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September 2, 2025

A Summer of Vocational Growth: Over 100 Say Yes to Christ as they Discern with the Legionaries, Consecrated, and Lay Members of Regnum Christi

/ Atlanta, Canada, Consecrated Women, Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi News, Dallas, Houston, Lay Consecrated Men, LC Cheshire, LC Territorial, LC Vocation, Legionaries of Christ, Legionaries of Christ News, RC Young Adults, Regnum Christi News

A key element of Regnum Christi’s mission is building a vocational culture, helping each person know and follow the call Christ has for them.

Every vocation – lay, married, consecrated, or priestly – springs from that personal love that God has for us and that he reveals to us in Jesus Christ; from the encounter with the Heart of Christ that calls, consoles, and sends us. “The personal experience of Christ’s love produces an interior urging in our hearts that impels us to passionate self-giving in order to make his Kingdom present.” (SRCF 10)

In the North American Territory this summer:

  • More than 65 lay members associated to Regnum Christi across the territory.
  • 15 young men lived the Candidacy with the Legionaries of Christ
  • 9 young men entered the Novitiate in Cheshire, CT.
  • 4 Legionary brothers made their first vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience.
  • 1 young woman entered a year of discernment in Atlanta with the Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi
  • 1 young woman who had been discerning with the Consecrated Women in Atlanta entered the two-year Candidacy.
  • 1 young woman made her first vows with the Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi in Atlanta.
  • 8 boys joined Sacred Heart Apostolic School
  • Internationally, 3 young men entered the two-year Candidacy of the Lay Consecrated Men of Regnum Christi, and 1 Consecrated Woman from Mexico made her final vows.

God is calling through the Regnum Christi charism. We pray for all those who who have given their YES to Christ this summer!

15 Young Men Live the Candidacy Program With the Legionaries of Christ


15 young men spent their summer in discernment of their vocations in the Candidacy program of the Legionaries of Christ, accompanied by the Vocation Team. As the Candidacy program ended, they discerned their next steps, and those called to the Legionaries of Christ, will join the novitiate in Cheshire, CT. Get a sense of their journey of discernment here.

9 New Novices of the Legionaries of Christ


After spending the previous year in discernment in the Aspirancy program, and this summer in the Candidacy, nine young men entered the novitiate in Cheshire, CT. Please pray for our new Legionaries: Br. Omar Pimentel (Utah), Br. Elijah Kehn (Louisiana), Br. John Lacap (Manila, Philippines), Br. Huey Pham (Minnesota), Br. Jack Brooks (Georgia), Br. Ryan Maloney (North Carolina), Br. Yavin Hamm (North Carolina), Br. Juan Pablo Gonzalez (California), Br. Bryan Bedolla (Georgia).

4 Legionary Brothers Make their First Vows

 

Br. Inoh Choe, Br. Austen Davis, Br. Mark Lawrence, and Br. Zachary LeLeux made their first vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience after completing the novitiate of the Legionaries of Christ. Read their testimonies here.

Savanna Plunkett enters the Two-Year Candidacy Program of the Consecrated Women 

 

Savanna Plunkett (pictured on the left), from the United States, is beginning her candidacy with the Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi, alongside four other young women from around the world. This summer, these five women — from Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, and the U.S. — spent six weeks in Monterrey in a pre-candidacy program, a time of formation, prayer, and vocational discernment with one goal: to listen more closely to God’s call. Savanna tells her story in this podcast.
 
On August 9, Savanna and five others took the next step as they formally began the two-year candidacy — a stage of vocational discernment and formation. Please pray for them: Liana Almeida (Brazil), Mariana Segura & Andrea Rother (Colombia), Lucía Allande (Mexico), and Savanna Plunkett (United States).
Betti Duda Makes her First Vows as a Consecrated Woman of Regnum Christi

 

On May 31st, at the Consecrated Women’s home in Atlanta, Georgia, Betti Duda made her consecration as a Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi after completing a two-year candidacy, professing temporary vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience for the first time.  Hear about Betti’s journey here! Two more young women will also be making their consecration later this year. Please keep them all in your prayers!

