit and mission. This formation must help us discover the full meaning of our lives in Christ, be configured to him, and fulfill our mission. Formation should be integral and include all the dimensions of the person. 

§2. Each federated institution is responsible for the formation of its members and must take into account the contents expressed in the proper law of the Federation. 

§3. The authorities of the Federation are responsible for defining and guiding the formation of the associated faithful. 

§4. The Federation should also foster entities of common formation for all members. (SRCF 30)

From the Rule of Life of the Lay Faithful Associated to the Regnum Christi Federation:

6. Lay members of Regnum Christi begin a journey of formation according to number 30 of the Statutes of the Regnum Christi Federation. This journey helps them to grow in human and Christian maturity according to their state in life, to collaborate effectively in the apostolate, and to illuminate and transform the realities of the world in Christ. (RL 6)

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In the North American Territory, Regnum Christi members of all vocations evangelize in many apostolic works and programs, from parishes, schools and universities to missions, retreats, book studies, small group programs, and more. In a particular way, Regnum Christi evangelizes through ECYD and youth work.

From the Statutes of the Regnum Christi Federation:

When choosing apostolic initiatives, the Federation as a whole, the members of the federated institutions and the associated faithful seek to promote and undertake those that convey Christ’s message with the greatest possible scope and depth. (SRCF 37)

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A Regnum Christi school is a school imbued with the Regnum Christi charism. The mission of these schools is the formation of Christian leaders who will transform society. A Regnum Christi school is a Christ-centered educational community of excellence, focused on the integral formation of its students, offering an experience of joy that comes from encountering Christ and becoming apostles eager to exercise their Christian leadership with a spirit of mission, helping the Church build Christ’s Kingdom, impact culture and transform society.

RC Education is the territorial office which provides the leadership, support, and services that better enable Regnum Christi schools to carry out their mission of forming the next generation of Christian Leaders.  There are currently 11 RC schools across the North American Territory.

  1. Canyon Heights Academy, Campbell, CA
  2. Clear Water Academy, Calgary, AB
  3. East Lake Academy, Lake Forest, IL 
  4. Everest Collegiate High School & Academy, Clarkston, MI 
  5. Everest Academy Lemont, Lemont, IL 
  6. Pinecrest Academy, Cumming, GA 
  7. Royalmont Academy, Mason, OH 
  8. The Highlands School, Irving, TX 
  9. Everest Academy Manila, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, Philippines
  10. Mano Amiga Philippines, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, Philippines
  11. Everest Academy Nuvali, Nuvali, Laguna, Philippines

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Localities are the epicenter of the Regnum Christi mission. Technically, a locality is a geographic area defined by the Territorial Directive College in which Regnum Christi is present and operates. More fundamentally, a locality is community of apostles made up of various smaller communities of apostles, each making its own contribution to the Regnum Christi mission. 

A locality typically consists of a hub city and a surrounding area known as the locality’s diaspora. Depending on its development, a locality could have four or more RC sections (men’s, women’s, young men’s and young women’s) plus ECYD boys and ECYD girls, a Legionary community,  a Consecrated Women’s community, a Regnum Christi school, a Regnum Christi camp, and other RC institutions and apostolates. There could also be a parish run by Legionaries in the locality.  

The role of the local RC director is to foster unity among all Regnum Christi members and entities present in the locality in service of the Regnum Christi mission and the local Church.

 

From the Statutes of the Regnum Christi Federation:

§1. A locality is a community of apostles and an operative unit of the Federation at the service of evangelization. It covers a geographic area established by the territorial directive college. 

§2. A locality promotes communion, coordinates resources and efforts, and fosters the common mission. 

§3. The communities of the federated institutions, the sections, the apostolic works, and the apostolic programs all participate in the life and mission of the locality. 

