The General Director of the Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi, Nancy Nohrden, has renewed Kate O’Connor in Brazil, Kathleen Murphy in North America and Betty Rivera in Spain as territorial directors for another three-year term. We thank them for their leadership and service in these territories.
The territorial directors are:
Kathleen Murphy: North America
Kathleen was born in Nova Scotia, Canada, and is the second of ten siblings. She consecrated herself to God in Regnum Christi on September 1, 1994. She has a degree in Education and Development from Anahuac University. She did three years of apostolic work in the western United States and Canada, traveling to give retreats for young people and accompanying young people in vocational discernment. In 1999, Kathleen did her third year of formation in Monterrey and in 2000 returned to RI to finish her formation.
From 2001 to 2012 she was a formation instructor at Pinecrest Academy High School in Atlanta, GA for girls in high school. From 2012 to 2015 she was community director for the Consecrated Women in Cincinnati, Ohio, and spiritual director in the ladies section of Regnum Christi. She spent a year in Madrid, Spain, as formator of Consecrated Women in temporary vows during the period of theological studies. During that year she was a member of the Spiritual Life Commission for the Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi. She then returned to Cincinnati for a second term as director of the Consecrated Women’s community and assisted in pastoral work.
Since 2018, Kathleen served as territorial councilor for North America. In the summer of 2019, she moved to Chicago, IL, as community director for the Consecrated Women there. Kathleen is pursuing a master’s degree in vocational discernment and spiritual accompaniment awarded by Comillas Pontifical University in Madrid. La Escuela de Formadores,, a Jesuit program, provides the content, which is aimed at formators of religious and priestly life and those accompanying vocational discernment processes.
She has served as the territorial director since 2020 and is part of the Territorial Directive College of the North American territory (RCFS 92 §1).
Kate O’Connor: Brazil
Kate O’Connor was born in Stratford, Canada on February 21, 1979. Her parents, both physicians, are from Trinidad and Tobago. In August 1996, she entered the Student Center in Rhode Island, USA. She was consecrated on August 29, 1997.
Her formation and apostolic training and initiation was in Brazil and in the USA. She has carried out a variety of apostolates in these two countries, in the areas of vocation and campus ministry, catechesis, ECYD and Regnum Christi sections. Kate was a professor at the Formation Center in Curitiba, Brazil where she taught courses in Dogmatic Theology, Oratory and Developmental Psychology. In Houston, Texas she was prefect of discipline and a member of the administrative team at Northwoods Catholic School, as well as collaborating with the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston in the Office for Vocational and Campus Ministry. Since 2017, she has been a spiritual director and member of the ladies auxiliary team in São Paulo, Brazil and teaches courses in Spirituality and Spiritual Accompaniment.
Kate received her Bachelor’s degree in Education and Development from Universidad Anahuác in Mexico, her Magisterial Licentiate in Religious Sciences from the Pontifical University Regina Apostolorum in Rome and holds a Master’s degree in Spiritual Theology from the Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio, Texas.
She is passionate about art, nature and all expressions of beauty as the language of God.
She is a member of the Territorial Directive College of Regnum Christi Brazil (RCFS 92 §1).
Beatriz Rivera: Spain
Betty Rivera was born in Monterrey on April 12, 1978 and was consecrated on August 30, 1997. Betty is the second of three children. She was a member of ECYD and a Regnum Christi laywoman before her consecration.
She studied a B.A. in Education and Development at the Universidad Anahuac and a Licentiate in Religious Studies at the Ateneo Pontificio Regina Apostolorum. She has a Master’s degree in Educational Center Management from the Universidad Anáhuac and a Master’s degree in Theology with a focus on consecrated life from Christendom College.
Betty was ECYD director in Rhode Island, Mexico, Michigan and Atlanta. While in Mexico she coordinated the network of ECYD girls’ clubs in the country. She collaborated in the North American Territorial Directive team in the area of apostolate and as territorial counselor and in the general secretariat in Rome. She has been principal and assistant principal of Everest School in Manila. She was community director of the Consecrated Women in Manila, local director of Regnum Christi in the Philippines and director of the ladies’ section in the same city.
She is a member of the Territorial Directive College of Regnum Christi in Spain together with the territorial directors of the Consecrated Laity and the Legionaries of Christ, and the two lay people who assist them. (RCFS 92 §1) and has served as territorial director in Spain since 2020.