3 Young Men Join the Candidacy of the Lay Consecrated Men of Regnum Christi

 

Three young men, Ederson David Rangel (Venezuela), Luis Fernando Pacheco (Mexico), and Juan Manuel Ortiz (Colombia) entered the Candidacy of the Lay Consecrated Men of Regnum Christi in Mexico earlier this month. This two year period is a time for deeper discernment of the the Lay Consecrated Vocation, human and spiritual formation, and academic and apostolic activities.

8 New Students at Sacred Heart Apostolic School


22 boys participated in the Summer Program at Sacred Heart Apostolic School, a pre-seminary high school dedicated to forming young men as Christian apostles and accompanying them as they freely discern the possibility of a vocation to the priesthood. this summer. Eight of them enrolled as students this fall, and another ten enrolled in the Knights of SHAS program.

A Summer of Vocational Growth: Over 100 Say Yes to Christ as they Discern with the Legionaries, Consecrated, and Lay Members of Regnum Christi Read More »

“Ask a Priest: What If Mom Is Dating and Doesn’t Have an Annulment?”

/ Ask a Priest
Q: My mother claims to be a practicing Catholic, yet she is dating a man without having gotten an annulment since being divorced. I tried explaining to her that what she is doing is very wrong, since she and the man she’s dating are still married to their respective spouses in the eyes of God. I don’t feel comfortable attending holiday parties with the man there, since he knows I don’t condone his relationship with my mom. I also don’t want him to think I’m “OK” with what’s going on by attending the gathering. In this case, am I wrong for not wanting to attend? Especially considering their relationship is potentially mortally sinful, I would have a difficult time attending with a clean conscience. – A.

 

Answered by Fr. Edward McIlmail, LC A: It’s admirable that you are concerned about your mom and her choice to date without having obtained an annulment. Admirable, too, is your desire not to want to appear supportive of the relationship. Now, you don’t mention a lot of details about these holiday parties. If these are big events on neutral ground (such as a relative’s home, with dozens of people in attendance), it’s not clear whether you need to avoid such family get-togethers on account of your mom and her friend. In a relatively large crowd, your presence need not imply your support for their relationship, especially if you can keep your distance from the man. It would be another case if the gathering is small and awkward encounters would be hard to avoid. In that case it could be justifiable to skip the event if it goes against your conscience. Our first allegiance is to Our Lord. As you probably realize, keeping your distance from Mom when she’s with her friend could avoid later problems. What if they get tired of waiting for annulments and announce plans for a civil wedding — and ask you to actively participate in the event? If you hold the line now, they might not put you on the spot later. Or if they get used to your company when they are together, what if they ask to spend the night in your spare bedroom? For now, you might want to encourage Mom to speak with her pastor. Above all, pray for Mom. With God’s grace you can help the woman who brought you to life, to reach eternal life.  

“Ask a Priest: What If Mom Is Dating and Doesn’t Have an Annulment?” Read More »

Camp River Ridge Anniversary

Camp River Ridge celebrates 20 years of adventure, encounter, and community

/ Christian Life, ECYD News, Regnum Christi News, Weekly Message Blog, Whole Territory

Nestled in the Indiana countryside, Camp River Ridge is a year-round Regnum Christi youth and family camp owned by the Legionaries of Christ, dedicated to serving the needs of ECYD Youth, RC localities and apostolates, and other organizations as they are accompanied and formed within the Regnum Christi charism. This July, Camp River Ridge celebrated its 20th anniversary with a family picnic that brought together family, friends, volunteers, supporters, and former campers to celebrate two decades of providing a safe and adventurous environment for people to encounter Christ through nature, community, and the Eucharist.