§4. The parishes entrusted to the Congregation of the Legionaries of Christ, respecting their proper nature, also interact with the locality. (RRCF 54)

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Currently, there are 24 localities in the North American Territory, . These localities exist across six countries: the United States, Canada, the Philippines, Australia, New Zealand, and South Korea. 16 of these localities have communities of Legionaries of Christ present, and nine of them have communities of Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi.  Several Lay Consecrated Men of Regnum Christi live in the localities of Atlanta and Washington, D.C.

Of special mention is the Virtual Locality – the locality to which those Regnum Christi members belong who live outside the geographic scope of a named locality, Section directors and team leaders of the Virtual Locality are governed by and receive support directly from the Mission Support Team.  

Localities in the North American Territory 

Atlanta, GA, USA

Baton Rouge, LA, USA

Calgary, AB, Canada

Chicago, IL, USA

Cincinnati, OH, USA

Dallas, TX, USA

Detroit, MI, USA

Heartland NE, IA, KS, MO, USA

Houston, TX, USA

Indianapolis, IN, USA

South Korea 

Lafayette, LA, USA

Los Angeles, CA, USA

Louisville, KY, USA

Northeast Ohio, USA

New Orleans, LA, USA

Northshore, LA, USA

New York Tri-State, USA

Ontario, Canada 

Philadelphia, PA, USA

Philippines

San Jose, CA, USA

Washington D.C, USA

Virtual Locality 

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Understanding a locality as a community made up of various smaller communities (teams, sections, apostolates, communities, etc.), a vibrant locality is one where each community is healthy in its own right and each is collaborating with the others to further the common mission. 

A vibrant community has certain fundamental characteristics which can be described as: 

  • Living its Regnum Christi identity (for example, living the Regnum Christi spirituality, apostolic principles, and the five elements of life in Regnum Christi); 
  • Intentionally forming and developing its leadership; 
  • Promoting communion through communicating and collaborating with other sections and communities within the locality; 
  • Seeing the needs of the world and the Church, discerning through the lens of our charism, and stepping out boldly in mission; and 
  • Encouraging engagement in the financial health of the sections and locality.

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Anyone seeking to connect with Regnum Christi can reach out to [email protected]. These requests will be directed to the RC Life department who will connect you with a member. We have a variety of in-person and virtual opportunities for members and potential members to explore and flourish in the Regnum Christi lifestyle.

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Connecting with Regnum Christi in other localities, and even other territories, can build the sense of the global identity of Regnum Christi, and esprit de corps that is very much a part of this international, multi-cultural spiritual family. Members can connect with each other by staying up on the latest news around the territory in the newsletters RC This Week and RC EQUIP, following different localities on social media, visiting other localities for retreats, missions or conventions, and participating in regional and territorial events like formators’ conventions.

Go Deeper:

  • RC This Week: a weekly newsletter with stories about Regnum Christi’s spirituality, communion and mission from around the North American Territory
  • RC EQUIP: A monthly newsletter for those working in local leadership in Regnum Christi, providing tools and resources to help you lead.
  • North American Regnum Christi Localities

The local RC Director oversees the development and projection of the Regnum Christi Federation at the local level – seeking to foster charismatic unity among all Regnum Christi present in the locality and overseeing the participation of lay members and any apostolic activity that belongs to the Federation. 

Broadly speaking, the role of the local RC Director entails:

  • Facilitating collaboration among all Regnum Christi entities present in the locality toward building a common vision for the life and mission of RC in the locality. 
  • Providing the direction and support to section directors and Federation apostolate directors.
  • Overseeing the administration responsibilities needed to support the efficient functioning of the locality.
  • Serving as liaison with the Mission Support Team and the Territorial Directive College.

From the Regulations of the Regnum Christi Federation:

42. The local director, assisted by their council:
1. directs the activity of the Federation in the locality; 

2.accompanies the life and mission of the sections, with the capacities specified by the Territorial Directive College in the decree of appointment; 

3. involves the superiors and directors of the communities, the section directors, and the directors of apostolic works and programs in the planning and execution of the plan of the locality; 

4. seeks to create synergies with the directors and teams the apostolic works of the federated institutions, although the local director has no governing authority over them. 

