Each year the Leading Team (ERI) and the responsible couples for the fourteen super regions meet to exchange information, to get to know each other and to pray together … to get to know the Lord and better understand the Charism of the Teams movement as developed by Fr Caffarel.
The 2023 College meeting was hosted by the Brazil super Region in their national shrine to Our Lady of Aparecida. The following provides an overview of the information we received during the six days.
Annette and Paul O’Beirne
Discern to Build
The theme of the college was “Discern to Build” from Luke 14:28-30. Clearly this can refer to the main object of Teams; to build our married spirituality. that is to better know Jesus, to better know our self and better know our spouse. It does of course also include building Church through our evangelisation and building Teams so others have the opportunity to develop their married spirituality.
The final video gives a great perspective on the theme!
About Brazil and Aparecida
A note on the Catholic Culture of Brazil – Brazil has a population of over 200k people. Half are Catholic and another 30% are evangelical Christian. So, it is not surprising that the National Shrine is the second largest in the world. <click here for more>
A note on the Catholic Church in Brazil – The general secretary to the bishop’s conference, Bishop Hoepers, presented an overview of the Church in Brazil. <Summary> <Full text>
Towards a Constitutively Synodal Church: Prof Rafael Luciani is a Venezualan lay theologian. A path of maturation in the reception of the Second Vatican Council <click here for full text> We found that Prof Luciani’s talk complemented the YouTube Talks by Austin Ivereigh that we have recently watched. – we recommend them to help understand the Synodal Process that the Church is developing. See https://youtu.be/9ITMHM6dqbo
About Fr Caffarel
Fr Caffarel was with us, in spirit and in his words and charism. There is an update on the process of his canonisation, on Friends of Fr Caffarel, on a presentation “The Importance of the Thinking of Fr Caffarel Today” by Fr Louis de Raynal – and news of the ‘Caffarel Team’ in Spain.
<Click here for our notes about the Friends and update on canonisation and links>
<Fr Louis’s Talk: The Importance of the Thinking of Fr Caffarel Today>
From the Satellite Teams.
The Satellite Team is a special team of couples and spiritual advisers who on the direction of the ERI consider a number of projects that will take work over a long time. They have completed the new piloting resource and a programme for supporting young married couples
New Piloting Material
A new piloting programme has been developed. It is available as pdf comprising a Piloting Couple manual and ten pamphlets for the new couples’ monthly sessions. It may be used or not, or adapted. the artwork is also provided so that local customisation can be made. <piloting couple’s manual> <meeting 1> <meeting 2> ask us for the other meetings.
Supporting young couples programme
All of know only too well, that there are stresses on life and on relationships. We understand that this can be particularly difficult for young couples, newly married. Especially understanding that their formation for marriage, moving from home, to singleness, perhaps to other relationships and then to their vow may need some support. The satellite team have created a 10 meeting programme to give couples an other opportunity of formation for marriage. It is intended to be presented in teams of 4 to 6 couples with a guiding couple. There are ‘study resources’ for the couple for each meeting to be looked at and discussed before the Team meeting – and a programme for each meeting. The selection of the videos is really good and enables discussion between the couple. As an example see ‘Wedding Cake‘. it is 8 minutes. For more information about how to work with this contact us or your regional couple.
Accompanying Couples in second relationships
The ERI presents a pastoral letter to the movement. Based on the guidance from Pope Francis in Amoris Laetitia, it encourages Teams couples to consider how they can accompany couples in second relationships whom they encounter in their parishes and communities. <click for letter to Teams couples>
Gifts to the Movement
A presentation by Paola and Giovanni, the treasurers, about the need for supporting the development of the movement internationally. – to be seen as ‘Gift’ rather than a membership subscription. It’s a gift so that we can enable to movement to develop, to support other couples, to engage with priests, parishes and bishops. So, perhaps “pay” in May is not quite the right phrase! – even though ‘pay a day’s earnings‘ was the expression used from the beginning by Fr Caffarel. <read the text here>
On formation
It has been clear that formation of couples is important, and that formation has usually been neglected by the Church across the world. Fr Caffarel recognised this and encouraged formation, not only through the endeavours and the Teams method, but through other programmes of learning. Teams was invited by the JPII institute to send 7 couples along with 7 from Marriage Encounter and 7 from Truth and Light. It was from October 2022 to July 2023 with in-person meetings in Rome beginning and end otherwise with monthly Zoom sessions. Couple committed to one evening’s study each week. From TransAtlantic, Mark and Anne O’Leary from Dublin were on the course. We will engage and discern further how we can use the insights from this course
Orientation for 2023 – 2024
The International Leading Team of END serves for 6 years. This is between International Gatherings, so we are now entering the 6th year of this ERI. The general orientation for 2018 – 2024 was “Do not be afraid, for I am with you. Do not be alarmed, for I am your God” the specific orientation for this coming year is Eucharist; Source of Mission
<click here for the presentation> <click here for the 2023-24 study topic>
