Who we are

The Society of Apostolic Life “Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi” is a society of pontifical right, approved by the Holy See, with women who live the evangelical counsels within international communities.

Our identity

Our identity integrates our consecration, the lay state and the charism of Regnum Christi. These elements constitute a way of life and of being present in and relating to the world.

Inspiration

Impelled by the Spirit, we feel sent to live our mission as signs of the Kingdom of Christ in the midst of the world through a deeply evangelical life that prophetically announces God’s word, and serves with humility and mercy.

We are part of Regnum Christi

Priests of the Congregation of the Legionaries of Christ, Consecrated Women and Lay Consecrated Men of Regnum Christi join with lay members, both single and married, who personally accept a vocation to live out their baptismal commitment within the world.

Our Mission

Our mission, like that of every baptized person and member of the Church, is to participate in Christ’s mission, who was sent by the Father to announce the Good News of the Kingdom, to reconcile man to God and to bring all things to himself.

The purpose of our particular Society is to give glory to God and make present the Kingdom of Christ in the heart of every person and in society, for the personal sanctification of each Consecrated Woman and through personal and communal apostolic work in forming apostles.

We live the same mission of Regnum Christi: 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.

Our Spirituality

Our spirituality is Christ-centered and born from an experience of the personal, real, passionate and faithful love of Christ. We fix our gaze upon the heart of Christ the King who came into this earth to establish his Kingdom among all people and in society, revealing the merciful love of his heart to others.

Christ reveals his Heart that burns with love, inviting us to love him and all that he loves. “The love of Christ impels us.” 2 Cor 5:14

Love for Christ and the Father who sends Him to redeem us

Love for the Blessed Virgin Mary

Love for the Church and the Pope

Love for humanity

Love for the spiritual family of Regnum Christi as a way to make present the Kingdom

Our Formation

Our formation is about transformation into Christ and adequate preparation to be apostles of the New Evangelization.

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Our Way of Life

We pursue academic studies appropriate to the charism and mission of Regnum Christi, grounded in theology and religious sciences. We can then choose to do graduate studies or other courses in different disciplines that allow us to respond to the demands of evangelization in today’s world, according to each one’s personal gifts.

Formation extends throughout all our life. Ongoing formation is the constant process of transformation into Christ, allowing all the situations of life to shape and form us as women, Christians, and Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi.