Camp River Ridge Anniversary

The seed of what would become Camp River Ridge was planted during the first boys’ summer campout at Tom and Barb Weisbrod’s residence and ranch in Milan, IN, in June of 1997. Fr. Matthew VanSmoorenburg, LC, and many Legionaries to follow would host countless retreats and summer camps out of the Weisbrod’s home over the next two decades, but it was Fr. Matthew’s dream to ultimately build a permanent camp with all the facilities necessary to host youth camps, sports camps, and even retreats for adults and couples. In December of 2003, the current property, located between Indianapolis and Cincinnati, was purchased, and over the next two years, large groups of volunteers transformed the original farming property into a rustic camp, with events being held beginning in the summer of 2005. Soon after this, a second piece of property, St. Joseph’s Lodge, was acquired nearby. 

The camp entered an active period of facility development under the direction of Fr. Daniel Brandenburg, LC, from 2012 to 2016, bolstered, in part, by the establishment of the Legionaries of Christ community in Cincinnati in 2012. By 2016, the camp, having been integrated into the locality, had outdoor shower and toilet facilities, an indoor chapel, an undated dining area, air conditioning for all downstairs areas, improved gym and platform tents, fields cleared for sports, two wood forts, a lake shed, and equipment for various camp sports, among other smaller improvements. 
 
In 2016, under the direction of Fr. Lucio Boccacci, LC, several projects were undertaken that would move Camp River Ridge toward becoming a fully functional camp. The camp received state approval as a youth camp following large construction projects: the long-awaited septic system bathhouse facility (which includes an infirmary) was finished in June of 2020, and the kitchen and pantry facility was competed in May of 2020.

Camp River Ridge Anniversary
Small property improvements to the St. Joseph Lodge in 2017, such as increasing the number of bunk beds and the remodeling of one of the rooms as a “missionary room,” made it possible for all Camp River Ridge events to be fully transferred from the Weisbrod family home to the camp property. Camp River Ridge continues to welcome retreats and camps for middle school and high school boys and girls under the direction of ECYD Youth, as well as parent/child campouts, work/volunteer days, young adult ministry events, parish and school retreats, and Regnum Christi family and adult events, retreat days, and campouts. 

At the anniversary celebration this summer, which included morning Mass, a family picnic, outdoor activities, and lake time, past and present friends and supporters had the opportunity to share their memories and experiences of what has made Camp River Ridge such an important and unique place of encounter over the past 20 years. 

“Camp River Ridge is a place where Christ is King—here we try to bring young people to an experience of Christ's love for them. And through that experience and that encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ, their lives can be transformed, and they transform our world here. This is one of the beautiful things when we contribute to a mission—it's not just in the moment, but we are laying the foundation for many other young people to experience the love of Jesus Christ, to grow in their Catholic faith, and to continue the beautiful work that has already been done in these first 20 years.” 

Fr. Daniel Brandenburg
LC Director of Camp River Ridge 2012–2016

“From the very beginning when the camp was first purchased, this property had been dedicated to Mary—she sits right in the middle of the camp. And that has really been my experience—that this camp is in a particular way protected by Mary. Camp River Ridge is a powerful program, property, and more—it’s a real mission center. All the campers that are to come can know that the Lord is waiting for them here.”

Fr. Lucio Boccacci
LC Director of Camp River Ridge since 2016

“First and foremost, Camp River Ridge reminds me of my own childhood, when my relationship with God began. It’s a place where boys can have fun and encounter God through prayer, where real true friendships can be developed and grown, and where they can really discover God's love and appreciation for them in the people that he has put in their paths. These boys really need to encounter God in these fun and meaningful—and sometimes even dangerous!—experiences, and God has given them such a beautiful place to be able to encounter him and to build those relationships.”

Fr. Andrew Gronotte
LC Director of the ECYD boys in the Ohio Valley and Camp River Ridge coordinator

“For the last 13 years, I've been actively volunteering with the youth ministry in my parish and with the diocese of Covington. It's important to me to help our youth build a strong, personal friendship with Jesus that will help them grow spiritually and give them someone they can turn to in rough times in their life, so it was a natural fit for me to volunteer at Camp River Ridge. Camp River Ridge is a beautiful, spacious, and safe camp to come and just be a Catholic camper. There are lots of fun camp activities, and the bonus is that your soul will experience Jesus as your friend, and you’ll learn on a personal level how to stay close to him for the rest of your life.”

