For 27 years, Catholic World Mission (CWM) has worked to build the Kingdom of God on earth in partnership with the Legionaries of Christ and Regnum Christi, uplifting families in over 35 countries around the world. Founded in May of 1998 by a Legionary priest, CWM is dedicated to spreading the Catholic message and revitalizing communities globally. Their projects focus on fostering long-term self-sufficiency in impoverished areas, rebuilding communities with a trinitarian approach that involves collaboration between the community in need, a dedicated partner who helps oversee the project (which can include priests, religious, bishops, and lay people), and a generous family of supporters.
CWM’s campaign for the month of July is focused on their unique and important relationship with Regnum Christi.
Fr. Daniel Brandenburg, LC, serves as chair of the CWM board of directors, and greatly values the vital collaboration between Regnum Christi and CWM that embodies charity and empowers the work of evangelization and service to those most in need. “As part of the global Regnum Christi family, Catholic World Mission cherishes its deep bond with both lay members and the Legionaries of Christ,” says Fr. Daniel. “This teamwork is a beautiful testament to how shared faith and united charitable action can help build God’s Kingdom here on earth.”
Catholic World Mission bridges the gap between donors and partners to uplift those in spiritual and material poverty, and this mission rises on three pillars:
- CWM supports dignified living, meeting the material and spiritual needs of the most vulnerable and marginalized. This includes projects that provide clean drinking water, sanitation, shelter, and goats for milk and meat to communities in need.
- Providing opportunities for education bridges the gap to the future by attacking poverty at the root level and uplifting youth and entire families with the knowledge and values they need to discover their God-given talents, reach their full potential, and elevate their community.
- CWM shares God’s love through evangelization in word and deeds, proclaiming the Gospel message that brings peace and joy, and gives hope to the hopeless.
Education and Spiritual Formation
In 2025, CWM has supported the spiritual formation of numerous priests, consecrated women, and seminarians across the globe, including the Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi in the Manila community in the Philippines, and the Logos Priestly Center in Mexico. It also contributed to projects for Mano Amiga schools, providing scholarships to students in El Salvador, equipping a chemistry lab for low income students in Monterey, helping to rebuild after a hurricane in Acapulco, and improving structural safety of the Mano Amiga Academy in the Philippines.
St. Joseph Fatherhood Initiative
Catholic World Mission is proud to partner with Regnum Christi and Lumen Action to uplift families from spiritual and material poverty. One of the projects supported by CWM this year is the St. Joseph Fatherhood Initiative (SJFI), which is dedicated to cultivating resilient and virtuous fathers who are devoted to their families. Partnering with Lumen Institute, a Regnum Christi apostolate for business and societal leaders who seek personal development in character, faith, and leadership to reflect Christ’s light (lumen) in today’s world, CWM hopes to build strong Catholic families rooted in faith by investing in marriage and the engagement of fathers. Of the 1,400 families in the program, 60 percent are missing fathers; SJFI aims to develop a mentorship program for boys and empower all children to recognize their value and help to break the cycle of poverty in their families, thus strengthening the entire community. The initiative also empowers fathers to be active leaders in their families and understand their role not just as provider, but as caregiver, mentor, and spiritual role model.
Juventud y Familia Misionera
Since 1993, Juventud y Familia Misionera (JyFM)—an apostolate of Regnum Christi—has faithfully responded to Christ’s call, inspired by St. John Paul II’s invitation to embrace the New Evangelization. With a mission to bring about deep and lasting transformation, JyFM serves communities in over 20 countries through dynamic outreach and evangelization efforts. Each year, more than 30,000 JyFM missionaries go forth to share the Word of God, reaching over 1 million people in underserved rural and urban areas around the world. Guided by local parish priests and bishops, these missions bring the light of Christ to communities with little or no regular access to pastoral care. For example, in Holy Week of 2025, Catholic World Mission partnered with JyFM to provide 300 missionary kits (which included a crucifix, Gospel booklets, rosaries, catechetical materials, evangelization resources, and a mission uniform) to priests leading these missions, equipping them to share the sacraments, offer spiritual support, and bring hope to the peripheries.
Evangelizadores de Tiempo Completo
In many regions, especially in South and Latin America, the lack of priests leaves countless communities without access to the sacraments or spiritual guidance. Evangelizadores de Tiempo Completo (ETCs), or Full-Time Lay Missionaries, step in to bridge this gap. These dedicated men and women work tirelessly to spread the Gospel, teach catechism, and build communities of faith in remote villages. CWM equips ETCs to proclaim the Good News to communities caught in the battle against violence, drugs, and poverty.
Trauma Care for Catholics and First Responders After LA Fires
In the face of the devastating fires in Los Angeles at the beginning of 2025, CWM supported Divine Mercy University in sending a team of mental health professionals to support both those who were heroically responding to the tragedy, and survivors who had undergone unimaginable loss. Working in collaboration with a local parish, the team provided trauma-informed care, counseling, and spiritual support to all those affected by the fires.
Through these and multiple other projects in 2025, $250,000 was distributed to worthy endeavors initiated by Regnum Christi and the Legionaries of Christ. This includes over 1000 scholarships to Mano Amiga schools, and the support of 10 Legionary priests. James Flanagan, who has served as the executive director of CWM for the past two years, has had the opportunity to collaborate with communities, supporters, and the members of the board of directors, including Fr. Daniel, Fr. Joshua West, LC, and a number of lay Regnum Christi members, and over his time at CWM, has even become a member of Regnum Christi himself! “I went from not knowing much about Regnum Christi, to becoming involved in the RC Atlanta’s men’s section, and I cherish my weekly Encounters at 6:30 in the morning with my team,” says James. “Since becoming the Executive Director of Catholic World Mission in 2023, I have witnessed how so many of men and women of Regnum Christi have lived out their callings in impactful ways.”
CWM still requires another $182,622 to meet the funding needs of RC related projects across the globe for this year. For instance, for the past 14 years, Fr. Patrick Butler, LC, has carried the Gospel message across not just highways, but over dirt streets and bumpy backroads in and around Playa del Carmen, Mexico. The city itself is the fastest-growing in the country, and as the population increases, more and more people move from elsewhere in Mexico to the outskirts of town, looking for work and opportunity in the city center. And after more than 202,000 miles, Fr. Patrick’s old pickup truck is no longer suited for long drives to remote locations. CWM hopes to purchase a new truck for Fr. Patrick’s mission to bring the Gospel to those on the margins.
Other ongoing initiatives requiring support include:
- In Brazil, scholarships for the Mano Amiga School
- In Italy, funds to prepare priests at the Pontifical College
- In Mexico, Masters in Bioethics scholarships
- In Poland, support for the #WeAreSent Holy Week Mission for the Youth
- In Slovakia, funds for its House of Solidarity Revitalizes Faith project
To learn more about the partnership between Catholic World Mission and Regnum Christi and to read about the initiatives underway in 2025, visit RC & Lumen Partnership | CatholicWorldMission. To find out how you can support this authentically Catholic work which builds up the Kingdom of God, uplifts those living in poverty, and transforms lives around the world, visit their donor website here. For more information about Catholic World Mission, call 770-828-4966 or visit their website at catholicworldmission.org, or follow them on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, or LinkedIn.
