By Bianca de Mattos
What can be said about the 21 years of presence of the Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi at Notre Dame and in the Holy Land? We began our mission in the Holy Land in a very gratuitous way, serving the Church and serving Notre Dame. That was the foundation, the bedrock: gratuity. And thanks to that, throughout these years, little by little, we have been able to reap good fruit.
In the Holy Land, as a single “apostolic body” together with the Legionary priests and some lay members of Regnum Christi, we have been responding to whatever reality places before us. It is a reality in which Divine Providence becomes evident in circumstances that are sometimes very mysterious, like the pandemic that we all experienced in, or very painful, like the intifada of the early 2000s or the most recent war in Gaza. Yet it is precisely there that God opens the way: a pandemic arrives, and virtual pilgrimages are launched; even earlier, a very difficult institutional crisis struck and suddenly, through the Legionaries and Father Juan Solana, the land for the Magdala Center was acquired; a two-year war breaks out, and once again, that very way of remaining there becomes a source of confirmation in our mission.
Thus, signs of hope have accompanied our journey at every step—first at Notre Dame and later at Magdala—in a combination of what we do, offering various services according to emerging needs, and what we receive.
Our principal work has been accompanying groups. The consecrated women are nourished deeply—both spiritually and intellectually—and there is great curiosity to truly understand this land. This means that, whether guiding a pilgrimage or offering tours in the synagogue of Magdala, as well as in the Pentecost Room and the Shroud Exhibition at Notre Dame, we communicate a very unified experience: a personal encounter with the Mysteries of Christ’s life.
It is also important to mention the work of accompanying adolescents—especially during our first years here—through the organization of several camps, during which we met Christian families and collaborated in their formation. In recent years, we have continued supporting young people in their sacramental preparation or after their Confirmation, seeking to respond to their existential questions and their growth in the Christian faith.
A true gift from God has been our close relationship with the local community in the Holy Land, especially with religious men and women and consecrated persons of different congregations and movements. With them we share celebrations, events, courses, and significant moments for the Church in the Holy Land—but above all, prayer, as Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa has emphasized on various occasions. What the Cardinal hopes we can contribute through our consecrated life is that, as a fruit of our prayer, we may be capable of seeing— even during very difficult situations—signs of hope, the presence of God, and His constant action, so that we can then bring hope to others.