Regnum Christi: loving Christ, serving others, building the Church

By Kaycee Farrell

For the last 12 years, the Denver Archdiocese has witnessed the growth of Regnum Christi, a lay ecclesial movement whose members aim to serve as missionaries to a secularized world.
Founded by Father Marcial Maciel, who also established the Legion of Christ priesthood order, Regnum Christi means “kingdom of Christ.”

“Regnum Christi sections across Colorado now have approximately 80 women and 45 men,” said Legion of Christ Father Jon Budke, a Minnesota transplant who is one of three Legion of Christ priests in the archdiocese. Father Budke serves as superior of the men.

Born 1920 in Michoacan, Mexico, Father Maciel began his priestly formation at the age of 16. It was during that formation that Father Maciel is said to have heard God’s call to gather a group of missionary priests who would “love Christ with all their strength and preach the Christian commandment of charity throughout the world.” In answer to this call, Father Maciel established the Legion of Christ in Mexico City in 1941.

In 1959 Father Maciel founded Regnum Christi, which came to share in the charism of the Legionaries, and took on the motto “Love Christ, Serve People, Build the Church.”

Though Father Maciel died earlier this year, the work of his order and lay movement continue.
Regnum Christi members Michelle Dowling and her husband Don are parishioners of St. Mary’s Church in Littleton. The Dowling’s have nine children ages 2 to 17.

Asked what led them to the movement, Michelle Dowling said, “Eleven and a half years ago, my husband and I were cradle, un-catechized Catholics who wanted to be faithful. Together, we began to search for ways we could grow in our faith.

The couple began to pray the rosary together and go to adoration, and they discovered the movement.

“Regnum Christi is a tool for holiness,” Michelle Dowling said. “A tool is handy, you know.”
“I feel a sense of unity with other Catholics now,” she continued. “We are all there to serve the Church and be a help for our parish priests.”

Legion of Christ priests offer spiritual direction to the movement’s members, Dowling said.
“The Legion (of Christ) is forming the laity to go into the parishes and help them be yeast for their parishes,” she explained.

The movement has helped her to understand her role as a woman and mother and the dignity of the human person, she said.

Local parishioners and parents to five boys, Ed and Pat Reinhardt of Littleton, found Regnum Christi years ago when their youngest son decided to discontinue his college studies to become a priest.

“When we got the call that Matthew was going to quit his university studies to join the Legionaries, we had no idea what the Legion of Christ or the Regnum Christi movement even was,” Ed Reinhardt said.

“Then, Matthew became one of the first Legion of Christ consecrated men in the United States at the time,” he said. “Pat and I began attending local Regnum Christi evenings of reflections. Before we knew it, we felt called to incorporate into the movement.”

“The movement and its apostolates fulfill the very requests the Holy Father and the bishops have made for the strengthening and formation of the laity,” he declared.

“What the movement has contributed to our family,” added Pat Reinhardt, “is a deep spiritual life and structure through which to serve the Church.”

Regnum Christi has many apostolates—or programs—for laity of all ages, including Familia for mothers and fathers, Challenge for girls, Conquest for boys and fathers, and Kids for Jesus for young children.

“Regnum Christi supplies what every pastor is looking for—individuals with spiritual growth and holiness, knowledge of the faith and leadership,” Ed Reinhardt said. “Their well-organized programs can be used to reach youth and families, or the pastor can take advantage of these well-formed Catholics to serve the parish in any way he wishes.”

Father Budke agreed.

“I have met many wonderful families through the Regnum Christi movement,” he said. “And I am very happy at how they are serving their church parishes and, therefore, living the Regnum Christi ideal.”