The news of the relocation of the novitiate in Spain, from Salamanca to Madrid, was announced a few weeks ago with a letter from P. Carlos Zancajo, L.C., territorial director of the Legionaries of Christ and Regnum Christi in Spain.
To delve deeper into this topic, Lo+RC spoke with the rector-instructor of the novitiate, P. José Félix Mediana, L.C., who, although feels sadness over the closure of a house where novices and religious of the congregation have been formed for over 60 years, also values the proximity to Madrid, “which allows us to be half an hour away from all our works and schools, also facilitating opportunities for apostolate and for a more direct knowledge of the life of Regnum Christi and for others to get to know us.”
Is it the end of a chapter or the beginning of another?
A local, geographical chapter is closing, of this novitiate that has hosted novices for 60 years, but there is continuity with the first novitiate of the Legionaries of Christ that began in Mexico, then came to Spain, to Comillas and later to Cóbreces; and, after that, in 1950, it moved to Rome. And in 1958 it moved to Salamanca. It is a novitiate that, over time, has changed its location, but it is the continuation of the congregation’s first novitiate, which is now moving to Reajo del Roble.
And it is true that a new location is being inaugurated, a very important step, as it is located in the geographical center of Spain and where more young people from other parts of Spain will be able to come and meet us.
On the other hand, it should be noted that the Salamanca novitiate is a building that is too large to house only eight novices, as it was built to train more than 200 seminarians: among novices, humanists, and formators.
It’s a sad news, but it also helps us to be generous and look forward, don’t you think?
Certainly, there is a point of sadness. I was a novice here, 50 years ago. Here we learned from P. Rafael Arumí, who was quite an institution in founding this house; from P. Carlos Mora, P. Jorge Cortés, P. Juan Manuel Dueñas, P. Jesús María del Delgado, and many other Legionary priests who were formators in this novitiate. And we remember numerous Legionaries who have been formed in Salamanca.
Sadness also, because here in Salamanca, the Regnum Christi remains, composed of a group of ladies, numerous parish priests and catechists who have accompanied us, the bishop, religious women, and priests known to us who are saddened by our departure. But that sadness will turn into joy, because it does not mean that there are no vocations; it is a move to establish in the province of Madrid with the hope that vocations will come. These are inscrutable paths, but they are God’s Providence.
Why do we choose Reajo? How will living in Reajo help the novices?
It is important that it is seen as a home-house that gives a sense of family. The Salamanca novitiate for eight or nine people was too large. A house of spirituality with 20 rooms, chapel, library, dining room, sports court… gives us more guarantees of unity and coexistence. It is also located in the Sierra, with green areas and mountains, offering different possibilities. It is in Madrid province, but not in the city, which allows us to be half an hour from all our apostolic works and schools, also facilitating apostolate and direct collaboration with Regnum Christi.
The truth is that for many members of Regnum Christi, Reajo also has a very strong emotional connotation… What does this suggest to you?
That it is a way to care for and strengthen it. There are two buildings; we thought of making the smaller one available for groups and visits, so they can spend a few days with us. I was also a founder of Reajo in 1974, when we had the first Regnum Christi course for young people, which was attended, among others, by P. Ferrán. Reajo has also been a place for retreats and incorporations for many members.
Father Zancajo mentions in his letter that one of the virtues of the change is the vocational pastoral work that can be developed here. How do you see this?
All the apostolic activities we did from Salamanca can be done in Reajo: catechesis in nearby towns, vocational weekends, pastoral care for our schools, work in ECYD, collaboration with CAVs, whom we can invite to the novitiate to get to know us… Having a smaller house does not mean having fewer activities.
It is important to maintain the spirit of prayer and contemplation that is typical of the novitiate, as well as the apostolate inherent to our charism. We plan to go down to Madrid once a week to collaborate in the schools, work in summer pastoral programs, and support the lay members of Regnum Christi.
I would like to extend an invitation to all members of Regnum Christi: come see us, don’t see us as hermits on the mountain! We will go to Madrid for all the events we can: deacon ordinations, entrance into consecrated life, etc., because we are part of the life of Regnum Christi in the Madrid area.
You come from a large local church like Salamanca, and now you are inserted into some villages in the Sierra and another diocese. How does this affect your ecclesial relationship?
We have all the permissions from an ecclesiastical point of view, both from Salamanca, where Monsignor Carlos López dismisses us and has visited the novitiate this week, and from Madrid, as Don Carlos Osoro welcomes us in his diocese. On the other hand, I have spoken with the parish priests of Navacerrada and Collado Mediano, which is actually the last town where Reajo del Roble belongs, to make ourselves available and for them to count on us in whatever we can to serve God’s people. We want to be a sign of ecclesial communion. It is a sensitivity and a duty of ours.
