The rise of single parent households, cohabitation, divorce, and the push
for a new social order encompassing same-sex unions, have done substantial
damage to the institution of marriage and family life.
Add to that an increasing social hostility to traditional Christian morals,
and the result is what we see around us: a difficult world for Christian
families.
Recognizing those trends in the early 1980s, one parish in Manila, in the
Philippines, had the foresight to begin reaching out specifically to married
couples.
Now, that ministry, which began in a private home with a handful of couples,
has grown into Couples for Christ, an international lay association recognized
by the Vatican.
“There is something for everyone — for every moment of life,”
said Lem De Guzman, who became a member with his wife nine years ago. They
are parishioners at St. Eleanor Parish in Collegeville.
“It’s really hard to be a couple today, with all the challenges,”
De Guzman said. “But being a Couple for Christ, and serving in the
parish, gives hope to others that we’re united — that we love
God and each other, and that we are willing to make sacrifices.
“We witness to what family life is really about,” he said.
In fact, the association is sowing its seeds worldwide by bolstering the
spiritual life of couples, and establishing its principles in families that,
like the De Guzmans, are committed to the work of Catholic evangelization.
The association made its way to Philadelphia at the invitation of Cardinal
Anthony Bevilacqua, who encountered it when he visited the Philippines,
according to Father Efren Esmilla. The Pastor of Our Lady of Hope Parish
in Philadelphia and the chaplain to the Filipino community, Father Esmilla
is spiritual director of the lay association in the Archdiocese.
“He was really impressed with it, so he wanted to bring it to the
Archdiocese,” said Father Esmilla, who accompanied him on his trip.
A separate group had already formed in New Jersey around the same time,
and those couples provided a series of formation classes for the Philadelphia
couples.
Today, there are more than 100 members in the Philadelphia-Delaware chapter, and Couples for Christ continues to grow in the Archdiocese.
Its influence remains, as yet, mainly in the Filipino community, but the
association is making efforts to include people of other races and ethnic
groups — reflecting the way in which chapters around the world have
grown — especially in Latin American countries, De Guzman said.
For his wife and him, he said, the association “is an add-on to our
Catholic faith. It’s deepened our faith, and has helped us learn how
to live it out in our everyday lives, as a couple and a family.”
Through Couples for Christ, the De Guzmans have come to understand more
clearly the Church’s teaching on Christian marriage.
They have studied Pope John Paul II’s encyclical on Christian family
and his Theology of the Body teachings. They have also been mentored by
older couples, and have attended retreats and workshops to strengthen their
marital relationship.
“Things are never perfect in a marriage.” De Guzman said. “We
have learned to communicate better and, when we have arguments, we resolve
them sooner.”
In addition to helping couples understand their roles in marriage, the association
helps them in their roles as parents who must teach and pass on the Catholic
faith to their children. That is why ongoing study, mentorship and community
building are key, De Guzman said.
It’s a family ministry, after all. Under its umbrella, Couples for
Christ offers several related groups, among them, Kids for Christ, Singles
for Christ, Widows for Christ, and Consecrated for Christ — making
it an organization that the whole family can become involved in. And it
encourages its members to serve the Church through their parishes and various
service projects — to promote life, family values and the faith.
“Most important,” said De Guzman of the faith, “is living
it.”
The association is free, and all that is required is that interested couples
attend the Christian Life program, a series of talks that introduces them
to the mission of Couples for Christ and prepares them to make the commitment
to grow as a Christian family.
“It’s a very vibrant and engaging movement that just celebrated
25 years,” Father Esmilla said. “Members are always ready to
give their time and talents to the Church.”
CS&T staff writer Nadia Pozo may be reached at npozo@adphila.org
or (215) 965-4614.
How to join
To learn more about Couples for Christ in the Philadelphia Archdiocese,
visit www.cfc-pa.us.
To learn about the lay association’s international scope,
visit www.cfcglobal.org.ph
Or call (610) 454-7754 for more information.
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