This initiative springs from within the spiritual family of Regnum Christi, in response to the challenges facing the Church in Europe.

The European Mission Campus (EMC) is a missionary formation and deployment campus that aims to form young adults (22–30 years old) who long to live their lay vocation as full-time missionaries, dedicated to evangelization in Europe. It’s a three-year, full-time program physically located in Vienna, Austria, and conducted in English due to its international nature.

Moreover, it seeks to revitalize faith in Europe, responding to the challenges of secularization, the weakening of Christian identity, and the need for vibrant and committed parishes. It also aims to integrate prayer, community life, and practical mission within a framework of life inspired by the charism of Regnum Christi.

The EMC is linked with the Zentrum Johannes Paul II in Vienna and becomes a natural extension of the mission that the Legionaries of Christ and Regnum Christi carry out in Europe.

The EMC draws from the common spirituality shared within the Regnum Christi spiritual family:

• It’s founded on the certainty that mission flows from a living relationship with Christ, integrating prayer, sacramental life, and personal accompaniment.
• It relies on the five elements of a Regnum Christi member’s life and our principles of apostolic action.
• The formation framework is structured around relationship-identity-mission, starting from the experience of being loved and sent by Christ.
• It seeks to respond to the strategic guidelines of promoting a vocational culture and forming communities of apostles, above all.

EMC Spirit

The EMC is inspired by the model of the first Christian communities, aiming to be a community of apostles on mission, not only forming individuals but generating a living fraternity that serves as a ferment of renewal for the Church. This community will be the human and spiritual support sustaining each missionary in their service to parishes, dioceses, and other ecclesial realities.

The EMC includes missionary experiences in Regnum Christi works and apostolates in Europe, as well as in collaboration with other ecclesial institutions. This synergy allows for the practical formation of missionaries to be carried out in an incarnated way, bringing life and renewing existing realities. This approach helps us put our charism and common mission at the service of the Church wherever we are.

A Response to the European Reality

Europe is currently experiencing a profound crisis of faith, with parishes in need of renewal and young people searching for deeper meaning in their lives. The EMC emerges as a concrete answer to this “change of era,” helping the Church to form and send lay missionaries prepared to proclaim Christ where He is most needed.

Timeline

Since early 2024, the European Mission Campus (EMC) has moved from the discernment phase to concrete planning.

• December 2024: The first Call to Mission Weekend was held with 35 participants.
• February 2025: A team traveled to the United States to learn about similar programs.
• April 2025: The second Call to Mission Weekend was organized with 25 participants.
• Spring 2025: Key documents were completed, an advisory board was established, and participant recruitment began.

Currently (June 2025), agreements for the Vienna headquarters are being finalized, the formation plan is being refined, and fundraising efforts are being consolidated, with an eye towards the inaugural launch in autumn 2025.

For More Information

For additional details, visit the European Mission Campus website. You can also reach out directly to Fr. Mark Thelen LC, the program’s initiator and director at mthelen@legionaries.org.

Applications for this year are currently open.

Cover photo credit: European Mission Center website