Who is the founder of Regnum Christi?
Marcial Maciel was born on March 10, 1920, in Cotija de la Paz, a small town located in the state of Michoacan, Mexico. His childhood was marked by the profound social and religious crisis that rocked Mexico during the 1920s. This early contact with human suffering and the persecution of the Church etched in the young Marcial a deep concern for the spiritual, economic, and social well-being of all people. In 1936 he moved to Mexico City to begin studying for the priesthood in the minor seminary directed by the bishop of Veracruz, Rafael Guizar y Valencia. At age 16 Marcial was inspired to found a religious congregation dedicated to spreading Christ’s kingdom through every positive means available. Though he had neither experience nor material support, Marcial realized his dream with God’s help. He founded the congregation of the Legionaries of Christ on January 3, 1941, and in 1959, a movement called Regnum Christi.