Judy Newberry
Camp River Ridge volunteer

“I'm really grateful to Camp River Ridge, and for everyone who makes it possible for youth and families to be able to come and experience Jesus in a very special way and grow in their faith here. There’s something about the environment—Camp River Ridge is such a special place through nature, through adventure, through the friendships that are built there to experience Jesus. So, I've loved being able to run camps for the last five years and hope that Camp River Ridge can for many years in the future be a place to encounter Christ and grow in faith.”

Rachel Peach
Consecrated Woman of Regnum Christi Director of ECYD Girls in the Ohio Valley

These first 20 years are just the beginning for Camp River Ridge—the goal is to build a future for Camp River Ridge that is sustainable, financially stable, and fully integrated with the Regnum Christi charism for generations to come. 

“There have been so many adventures, so many beautiful moments and memories that that stick with me even over a decade later,” says Fr. Daniel, “so many blessings that God has brought and will continue to bring in the next 20, 30, 100 years.”

From its beginnings, Camp River Ridge has relied on the generosity of volunteers; Camp River Ridge has a volunteer board, which includes members of the various branches of Regnum Christi. Additionally, the Greater Cincinnati Regnum Christi Men’s Section invests time, talent, and material goods in service of the camp as its primary apostolate. This apostolate offers a tangible way to invite and accompany men while serving God and the Regnum Christi spiritual family.    

The volunteer board of Camp River Ridge has crafted a multi-year strategic plan, which includes both the maintenance of the camp and a few important enhancements.  The board seeks benefactors to help with major projects, such as the completion of a year-round staff cabin, renovations to St. Joseph Lodge, and the design and construction of a chapel overlooking the lake. To make a donation to help maintain, preserve, and improve Camp River Ridge for future generations of campers, visit the donation page here or reach out to board chair, Charlie Bradley, at 859-801-3506.  

You can discover more about Camp River Ridge in 20 Years of Camp River Ridge: A Story of Memories, Growth, and Community. Or visit their website here, follow them on Facebook, or check out their upcoming events—like the Family Campout September 27–28, or the Father-Son Campout on November 1–2.

To learn more about the Ohio Valley Regnum Christi locality, visit their website at rcohiovalley.org.

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Who’s always with us

/ Weekly Message

Dear Friends in Christ,

 

The Church this week will mark the feast day of St. Teresa of Calcutta.

The world knew her as Mother Teresa (certainly easier to remember than her birth name, Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu), the diminutive ball of energy who came to personify charity to the poorest of the poor.

She went to her eternal reward in 1997, but as we know and as Jesus foretold, “The poor you will always have with you” (Matthew 26:11).

Call it the human condition, call it the vagaries of social organization—some people fall through the cracks and grapple with a hand-to-mouth existence.

It is to the poor that the Church shows a preferential option. Gospel charity demands that we make them a perennial concern.

This can weary us at times. No matter how much we do, no matter how much we donate, there always seems to be someone in need.

That’s where it’s good to recall that charity done for Jesus’ sake has immense value. We serve him through serving the poor.

The key is not to expect any final victories over poverty, at least in this life.

That seems obvious. Yet a danger is that people can simply get tired of the poor and the marginalized. The constant demands of the needy can tempt  the well-off to retreat into a comfort cave.

The needy can include all kinds of people: the immigrant, the homeless, the addict, the unwanted unborn. Indeed, to ignore them reflects another, deeper kind of poverty.

If we feel a need to rekindle a spirit of charity in ourselves, a helpful step would be to pray along with our Retreat Guide on St. Thérèse’s Little Way of Charity: Love One Another.

The two T’s — Thérèse and Teresa — can teach us much about having lives animated by love.

