The P. Mark Thelen, LC, is the local coordinator of the apostolates of Regnum Christi in Barcelona. He has been in this role for a year, balancing it with his dedication to the youth section.
At the end of September, thanks to the work of the local committee, the Regnum Christi family in Barcelona had the “opportunity to see each other and learn everything they do as a family to evangelize and extend the Kingdom of Christ” in the city, he explains. It was a fruitful meeting also attended by Archbishop Juan José Omella.
In this interview published in Lo+RC, he helps gauge the pulse of Regnum Christi in Barcelona by reviewing the meeting the RC Family had with the archbishop, the objectives they have set as a locality, and even their vision on the importance of the Territorial Assembly that will review the draft of Regnum Christi.
P. Mark, on September 30th, called the entire Barcelona locality to a meeting: what for? How did the idea come about?
The idea arose during the meetings we had with the entire locality last February; we were looking for an opportunity for the whole Regnum Christi family in Barcelona to see each other and learn everything we do as a family to evangelize and extend the Kingdom of Christ in Barcelona.
Why did you invite the archbishop?
When we spoke as a whole locality in February, we also agreed on the desire to get to know our archbishop better, the Cardinal Juan José Omella. In May, we decided to invite the Cardinal to the beginning-of-course meeting to present him with the evangelization work we do, our aspirations for the upcoming year, and above all, to listen to the needs he saw in the archdiocese and to collaborate better within the local Church.
What impression did the archbishop get from the Regnum Christi family in Barcelona?
What impressed almost all participants most was the Cardinal’s intervention during the homily and the subsequent discussion. He spoke to us as Jesus—profound, practical, and with authority. In the homily, he talked about the parables of the Kingdom, adding a new image of bamboo that requires watering and care for about seven years before the first shoot appears. I believe what excited us all was his clear vision for the Church of Barcelona, and we felt his confidence in helping to carry it out.
The cardinal spoke of three priorities for the Church of Barcelona: men and women of God, that is prayer, formation—knowing the Bible—and charity. The Regnum Christi, as part of that Church of Barcelona, has also identified this need among its members? What contribution does Regnum Christi make to the needs of this diocese?
The three needs the Cardinal mentioned are also three pillars of a member of the Kingdom: prayer, formation, and apostolate. All are facets of the same reality of being an apostle: contemplative and evangelizing. Currently, we have two of these elements as specific priorities in our work in Barcelona. We want to strengthen our identity as apostles within Regnum Christi through a personal encounter with Jesus Christ. We have also committed ourselves to renewing the apostolic momentum among legionaries, consecrated, and laypeople within the diocese by supporting evangelization and Christian charity.
The chapel of perpetual adoration, multiple adoration sessions and Masses for children, youth, and adults, as well as spiritual retreats and prayer workshops, aim to foster an intense and constant prayer life. The catechetical formation cycle for adults, the implementation of a training plan for young trainers, the pastoral plan in the two schools, and periodic conferences are some of the means of formation.
Active charity is practiced in many ways through initiatives and projects in schools and sections. But it is true that a pending priority in Barcelona is the consolidation of a well-organized, articulated, and cohesive local solidarity project. This is something we have discussed in the committee, and throughout this year, we will be reflecting on it.
You have been a local apostolate coordinator for a year. What role do you want the Local Committee to play in the apostolic impulse of Regnum Christi in Barcelona?
The Local Committee is an implementation instrument. As we read in the document about the territory of Spain regarding the locality approved in 2015, a locality, being a “multitude of believers with one heart and one spirit” (Acts 4:32). When united around the person of Christ, we feel the impulse to express the love of God that we have experienced. And for that to become a reality, a team is needed “whose mission is to promote, structure, and organize the proper apostolic and evangelizing work,” as the same document states.
He is delegate to the Territorial Assembly for the revision of the Statutes. How important do you consider this path of renewal?
This path of renewal is primarily a journey of personal renewal. I don’t think any of us would have thought two years ago that we would be at this point today, but that is how God willed it. Our role is to discover God’s hand in His Provident plan for the Regnum Christi Movement. We have already been renewing for over five years, and for me, it is a grace and a responsibility to participate in the assembly where we seek together to discover what He has planned for us.
I do believe we still have much richness to discover in the charismatic family that God has given us. Perhaps in previous years, we focused a lot on the branch or the individual, but I believe now God is calling us to discover our true role within the Regnum Christi family in the Church. I think it is precisely within the set of vocations—legionaries, consecrated men and women, and laity—that we find a path involving sacrificial love and holiness, as in any family.
