But remember that if you express reservations to members about the Regnum Christi Movement, you are planting a seed. When someone whom the member trusts says something that triggers doubts, it can bear fruit when the pride burns away, when the member is willing to consider his actual experiences in the Movement apart from party line.
While visiting family across country, I met up with Giselle, the woman who had encouraged me to incorporate into Regnum Christi many years before. Maybe I was easy back then I joined because I trusted her, and then over lunch that day she told me that she had left. As she told me all the reasons why over our shared meal, I kept on saying to myself: She will not change my opinion of RC.
And yet her explanation was really interesting because she said things that I knew were true ?? my own experiences didn?t lie. By the time we parted, I appeared
natural,
for sure, because I was not going to show her that I was more or less convinced. I got into my car that afternoon, and I knew I needed to quit RC; I thought of my family first. I didn’t want to belong to a cult while my family needed their own conversion. It was the feast of the Sacred Heart.
That night, I did not say anything to my husband; but we were at a dinner with his family and met a couple whose daughter had just begun working for the Legion. (This was quite unexpected, since none of my in-laws like to be associated with Catholics.) While the father was telling us about the Legion, he described how impressed he was with this organization that worked like any secular business. Meanwhile, I got hold of my husband and told him discreetly: Pleeeeease don’t say I am Regnum Christi
(I knew my heart was no longer in it).
The day after, I called Giselle, to let her know of my decision. I had not slept well that night, thinking of leaving all my friends who were in Regnum Christi, I did not have any other friends (there was no time; I worked for the Kingdom
a lot). I was thinking of the way of life that I was no longer going to have, because everything I did was a part of RC my formation,
my meetings, my apostolate, my recruiting, etc.
Then we got back to Cincinnati, I called my section director and realized leaving RC was the easiest thing that I had done in my life. I had no regrets ever. My family greatly benefited from it.
I told my 18-year-old daughter, who had always resented anything having to do with Regnum Christi. She had especially disliked the heavy recruitment by the (very nice) consecrated women. Her first words were, I did not think you could leave Regnum Christi.
She meant, since RC members have a vocation,
they are stuck with it forever.
So remember this when you plant your own seeds of doubt: We are all proud people; these die-hard RC members will never tell you what their feelings are. Maybe the husbands of these ladies will think twice before giving their monthly dues
next time (you know the money that goes mostly to further the Kingdom of MM).
And if you are struggling yourself about whether to remain, trust your doubts. Read as much as you need to. Walk away for a short time if necessary, giving yourself space away from the group-think
that filters all rational thoughts. Try to remember what criteria used to govern your decisions before your incorporation
before you settled on the methodology as the bedrock of all action. And for those who wonder how you will get along after leaving, I can promise you that there is life after RC after all.