Homepage     Newsletters 

Fransalian International

"Be what you are, Be at its best!"      - St. Francis de Sales

Editorial  An experience of Fr. General SFS   Basic is what I like         The Birth of Bero in Chad Franco-Suisse Province Diaconate of Bro. Jean-Yves Le Tue Apostolate of Education A Home for the Street children Fransalian Communications MSFS Mission, Koratla Fransalian Documentation Centre  Fr. Emile Mayoraz Academic Block     Vol. 5  No. 1  2003

Fransalian International

I have been fortunate in being associated with a form of ministry known as "Teams of Our Lady" which I feel has tremendous value for married couples and also for me in my pastoral work and in my own spiritual growth. While I am the chaplain to a group I gain far more than I give. The Teams of Our lady was formed in 1947 by Fr Caffarel and in over 50 years it has grown into a huge international movement that encompasses 53 countries. I suppose we can get the goal and aim of Teams in an extract from its original charter: Christ appeals to each one of us to 'Come, follow me'. He calls us individually and also as married couples. He invites us to be open to His love so that we can share His love with others. There are couples and families who respond to that invitation, aware of their vulnerability, but also with the confidence of their love for each other. They trust in the support of families helping each other and in Christ's promise, 'Where two or three are gathered in my name there am I in their midst.' These couples form a Team and with the helping hand of the movement develop their love of God, each other and the family."

A roster is kept and we meet once a month in one of the couples houses for a simple evening meal, which is prepared by the host. The same roster will also dictate which couple will choose the subject for discussion and lead the prayer sessions for that evening. Ideally there are five couples to each Team along with a Team Chaplain (usually a priest), who is present as spiritual advisor.

A quarterly Newsletter is issued by the organisation which sets out for each monthly meeting a short scripture reading for meditation followed by a Psalm, then a concluding prayer. Provided these items are incorporated, the format of each meeting is left to the individual Team. We imagine that our Team like all others is run along the lines that best suits its own particular members.

The format for our own Team meeting is as follows: We begin with a hymn, which is followed by a prayer selected and read aloud by the leading couple. After this we follow the monthly prayers as laid out in the Newsletter, giving special attention to the passage provided for meditation. When confronted with a particularly difficult piece of scripture our Chaplain can then view for himself the bemused faces around the table and come to the rescue!

Following this we take about an hour in which we 'eat and share'. During this period each couple take it in turn to describe any 'highs and lows' that they or their family have experienced during the past month. This can be a very important time for those participating. It provides an opportunity for an individual or couple to air a grievance about some occurrence that has taken place recently and is personal to them, or to share in any happy events involving themselves or the family. The general rule is that no questions are asked of those sharing unless they specifically invite others to comment. Also it is of paramount importance to remember that nothing is ever repeated outside the confines of the meeting.

In addition, during the 'sharing' individuals can declare how well they are progressing with any personal endeavours they may have set for themselves. This might be described as a New year resolution of the spiritual kind, or possibly they will have been working on some character trait of their own which may have needed a minor correction in order to leave them a more fulfilled and happier individual.

Another Team activity, which is encouraged, particularly for those who lead busy working lives, is that sometime during the month they sit down together and simply talk about any problems they may be experiencing.

Once sharing is completed, business matters, if any, are attended to (such as forthcoming events within Teams and the collection of subscriptions etc). Following this there is usually about half an hour's discussion on the subject chosen by the lead couple, which although often close to religious affairs, is sometimes of a fairly controversial nature to ensure some lively comments. "Finally, we spend a few minutes of personal intercessions on which we collectively respond, then a last hymn, again chosen by the lead couple. Our ending prayer is the Magnificat, which we recite together. The whole meeting usually takes just over two hours, and how time flies!"

There is an old saying that goes, "The family that prays together stays together" and teams personify this statement. I think of teams as an extended family, and the meetings as a true powerhouse of prayer enlivened by the Spirit. I imagine that the early Christians, long before they built churches, would come to meet like this in one another's homes to break bread together and to pray. Also I believe, that if it should ever come to pass that the formal structure of Christianity was ever destroyed, and no church buildings left standing, any remaining believers would revert to the informal prayer meetings and sharing in what we today know as teams. Teams are very basic and basic is what I like!

Fr Martin Griffin, msfs