In Christ,

Father Edward McIlmail, LC
Ask a Priest contributor

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September 2, 2025 – Jesus Drives Out an Unclean Spirit

/ Daily Meditations

Listen to the audio version

Tuesday of the Twenty-Second Week in Ordinary Time

 

Luke 4:31-37

Jesus went down to Capernaum, a town of Galilee. He taught them on the sabbath, and they were astonished at his teaching because he spoke with authority. In the synagogue there was a man with the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out in a loud voice, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” Jesus rebuked him and said, “Be quiet! Come out of him!” Then the demon threw the man down in front of them and came out of him without doing him any harm. They were all amazed and said to one another, “What is there about his word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out.” And news of him spread everywhere in the surrounding region.

Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, you are more powerful than any evil. Protect me from distraction while I meditate on your word.

Encountering Christ:

  1. They Were All Amazed: Jesus taught the people on the Sabbath, a day reserved for rest and for hearing the rabbi’s preaching in the synagogue. Jesus, a woodworker from Nazareth, had bystanders enthralled and curious to hear what he would say next. Something stirred their hearts when he spoke. What made the general crowd listen with open hearts while the Pharisees and scribes wanted to silence him? Perhaps it was an awareness of their neediness that sensitized them to Jesus’ life-giving message. As friends of Jesus, we listen with open hearts to his preaching, and recognize our need for greater dependence on him. In this way, we are sensitized to listen to and develop a holy taste for God’s word.

  2. I Know Who You Are: How often we brush aside Jesus’ Real Presence, unaware of the impact he wants to make upon us. The demons recognize him, but do we? A simple acknowledgement suffices for Jesus to enter into relationship with us. From the enemy came a profession of faith, the very profession that Jesus longs for us to proclaim.

  3. Be Quiet! Come Out of Him!: Jesus manifested his power as an act of charity directed at a possessed man. The Scriptures testify that Jesus’ power was never displayed for the sake of lording himself over others. Beginning with the miracle of Cana, he was moved by pure charity to remedy situations and to bring about righteousness. With a sternness he ordered the devil to be silent, but he is gentle with those who are in need of mercy and open to receive. We need never fear drawing close to Jesus.

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, I praise you for the wonders you work in my life and in the lives of others. Grant that I may turn over those areas of my life that are in need of healing. Silence and banish those spirits that seek to obstruct my true surrender to you.

Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will be attentive to thoughts that obstruct my faith and ask you to silence and send them out.

Jennifer Ristine is a consecrated woman of Regnum Christi dedicated to spiritual and faith formation through teaching, conferences, writing, and spiritual direction. While serving in Ancient Magdala she wrote Mary Magdalene: Insights from Ancient Magdala and “Nine Days with Mary Magdalene.”

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Alex Kucera

Atlanta

Alex Kucera has lived in Atlanta, GA, for the last 46 years. He is one of 9 children, married to his wife Karmen, and has 3 girls, one grandson, and a granddaughter on the way. Alex joined Regnum Christi in 2007. Out of the gate, he joined the Helping Hands Medical Missions apostolate and is still participating today with the Ghana Friendship Mission.

In 2009, Alex was asked to be the Atlanta RC Renewal Coordinator for the Atlanta Locality to help the RC members with the RC renewal process. Alex became a Group Leader in 2012 for four of the Atlanta Men’s Section Teams and continues today. Running in parallel, in 2013, Alex became a Team Leader and shepherded a large team of good men.

Alex was honored to be the Atlanta Mission Coordinator between 2010 to 2022 (12 years), coordinating 5-8 Holy Week Mission teams across Georgia. He also created and coordinated missions at a parish in Athens, GA, for 9 years. Alex continues to coordinate Holy Week Missions, Advent Missions, and Monthly missions at Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Cumming, GA.

From 2016 to 2022, Alex also served as the Men’s Section Assistant in Atlanta. He loved working with the Men’s Section Director, the Legionaries, Consecrated, and Women’s Section leadership teams.

Alex is exceptionally grateful to the Legionaries, Consecrated, and many RC members who he’s journeyed shoulder to shoulder, growing his relationship with Christ and others along the way. He knows that there is only one way, that’s Christ’s Way, with others!