5. maintains communication with the superiors and directors of the communities of the federated institutions regarding the participation of their communities in the life of Regnum Christi, and the apostolic performance of their members who have directive responsibilities in the locality; 

6. informs the Territorial Directive College about the progress of the locality according to the modality and frequency that it establishes. (RRCF 42)

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The Territorial Directive College appoints the local RC director. A local RC Director may be a member of any one of the four vocations that make up Regnum Christi. 

There are a few steps to the process of appointing a local director: first, a local consultation is conducted, typically by the Director of RCD Support, to solicit recommendations for possible candidates. The current local director and council review the roster of potential candidates and interview selected candidates to prepare its final recommendation. The local director submits the recommendation, outlining the consultation process followed and details about the candidate(s) for approval to the Territorial Directive College through the Director of RCD Support. Once appointed, the new local director will receive an orientation and onboarding to the new role by the outgoing local director and the Director of RCD Support. 

From the Regulations and Statutes of the Regnum Christi Federation:

41. § 1. The local director and the members of their council must know and be committed to the evangelizing mission of the spiritual family Regnum Christi. They must be able to foster communion, collaboration and dialogue; to encourage apostolic zeal and personal initiative; and to propel the common mission. They must have sufficient knowledge of the locality. (RRCF 41)

58.§1. The direction of institutions and persons, as well as collaboration with those who direct them, is an expression of love of neighbor, and an exercise of responsibility. In the exercise of authority in the Federation, may everyone be enlightened by the mystery of Christ the King, especially in his attitude of service and dedication to others. 

§2. The search for the common good of the Federation requires constant and conscious listening, dialogue and fraternal spirit among the various bodies, as well as respect for their respective areas of competence. 

§3. To favor the complementarity of the diverse vocations, the composition of the governing bodies of the Federation should be governed by the principles of representation and proportionality. 

§4. Those who exercise the service of authority in the Federation must promote a culture of feedback which favors continuous improvement at a personal and institutional level. (SRCF 58)

Go Deeper:

A locality may be directed by a local college instead of a local director. In this case, three or more people would sit on the local college and together they would have the same authority and responsibilities as a local RC director and his council. One member of the college is appointed College Chair and assumes responsibility for facilitating the well-functioning of the college and for serving as the liaison with the territory.

Each locality proposes the governing model it wishes to adopt to the Territorial Directive College for approval. The choice of governing model will depend on the needs and circumstances of each locality. While the majority of localities choose the local RC director model, some localities have opted for a local college as a means to share leadership responsibilities. 

From the Regulations of the Regnum Christi Federation:

39. § 1. The locality of the Federation is headed by a director and assisted by a council which gives its consent or opinion as determined by proper law; It also collaborates in the planning and implementation of apostolic strategies in the locality, keeping in mind the territorial apostolic strategy. 

§ 2. The Territorial Directive College may determine that a locality is directed by a college with the capacities of the local director and their council (cf. SRCF 56 § 2). (RRCF 39)

Through the process of renewal, many of our leadership roles have undergone a transformation, a fine-tuning of their responsibilities in light of the current culture. The Section Director is one of these roles. In the foundational years, the section director was most often a priest who served as the chaplain, spiritual director, retreat master and section formator. As Regnum Christi grew, more and more lay people and consecrated individuals were able to assume this role. 

The four priority tasks of a section director are to direct, accompany, form and launch Christian leaders into the service of the Church. The section director’s priority is to ensure each member receives the deep and constant personal attention that will help them reach the fulfillment of their Christian vocation. Although the director does not have to attend each member himself, he is responsible for making sure that all the members are duly attended by the spiritual directors and guides, especially the team leaders and formators. (Portrait of the Section Director)

The section director’s role is supporting the section leadership, especially the team leaders, enabling them to: foster the prayer life and integral formation of all the members, to help promote the family  spirit of Regnum Christi, and extend the invitation and welcoming of new members, to encourage accompaniment, apostolic action and a healthy economy. 

