In loving memory of Mother Regina of Christ the King, O.C.D.
(March 25, 1937 – June 16, 2021)
On June 23, 2021 the Mass of Christaian Burial was celebrated by Bishop J. Douglas Deshotel, Bishop of Lafayette and concelebrated by Bishop Michael Jarrel, Emmeritus Bishop of Lafayette, five Discalced Carmelite Priests and other priests of the diocese. Fr. Vinko Mamic, O.C.D. delivered the homily which gave beautiful tribute to Mother Regina’s outstanding life.
Mother Regina of Christ the King (Kathleen Margaret Mullins) was born March 25, 1937 in Atchison, Kansas the fourth of seven children of Laurence Anthony Mullins and Mary Angela Bergan. Her father was a football star under the famous Knute Rockne and later a successful coach and athletic director. The family was a close knit and happy one, formed by the Christian example of their parents, with the siblings working, playing, and supporting one another. The family Rosary was a must each night, bonding them even closer through their love of Mary. Kathleen was a good student, a cheerleader, and, as to be expected, loved and participated in every sport, winning awards in baseball and basketball. She heard the call to religious life on October 25, 1953, the feast of Christ the King, when she was 16 years old. That very evening she told her parents of her decision and received their wholehearted support. Despite being refused by Maryknoll (she was “too young”), which she at first tried to join and then then more than a dozen Carmels to whom she wrote, she did not give up. Providentially, she wrote to Mother Theresa Margaret Hermes in Lafayette. From Mother’s first letter to Kathleen it was “love at first sight.” She entered the Lafayette Carmel on September 24, 1954 when she was seventeen years old, bringing with her an enthusiasm and exuberance that never waned. “The thrill of waking up each morning in Carmel, kissing my scapular, and renewing my consecration to Our Lady is unbounded joy,” she would later say. Mother Regina was a hard worker and served the community in many capacities: as seamstress and infirmarian, in the kitchen and sacristy, as correspondent, Council Sister, and Prioress. She worked very closely with the late Mother Theresa Margaret, co-foundress of the Lafayette Carmel. Mother Regina’s spirituality, wisdom, dedication to Carmel, generosity, and wholehearted gift of self to her community and to others in Christ-like love is a legacy that will never be forgotten.
