Álvaro Corcuera facts for kids
Álvaro Corcuera Martínez del Río (born July 22, 1957 – died June 30, 2014) was a Roman Catholic priest from Mexico. He was the leader, known as the General Director, of a Catholic group called the Legion of Christ. He held this important role starting in January 2005. In October 2012, he took a break from his duties because he had an undiagnosed brain tumor. He passed away in 2014.
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Early Life and Calling
Álvaro Corcuera was born in Mexico City on July 22, 1957. His parents were Pablo L. Corcuera García Pimentel and Ana Francisca Martínez del Río Fernández de Henestrosa de Corcuera. He was baptized a few days later.
School Days
Álvaro was one of the first students at the Legion of Christ's Irish Institute in Mexico City. This is a well-known private school that teaches students from preschool through high school. In 1969, when he was 12, Álvaro traveled to Ireland. He was part of the first group of students at the Legion's Irish language academy, which is now called Dublin Oak. During his time in Dublin, he first started thinking about becoming a priest.
He later wrote about this time, saying that being around the founder, Father Marcial Maciel, and other priests made a big impact on him. He felt excited about the idea of bringing Jesus Christ closer to people all over the world.
Joining Youth Groups
On June 27, 1971, Álvaro Corcuera helped start a youth group called ECyD. The name ECyD stands for "Experiences, Convictions and your Decisions."
Later, he joined Regnum Christi, which is a group for lay people (people who are not priests) connected to the Legion of Christ. During this time, he first thought about dedicating his life to God as a consecrated layman in Regnum Christi.
Life as a Consecrated Member and Priest
On April 13, 1975, Álvaro became one of the first members of the Regnum Christi Consecrated Men. This means he formally dedicated his life to serving God within the Regnum Christi movement. He later said that giving himself to Christ was the best gift he could ever want.
Studies and Service
That same year, he began studying educational sciences at Anahuac University in Mexico City, and he graduated in 1979.
In January 1979, Álvaro and other consecrated members helped out during Pope John Paul II's first visit to Mexico. In September of that year, Álvaro joined the Legion of Christ as a novice. A novice is someone who is just starting to train to become a priest. He said he made this decision after hearing Christ's call to "Come, follow me."
He continued his studies to become a priest in Rome, Italy, at the Pontifical Gregorian University and the Pontifical University of St. Thomas. He became a deacon in Rome on June 29, 1985. A deacon is a step before becoming a priest. On Christmas Eve of that same year, he was ordained a priest in Rome.
Father Álvaro Corcuera earned advanced degrees in philosophy and theology. He served as the rector (like a principal or head) of the Center for Higher Studies in Rome. He also helped start the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum in Rome in 1993 and was its first rector until 2000. During this time, he also worked with other rectors of universities in Rome. In December 1999, he received a special honorary doctorate from Anahuac University in Mexico City.
In April 2001, the Vatican asked him to be an adviser to the Congregation for Bishops, which is a Vatican department that helps with matters related to bishops.
Becoming General Director
In January 2005, Father Corcuera was chosen to be the General Director of the Legion of Christ and Regnum Christi. This happened at a big meeting of the group.
In October 2012, he announced he would be taking a sabbatical, which is a break from his duties. He did this for health reasons, though at the time, people didn't know he was seriously ill. His powers were given to the group's second-in-command, Sylvester Heereman.
His sabbatical was not a punishment; he kept his title but did not perform the duties. In January 2013, he began treatment for a brain tumor. In June 2014, he shared that the tumor was not getting better, and he was spending his final days in prayer.
Father Corcuera passed away on June 30, 2014, in Mexico City. Father Eduardo Robles Gil Orvañanos became the new General Director in February 2014.
See also
In Spanish: Álvaro Corcuera para niños
- Martínez del Río
- Legion of Christ
- Regnum Christi