Slide 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 personal and communal apostolic action so that Jesus Christ may reign in the hearts of people and society. Slide The first groups of Lay Members of Regnum Christi began in 1968, through the invitation, formation and direction of the priestly congregation, the Legionaries of Christ, who were founded in 1941. These lay men and women shared one charism, one spirit and one mission, lived out in their state of life. Slide Aware of their baptismal vocation to holiness and apostolate, they felt called to be Catholic leaders and form others at the service of Jesus Christ, society and the Church with a missionary spirit.
On August 15, 1969, a group of young women joined Regnum Christi and dedicated a semester to better understand and discern God's call to this total commitment. anillo Slide December 8, 1969, is considered the founding date of the "Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi". On that day, in the Chapel of the Tlalplan Inter-American Cultural Center in Mexico City, the first six members - Graciela Magaña, Guadalupe Magaña, Margarita Estrada, Paulette Kneeland, Ma. Teresa Peláez, and Gualucha Portillo - made private promises of chastity, poverty and obedience. Slide On February 25, 1970, the first formation center for Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi was established in Dublin, Ireland.
They felt called to live a total and exclusive consecration to God, according to the same spirituality, charism and mission of Regnum Christi. (Photo of the first Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi with Fr. Gregorio López, L.C. , in the garden of the Voewood house. Patricia Bannon is to the right of Fr. Gregorio.) Slide From the earliest years, the Consecrated Women were imbued with a strong sense of mission. The apostolates multiplied in the 1970s and the work of the Consecrated Women in the schools began.
The first school was founded in Barcelona in 1972, although it did not take off. The second, CECVAC in Monterrey, was founded in 1973.
In Dublin, a language academy for girls, Woodlands Academy, was founded as a boarding school. (From right to left: Mary Florez, Teresa Vaca, Ma. Carmen Perochena, Juani Lozano y Ma. Laura Moreno along with girls from the club joining ECYD, June 14, 1974.) Slide In 1975, they began working at the Colegio del Bosque and the Godwin Institute in Mexico City. In 1976, they began the Instituto Rosedal and the Alpes de Saltillo in 1978. On July 21, 1979, a group of Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi was entrusted with the direction of Oxford School, also in Mexico City. From then on, the number of educational institutions under their care multiplied, and at the same time the pastoral work with adolescents and young people grew and deepened. (Group of students from the Colegio CECVAC with teachers. At the back Margarita Estrada, Patricia Bannon, Guadalupe and Graciela Magaña.) Slide Most of the Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi are involved in pastoral work with young people and adolescents, and work in schools, both as directors and in the formation of students and families. They are also present in the local church, collaborating in dioceses and parishes; in universities, in the academics and pastoral work; accompaniment and formation of adults and married couples; evangelization of culture; media; catechesis and evangelization missions, among others. (Mari Carmen Perochena with girls from the Tepeyac Youth Centre) Slide The Consecrated Women, like the rest of Regnum Christi, from the beginning until May 2012, was governed by the general director of the Congregation of the Legionaries of Christ, who was also the general director of the Regnum Christi Movement. Fr. Marcial Maciel LC, the founder, was the general director until 2005. In 2006 the Holy See asked Fr. Marcial Maciel LC to retire and not to exercise public ministry. (P. Álvaro Corcuera, L.C., visiting the General Direction community, explaining the situation of the founder and Regnum Christi.) Slide Fr. Maciel died on January 30, 2008. That same year, the Holy See appointed apostolic visitators for the Legion of Christ and a pontifical delegate, Card. Velasio de Paolis, for the Legion and Regnum Christi. In January 2009, the founder's double life became public. (Cardinal Velasio de Paolis, in the dining room of the See of the General Direction, March 8, 2011.) Slide Following these revelations, the Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi requested an apostolic visitation, which was carried out in 2011 by Archbishop Ricardo Blázquez, Archbishop of Valladolid.
On May 15, 2012, the pontifical delegate appointed the first general director and a provisional government of the Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi from among the Consecrated Women.
(Mons. Blázquez giving a conference in Monterrey) Slide The First General Assembly of the Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi was held in Rome in December 2013, moderated by Fr. Agostino Montan C.S.I., which was a key milestone in the renewal process. There, the Pontifical Delegate appointed the first autonomous government of the Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi, approving the Statutes ad experimentum on December 12, 2013. (From left to right: Paula, Luly, Card, de Paolis, Gloria, Mari Carmen and Mary Patt, during training meetings, July 2012.) Slide On November 25, 2018, the Feast of Christ the King, the Congregation for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, with the consent of Pope Francis, canonically established the Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi and the Lay Consecrated Men of Regnum Christi, as Societies of Apostolic Life. Slide On May 31, 2019, the Regnum Christi Federation was canonically established, whereby the Congregation of the Legionaries of Christ, the Society of Apostolic Life Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi and the Society of Apostolic Life Lay Consecrated Men of Regnum Christi come together as one body. Other lay men and women who share the same spirit and mission can join individually.

Our History

Our General Government

The current general government was elected by the General Assembly of the Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi, in February 2020 for a six-year term.

Nancy Nohrden
General Director

Nancy Nohrden was born in 1974 in the United States. She was consecrated in 1998 and has worked apostolically in Germany and the United States in Saint Louis, Missouri and Atlanta, Georgia. She holds a B.A. in Philosophy from Franciscan University of Steubenville and a B.A. in Education and Development from Universidad Anáhuac, as well as a B.A. in Religious Studies from the Ateneo Regina Apostolorum. She holds a master’s degree in Strategic Communication and Leadership from Spring Arbor University. She was appointed territorial director of the Consecrated Women in North America in 2012. She is currently the general director of the Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi since her election in 2020.

