From May 23 to 25, members of Regnum Christi consecrated women, Legionaries, and lay people gathered in Magdala, on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, to participate in the Live the Mystery seminar: an experience of prayer, reflection, and spiritual communion.
In answering a few questions, participants shared how they live the charism according to their vocational reality, the challenges of living in a conflict zone due to war, and how this seminar helped them rediscover the meaning of community and spiritual family, which forges apostles.
The participants, missionaries in the Holy Land and coming from different countries, shared how this experience renewed their vocation, illuminated their mission, and inspired them to communicate the message of Christ more deeply. They reflected on four key dimensions of the charism: Christ’s call, the creation of community, the evangelizing mission, and apostolic formation. Each day of the seminar included prayer (Lectio Divina), lectures, and workshops for the exchange of ideas.
Fr. Rafael Ducci, L.C., participated in person as a member of the Life and Mission team from the General Directorate, while Cecilia Ruiloba, a consecrated woman and current head of Life and Mission for Regnum Christi in Spain, gave a virtual conference. In total, twenty people attended in person, forming a representative Regnum Christi community in the Holy Land.
REDISCOVERING THE COMMUNITY
Samantha Rivera, a lay member of Regnum Christi for 23 years and a resident of the Holy Land, shares how her life has been deeply marked by Regnum Christi spirituality.
Samantha, what did this seminar mean to you?
The workshop helped me reconnect with our charism, especially with that personal call Christ made to me all those years ago—one that continues to echo in my mission as a Regnum Christi laywoman. Today, living in the Holy Land and serving in a center entrusted to our institution, that call takes on a new hue. It was a profound renewal and an invitation to rediscover the sense of apostolic community from this most significant land.
How do you currently live your membership in Regnum Christi?
Regnum Christi has been part of my life for 24 years and continues to be a foundational part of it—because it is, first and foremost, my spiritual family. It gives me the opportunity to continually renew myself as an active member of the Church. Living daily alongside consecrated women and Legionaries, my spiritual life is deeply marked by this spirituality. I’m also enriched by sharing with other ecclesial realities, which helps me live my apostolic mission with greater awareness.
Fr. Luis Eduardo Rodríguez Alger, L.C., a Salvadoran priest newly ordained in March 2025, shared during the seminar how it motivated him to continue deepening the formation of formators in the style of Jesus.
Fr. Luis Eduardo, what did this seminar bring to your understanding of the Regnum Christi charism?
I loved diving into how the Holy Land can be a source of inspiration for all members of the Movement, as the origin of our profoundly Christ-centered charism. Contact with the land of Our Lord reminds us of the reality and historicity of the mysteries of faith and of God’s infinite love.
Are there aspects of the charism you would like to continue exploring?
Yes. I’d like to go deeper into the formation of formators in the style of Jesus: how He empowers His apostles to be leaders and to transform the world, and how He interprets the signs of the times and of places to reach people’s hearts.
Kathleen Nichols, a consecrated woman for 32 years originally from Wyoming, USA, says the Holy Land is the ideal place to live the mystery and become living witnesses of the Gospel.
How did you experience the seminar in Magdala?
It was a profound privilege. This encounter felt like a family reunion, revitalizing our shared vocation and helping us envision how to facilitate encounters with Christ in our Middle Eastern context. Interacting with one another helped us appreciate the unique call the Lord has extended to each of us within Regnum Christi.
What challenges and opportunities do you see in the mission in the Holy Land?
The challenge is recognizing and embracing the different yet complementary vocations of lay people, consecrated women, and Legionaries. When we all contribute to the common mission, good work is transformed into a vibrant and fruitful experience. The Holy Land is an ideal place to live the mystery and become living witnesses of the Gospel.
Cécile Martin-Houlgatte, a consecrated woman for 32 years originally from Paris, France, believes that despite the ongoing war, Jesus continues to walk these lands, just as He did with the disciples on the road to Emmaus.
How does the current context of the Holy Land impact the mission?
The situation is complicated due to the war and the decline in Catholic pilgrimages. Yet, like the disciples of Emmaus, we feel that Jesus is still walking with us. Our desire is to share this experience with more people.
What inspires you about the Regnum Christi charism in today’s world?
The world longs for spirituality and connection, but moves too fast and forgets the beauty of the human person as God created them. This moves me to offer the gift of a relationship with Jesus Christ and to create moments of silence in which His love can be revealed. The Holy Land is privileged for this.
Fr. Eamon Kelly, L.C., an Irish priest and vice-director of Magdala, encourages us to rediscover the Encounter with Christ as a dynamic experience of community.
Fr. Eamon, what is your assessment of the seminar?
The Live the Mystery seminar is very encouraging. It reminds us that we are made for the mission and that essential elements—like the cursillos that formed the first generations of Regnum Christi—are being rediscovered. It’s hopeful to revalue the Encounter with Christ as a dynamic community experience that forges apostles. The examples of evangelization emerging across the world encourage us to break free of static models and let ourselves be guided by the power of the Holy Spirit.
In the living history of Galilee, the Live the Mystery seminar was much more than a formation opportunity. It was a renewed call, a fraternal reunion, and a compass to continue making Christ present from this Holy Land to the entire world.