CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................ 7 1.1 THE BEGINNINGS .......................................................................... 8 1.2 FATHER CAFFAREL ....................................................................... 10 2. REFERENCE DOCUMENTS OF THE MOVEMENT ............................ 12 2.1 THE CHARTER .............................................................................. 12 2.2 COMPLEMENTARY DOCUMENTS ................................................ 13 2.3 RECOGNITION OF TEAMS OF OUR LADY ..................................... 14 3. THE OBJECTIVES AND PROPOSALS OF TEAMS OF OUR LADY ........ 16 3.1 THE AIM OF TEAMS OF OUR LADY .............................................. 16 3.1.1 WHY “TEAM”? .......................................................................... 17 3.1.2 WHY TEAMS OF “OUR LADY”? ................................................. 17 3.2 THE PROPOSALS OF TEAMS OF OUR LADY ................................. 17 3.2.1 A Community of Christian couples ...................................... 17 3.2.2 In communion with the Catholic Church ............................. 19 3.2.3 Teams of Our Lady in the world ........................................... 20 3.2.4 The signs of the times .......................................................... 21 4. THE ESSENCE OF TEAMS OF OUR LADY ........................................ 23 4.1 “COME, FOLLOW ME” ................................................................. 23 4.2 THE CHARISM OF TEAMS OF OUR LADY ..................................... 23 4.3 THE SPIRITUALITY OF TEAMS OF OUR LADY ............................... 24 4.3.1 Meeting in the name of Christ ............................................. 25 4.3.2 Mutual aid ............................................................................ 26 4.3.3 Testimony............................................................................. 28 2 GUIDE TO THE TEAMS OF OUR LADY International Leading Team 2018 Edition 5. TEAMS’ PEDAGOGY .................................................................... 30 5.1 GUIDELINES FOR LIFE .................................................................. 31 5.1.1 To help each other progress in love of God: ....................... 32 5.1.2 To help each other progress in love of neighbour:.............. 32 5.2 THE ENDEAVORS ......................................................................... 33 5.2.1 Listening to the Word of God .............................................. 34 5.2.2 Personal Prayer .................................................................... 35 5.2.3 Conjugal Prayer .................................................................... 36 5.2.4 The Sit-Down ........................................................................ 38 5.2.5 The Rule of Life .................................................................... 39 5.2.6 The Annual Retreat .............................................................. 40 5.3 TEAM LIFE.................................................................................... 41 5.3.1 The Monthly Meeting .......................................................... 42 5.3.2 The Annual Review .............................................................. 48 5.3.3 Team Life outside of the Monthly Meeting ......................... 49 5.3.4 The Commitment ................................................................. 50 5.3.5 The Annual Contribution ...................................................... 51 6. ORGANIZATION OF TEAMS OF OUR LADY .................................... 53 6.1 THE SPIRIT OF THE ORGANIZATION ............................................ 53 6.2 THE TEAM .................................................................................... 54 6.2.1 The Responsible Couple ....................................................... 55 6.2.2 The Priest-Spiritual Counselor ............................................. 55 6.3 LEVELS OF RESPONSIBILITY AND ANIMATION ............................ 57 6.3.1 The Sector ............................................................................ 60 6.3.2 The Region ........................................................................... 61 6.3.3 The Province ........................................................................ 62 3 6.3.4 The Super Region ................................................................. 63 6.3.5 The Liaison Zone .................................................................. 64 6.3.6 The International Leading Team (ERI).................................. 65 6.3.7 The International College ..................................................... 67 6.3.8 Other particular cases (Sectors & Regions attached to the ERI) ....................................................................................................... 68 6.3.9 Temporary intermediate structures (Pre-Sectors & Pre- Regions) ......................................................................................... 69 7. LIFE OF THE TEAMS OF OUR LADY AS A MOVEMENT FUNCTIONS . 70 7.1 SPIRITUAL ANIMATION ............................................................... 70 7.1.1 Sector, Regional, Province, and Super Regional Meetings .. 71 7.1.2 International Gatherings ...................................................... 72 7.2 LIAISON ....................................................................................... 72 7.3 FORMATION ................................................................................ 74 7.3.1 Characteristics ...................................................................... 75 7.3.2 Initial Formation ................................................................... 77 7.3.3 Permanent Formation .......................................................... 79 7.3.4 Specific Formation ............................................................... 81 7.3.5 Involvement in activities outside the Movement ................ 83 7.4 DIFFUSION ................................................................................... 83 7.4.1 The Purpose of Diffusion ..................................................... 84 7.4.2 Information .......................................................................... 85 7.4.3 Expansion ............................................................................. 85 8. LIFE OF THE TEAMS OF OUR LADY AS A MOVEMENT SERVICE ...... 87 8.1 THE CALL TO SERVICE .................................................................. 87 8.2 STAGES IN THE CALL .................................................................... 88 4 8.3 RESPONSIBILITY AND COLLEGIALITY ........................................... 90 8.4 INTERNATIONALITY ..................................................................... 94 9. MISSION ..................................................................................... 97 9.1 VOCATION AND MISSION ........................................................... 97 9.2 TEAM MEMBERS’ MISSION ......................................................... 98 9.2.1 Mission in the Movement .................................................. 100 9.2.2 Mission in the Church ........................................................ 101 9.2.3 Mission in the World .......................................................... 102 9.3 THE MOVEMENT’S MISSION ..................................................... 103 10. THE INTERCESSORS ................................................................. 106 10.1 WHY WERE THE INTERCESSORS CREATED? ............................ 106 10.2 INTERCESSION – WHAT IS IT? ................................................. 106 10.3 THE PRACTICE OF INTERCESSION............................................ 107 10.4 THE INTERNATIONAL INTERCESSORS ANIMATING TEAM ...... 108 11. DOCUMENTS .......................................................................... 110 11.1 REFERENCE DOCUMENTS ....................................................... 110 11.2 DOCUMENTS ON PEDAGOGY ................................................. 110 11.3 DOCUMENTS ON THE LIFE OF THE MOVEMENT .................... 111 11.4 DOCUMENTS BY FATHER CAFFAREL ....................................... 112 5 APPENDICES ANNEXE 1 - THE CHARTER OF THE TEAMS OF OUR LADY (1947) ....... 113 ANNEXE 2 - WHAT IS A TEAM OF OUR LADY? (1977) ......................... 127 ANNEXE 3 - DISCOURSE BY FATHER CAFFAREL (1987) ....................... 135 ANNEXE 4 - THE SECOND WIND... (1988) ........................................... 159 ANNEXE 5 - VOCATION AND MISSION AT THE DAWN OF THE THIRD MILLENNIUM (2018) ........................................................................... 178 ANNEXE 6 - FIRST RECOGNITION OF TEAMS BY THE CHURCH (LETTER OF CARDINAL FELTIN) (1960) ................................................................... 202 ANNEXE 7 - DECREE OF RECOGNITION AS AN ASSOCIATION OF THE FAITHFUL (1992) ................................................................................. 206 ANNEXE 8 - CONFIRMATION OF THE DECREE OF RECOGNITION AND APPROVAL OF THE CANONICAL STATUTES (2002) ............................. 209 ANNEXE 9 - CONFIRMATION OF THE MODIFICATIONS TO THE TEAMS CANONICAL STATUTES FOLLOWING APPROVAL BY THE PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR THE LAITY (2014) .......................................................... 212 6 1. INTRODUCTION Christian couples, united by the Sacrament of Marriage, are called to follow Christ along the path of love, happiness, and holiness. Teams of Our Lady, a gift of the Holy Spirit, is offered to couples throughout the