New Territorial Councilors Named for the Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi
On May 25, 2020 Nancy Nohrden, the General Director of the Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi, named the new Territorial Councilors for the North American Territory. Their role is to assist the Territorial Director, newly appointed Kathleen Murphy in the governance and decision making for the ten communities of Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi living and serving in this territory.
The four councilors are:
- Glory Darbellay, First Councilor and member of the Territorial Directive College
- Naoise Johnston
- Mary Smith
- Melanie Zoll
Glory Darbellay
Glory Darbellay was born in 1974, grew up in Saskatchewan, Canada, and entered consecrated life over twenty five years ago in 1994. She obtained a Bachelors degree in Education and Development, and an Ecclesial Masters degree in Religious Science. Her ministries have included youth ministry, adult pastoral ministry, and national director for Regnum Christ Mission Corps in North America. She served as first councilor on the territorial council for the Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi in North America and as a member of the Regnum Christi Territorial Committee from 2012 – 2015. Currently, she lives in Washington DC, serving as the local director for the community, chaplain for the Regnum Christi women’s section, and is dedicated mainly to spiritual direction and retreat ministry for women. As the first councilor she is also a member of the Territorial Directive College for the Regnum Christi Federation in North America.
Naoise Johnston
Naoise Johnston was born in 1971 and grew up in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. With a degree in Philosophy and English from the University of Saskatchewan (1995) and a Masters in Information Studies from the University of Toronto (1997), she worked in a variety of capacities in Canada, the US and Ireland before entering consecrated life in Regnum Christi in 2002, in Dublin, Ireland. After completing her religious formation in Rhode Island, she served there in Mater Ecclesiae College until 2015 in various capacities: accreditation liaison, professor, librarian, and, community director of the Consecrated Women. During her time in Atlanta as director of the territorial community (2015-2018) and in Washington DC (2018-present) in pastoral ministry, she also served as the first councilor on the territorial council for the Consecrated Women in North America. Consequently, she served as a member of North America’s Regnum Christi Territorial Committee (2015-2019) and Territorial Directive College (2019-2020). As of July 2020, she will live in the Cincinnati Community and be dedicated full-time to the ongoing formation and mission assignment projection of the Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi and the territorial efforts to provide leadership strengthening resources for the whole Federation.
Mary Smith
Mary Smith was born in 1971 and grew up in Southern California as one of 9 children. After attending San Diego State University, where she studied nursing, she began to experience a tug on her heart to give her life for others. In 1993 she gave a year as a Regnum Christi missionary in Overbrook Academy, Rhode Island. She then consecrated her life within Regnum Christi in 1994, then obtained a Bachelors degree in Education and Development in preparation for her pastoral activity in Regnum Christi. She served in youth and adult ministry in Hungary, Slovakia, Austria, Italy, and back home in the United States. For the past 10 years she has been serving in the Washington D.C. area ministering to youth and families. She also served as a councilor on the Territorial Council for the Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi in North America from 2012 – 2015. She is currently dedicated to accompanying and forming women through spiritual direction, leading small groups, leadership training within Walking with Purpose, preaching, and guiding retreats.
Melanie Zoll
Melanie Zoll was born in 1977 and grew up in Westphalia, Germany as the third of five children. After high school she was a Regnum Christi missionary in Mexico, Guadalajara. She consecrated her life to God within Regnum Christi in 1998 and obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Education and Development and an Ecclesial Masters degree in Religious Sciences. She has served in youth ministry all over Germany, running Challenge girls clubs, retreats and mentoring. In 2013 she served in Dublin, Ireland in Woodlands Academy as a religion teacher and instructor of formation. She also studied theology at the Benedict XVI University in Heiligenkreuz, Austria specializing in Theology of the Body. In 2017 she went to Budapest, Hungary as the director of the community of the Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi for a year and served as a councilor for the Territorial Council for the Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi in Europe from 2016-2018. She is currently serving and mentoring young adults and women in Dallas, Texas.