From the Rule of Life of the Lay Faithful Associated to the Regnum Christi Federation:

33. §1. At the head of every section there is a section director who is appointed by the territorial directive college of the Federation after consulting the local director, as stipulated in number 52 §2 of the Statutes of the Regnum Christi Federation. They are appointed for a three-year term with the possibility of renewal, or exceptionally, for a one-year or two-year term. 

§2. The section director must be a lay member of Regnum Christi who has been associated for at least three years, or a member of a federated institution with experience of working in sections. 

§3. The section director’s mission is to foster the goals mentioned in number 32 §1 of this Rule of Life. (RL 33)

Go Deeper:

The four priority tasks of a Section Director are to direct, accompany, form and launch Christian leaders into the service of the Church. 

The current Statutes of the Regnum Christi Federation do not use the acronym AFIRE to describe the leadership teams utilized in the Federation. It does recommend creating  “stable work teams to assist it in the fulfillment of its functions and support the common mission as needed” (SRCF 92) Each section director should create a work team that enables them to carry out their responsibilities. Many sections continue to use this approach or a variation of this approach to work effectively. 

What the Statutes and Rule of Life do say is: 

From the Regulations and Statutes of the Regnum Christi Federation:

39. Inspired by Christ’s charity, the members of the federated institutions and the associated faithful carry out their apostolate in an organized and effective way. To do so:

1.° in any activity they undertake, they always keep the mission and goals in mind; 

2.° they work in an orderly and organized way;

3.° they work as a team, each seeking to give their best at the service of the mission and making the most of the synergy that comes from the complementarity of personalities, views and experiences. They apply the methodological principle “do, help others do and let others do.” (SRCF 39)

From the Rule of Life of the Lay Faithful Associated to the Regnum Christi Federation:

17. By  associating  to  the  Regnum  Christi  Federation,  lay  members   commitment   themselves   to   apply themselves to their integral formation and forging their Christian leadership (RL #17). 

  • The Regnum Christi Federation is committed to ensuring that children and youth who worship, study, or participate in our activities can do so in the safest and most secure setting possible. Regnum Christi is primarily a volunteer organization, and the greatest asset for any youth activities, aside from its young people themselves, are the generous men and women who dedicate their time, talent, and resources to assist and lead in activities and formation.  

    Protecting our children is of the upmost importance to us.  Therefore, each adult volunteer (18 years of age or older) is required to go through our safe environment certification program, and agree to all of its policies, procedures, code of conduct, and mandatory reporting process.  They are also required to submit to a background check every three years.  It is also mandatory that they receive certification through their local diocese’s “Protecting God’s Children” program as well as VIRTUS, or anything else required locally where they are serving in Regnum Christi.  Our Regnum Christi leadership also completes our safe environment certification program, in order to ensure they always lead with this knowledge and responsibility at the forefront, even if they do not directly work with youth.  Recently, the Regnum Christi Federation formed a Safe Environment Commission, which is made up of the safe environment coordinators from each entity; the Regnum Christi Federation, the Legionaries of Christ, and the Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi.  They meet consistently on a monthly basis for accountability and collaboration while working together in the mission of Regnum Christi.

    Go Deeper:

The Safe Environment Coordinator for the Regnum Christi Federation is  

Todd Brechbill
[email protected] 

(855) 556-6872 Opt. 2, Ext 4 

The Safe Environment contact information for the institutions comprising the Regnum Christi Federation include: 

Legionaries of Christ: Safe Environment Coordinator 

Nikki Hittle, MSW
[email protected]
(770) 802-0058 

Legionaries of Christ: Program Coordinator for Pastoral Care

Abby Saunders
[email protected]
(443) 788-9730 

Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi: Safe Environment Coordinator 

Glory Darbellay
[email protected]
(401) 378-2923 

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