The Rev. Gabriel Bárcena, L.C., was born on May 10, 1972, in San Luis Potosí, Mexico. He joined the Legion of Christ in September 1989. He made his perpetual profession in October 1997. He holds a degree in philosophy from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. He was ordained a priest on December 22, 2001. He has been a formator of legionaries in Gozzano and Rome (Italy), assistant to the territorial director for apostolate in Mexico (2003-2005) and Brazil (2005-2011), director of the Santa Isabel School in Barcelona (2011-2015), and delegate of the territorial director for educational centers in Chile (2015-2018).

He is the territorial director of the Legion of Christ and a member of the Territorial Management Board of Regnum Christi in Chile-Argentina.