|
Equipes Notre Dame Teams |
Equipes Notre-Dame (Teams) - a movement of Christian married couples - is primarily intended as support for the spiritual development of those who have made the lifetime vow to commit themselves to each other and a family. The Teams movement has always invited priests and religious to be spiritual counsellors.
Couples need support, but so do priests and religious. We all know that “community” offers spiritual, practical and human support that enables personal growth. Today, support for priests who have taken lifetime vows of celibacy is more important than ever. This is especially necessary for those engaged in parish work where the understanding of marriage and family life is critical to their approach in dealing with families in their pastoral care.
The precise role of a priest, nun or other religious member in a Team depends on their own and the team’s skills and circumstances. Often a chaplain, if we are to use that simplified title, can contribute, more than most, to scriptural interpretation and guidance about moral teachings. However, it is recognised that all team members contribute communally through prayer, reflection and the influence of the Holy Spirit. Collaborative ministry in today’s Church calls us to a new type of relationship between priests and laity, compared to the past. The Teams approach is consistent with new approaches to parish life that actively seek to involve all in our journey together. The success of such ‘journeys’ will be due to more than just organisational matters, they will rely on ‘relationships’ and shared responsibility. Teams can help foster such collaborative relationships.
Joining teams does not take away valuable time but Teams can help achieve that ‘balance’ of work and personal growth through support and communal friendship.
For me it is a means of feeding my ministry through a group of committed married couples who share their faith and their struggles. It is an opportunity for me as a priest to listen in a very privileged way to the concerns of the people. To be able to be in touch with those people who have made a different commitment to my vow of celibacy.
A team meets to share many of the most important aspects of the Christian life: prayer, company, a meal, discussion and support for all the members in their spiritual endeavours as couples and as individuals. This can be of enormous support to a priest in his ministry. The Team can help him to keep his eyes on the things of heaven and his feet firmly on the ground, all at the same time. I value my monthly team meeting as an opportunity to give and to share essential and friendly spiritual help.
I express my gratitude to the spiritual counsellors who make themselves available for you. They bring their competence and experience to your lay movement. By means of their collaboration, priests and couples learn to understand, appreciate and help one another.