Elena Bartolomé
General Councilor

Elena was born in Spain in 1975. She studied Architecture at the Escola Técnica Superior de Arquitectura del Vallés before consecrating her life to God in 2001. She served apostolically in Madrid and Barcelona, Spain until 2015, when she was appointed territorial director of Consecrated Women in Brazil. She has a degree in Education and Development from the Universidad Anáhuac, and Religious Sciences from the Ateneo Regina Apostolorum. She is specialized in psycho-pedagogy from the Universidade do Oeste de Santa Catarina, and has a Master’s degree in spiritual accompaniment. Since 2020 she has been living in Rome as a general councilor and vicar for the Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi.

Eugenia Álvarez
General Councilor

Eugenia was born in 1980 in Caracas, Venezuela and consecrated her life to God in 1999. She has served apostolically in Argentina, Mexico, Chile and France and moved to Rome in 2020. She holds a canonical licentiate in Spiritual Theology from the Centre Sevres, of the Society of Jesus and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Spiritual Exercises at the Universidad de Comillas.

África Pemán
General Councilor

Africa was born in Spain in 1965. She began her studies in Law at the Universidad de Cádiz before she consecrated her life in God in 1985. She has served apostolically in Mexico, Chile, Argentina and Spain. She was territorial director of the Consecrated Women of Chile between 2012 and 2018. She has completed an advanced course in St. John of the Cross at the University of Mysticism, in Avila, Spain. After serving as a formator at the international Formation Center for Consecrated Women in Madrid, she moved to Rome as general councilor. She holds a degree in Education and Development from the Universidad Anáhuac, Religious Sciences from the Ateneo Regina Apostolorum and a Master’s Degree in Accompaniment from the Universidad Francisco de Vitoria.

Viviana Limón
General Councilor

Viviana was born in Mexico City in 1978. She studied Communication Sciences at the Universidad Anáhuac before consecrating her life to God in 2002. She did her formation in Madrid, Spain and then began her apostolic work in Montreux, Switzerland. In 2007, she moved to Paris, France and also served apostolically in Brussels, Belgium. In 2012, she was appointed territorial director of the Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi in Europe until she was elected general councilor in December 2013. She was re-elected as general councilor in 2020 and currently lives in Rome.

Jacinta Curran
General Councilor

Jacinta was born in Dublin, Ireland in 1960 and was consecrated to God in 1979. She studied psychology at University College Dublin and received her degree in 1981. As a Consecrated Woman, she did her formation in Rome and began her apostolic work in the United States. Subsequently, she directed schools in Mexico City, Mexico; Vienna, Austria; and Seville, Spain. Jacinta was territorial director of the Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi in the territory of Central and Western Europe from 2014 to 2020, when she was elected as general councilor and moved to Rome

Proper Law

Constitutions of the Society of Apostolic Life, Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi

(Constituciones de la SVA CRC)

Rule of Life of the Society of Apostolic Life, Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi

(Reglamento de la SVA CRC)

Communiqué of the 2020 General Assembly

(Comunicado de la Asamblea General 2020)

Regnum Christi

“We 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 through personal and communal apostolic action.”

Members of Regnum Christi

Regnum Christi (Latin for “Kingdom of Christ”) is a spiritual family in the Catholic Church comprised of four vocations: Legionaries of Christ (the priestly congregation), Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi, Lay Consecrated Men of Regnum Christi and Lay Members of Regnum Christi. Regnum Christi has a Christ-Centered spirituality that is lived together in communion with all members (all four vocations), in union with the whole Church, and through a mission to build the kingdom of Christ. Each member personally accepts a vocation to live fully their baptismal commitment in the midst of the temporal world. Priests, deacons and diocesan seminarians can also join Regnum Christi and participate in its spirituality.

General Directive College of Regnum Christi

The General Directive College of Regnum Christi is made up of the general directors of the Legionaries of Christ, the Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi and the Lay Consecrated Men of Regnum Christi. The college oversees the apostolate and administration of Regnum Christi, while safeguarding the charism and advancing the common mission of all Regnum Christi members.

Get to know the Charism of Regnum Christi

The Legionaries offer, through their religious consecration, the witness of their dedication to Jesus Christ and their complete availability for the fulfilment of the common mission.

Regnum Christi is approved by the Catholic Church as a spiritual family and an apostolic body.

The Consecrated Men live the mystery of Christ, consecrated to the Father, who draws close to his people.