THE CHARTER

The charter of the Teams of Our Lady is the founding document of the Movement created by Father Caffarel. It is the basic reference text for couples who meet as a team and belong to the Movement. The Charter outlines what each member is asked to observe so as to live fully their vocation of baptised married people.

The Charter asks team members, among other things, to read the Word of God regularly and to practise daily quiet prayer (1972 issue). The methods of Teams help team members to deepen their religious knowledge so as to adapt their lives to the demands of Christ. The charter encourages fraternal friendship and spiritual and material mutual-help within the team. It describes the structures of the Movement that constitutes an important support for every couple in practising daily their commitments and resolutions.

THE ORGANISATION OF THE TEAMS

THE RESPONSIBLE COUPLE

One short formula defines their role and underlines their importance: “They are the guardians of brotherly love”. It is their job to see that their teams successfully live up to the ideal of evangelical charity, and that each couple finds in them the help they need. The Responsible Couple are strongly advised to prepare the monthly meeting with the team chaplain. It is they who keep in contact with the Leaders of the Movement and in that way with the whole Movement.

Each month they send a report of their team’s activity to their Liaison Couple. These reports are a source of information and benefit to all the other Teams through the Monthly Letter. The reports also serve reveal any slackness in a team, which the Leaders of the Movement can proceed to correct. Any team which cannot or will not cooperate will be asked to withdraw. Such discipline is necessary. How many organizations die out, slowly smothered by the weight of passive members who ought to have been asked to leave? If the Responsible couple is obligated to ask a couple to withdraw because of their unwillingness to observe the obligations of the Teams, the Responsible Couple should make it clear to them that, although their leaving is in the general interest, the team’s affection for them will not change. The Responsible Couple will take care that the contacts and friendly ties with them continue. The Responsible Couple cannot successfully fulfill their role without recourse to prayer. This is why husband and wife undertake, unless it is impossible for some serious reason, to go to Mass once during the week and to devote ten minutes daily to mental prayer.

THE ROLE OF THE PRIEST IN THE TEAM

Each team must secure the help of a priest to serve as its spiritual counselor or chaplain. No program of work can take the place of the doctrinal and spiritual support of a priest. He not only lays down principles, but he also helps the couples to find ways to put them into practice in their everyday lives. This collaboration is rewarding: the chaplain and the couples learn to understand, appreciate and help one another. The couples adopt the apostolic intentions of the priest and the priest, at Mass, remembers these couples whose efforts, struggles and aspirations he knows so well.

STARTING A NEW TEAM

A new team must be started with care. If the beginning is made too hastily without a thorough explanation of the purpose and the methods of the Movement, almost certain failure can be expected. Careful preparation is necessary; atleast three meetings should be devoted to reading and discussing the Charter, under direction of a “Pilot Couple”. the new team many then apply for temporary admission.

After a period of no less than a year, the team may ask to make its “commitment”. If this is granted, the members of the new team, in the presence of a couple chosen by the Leaders of the Movement, will formally undertake to keep faithfully the Charter for the Teams of Our Lady, both in spirit and in the letter.

ADMITTING A NEW COUPLE TO A TEAM

The newcomers must acquaint themselves with the Charter. The Responsible Couple or one of the team couples will help them to study the Charter and gradually to practice the obligations. After a loyal trial of at least one year, they will ask to make their commitment.

This they will do with the team, when the other members renew their commitment. It may be asked how such newcomers can acquire the solid grounding that the others have obtained by studying the basic subjects of conjugal and family spirituality. It is the Responsible Couple who will help them study these subjects and, if circumstances require it, will excuse them from having to answer the present study topic of their team.

THE MONTHLY LETTER

A close liaison is essential between the Leaders of the Movement and all the other teams, no matter how far away they may be. No less important are the friendly links between teams, built on mutual acquaintance, fellowship and prayer.

The Monthly Letter, sent to each couple establishes and maintains this dual liaison-vertical and horizontal. It contains news of the teams, a report of the most interesting experiences, the editorial (reference to which has been made earlier), the prayers for the Monthly meeting, and general information.

THE LIAISON, SECTOR AND REGIONAL COUPLE

Although very useful, the Monthly Letter is not sufficient to ensure that the ties between the Leaders of the Movement and all the teams be as close and as fruitful as possible. Such is the task entrusted to the different levels of leadership in the Movement.

Each team is in the care of the Liaison Couple; the Liaison Couples are each responsible for about five teams. The teams are further more grouped into sectors, the sectors in the regions. Couples responsible for sectors and regions take charge of the Teams in their areas, meeting their needs and guiding their development.

The frequent contacts of the Liaison, Sector and Regional Couples with the Leaders of the Movement enable these couples to pass on their direction and, the same time, keep them informed of the wishes and needs of the teams. In this way the teams are linked to the Leaders of the Movement by bonds of mutual understanding and not by purely administrative chains of command.

THE LEADERS OF THE MOVEMENT

The Movement is in the care of group of priests and couples, who form not merely an administrative body but also serve to give leadership to the entire movement. Their mission is to keep the spirit of the Teams alive and the discipline firm.

They must live close to God in prayer and close to the teams in sympathetic friendship.

For their part, members of the teams should support the Leaders by their prayers and should help them by their observations and suggestions.

Couples do not consider joining the Teams of Our Lady and accepting the Charter as a goal achieved but rather as a starting point. Love is the law of the Christian couple, and as love has no limits, love knows no rest.

8th December on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, 1947
Revised and corrected, May 1962
Translated from the French original, Dec.1963
Revised and corrected, Nov.1967

P.S. The Charter of Teams of Lady is not irrevocable. In order to meet the requirement of the Movement as it develops, the Charter needs to be kept up to date by the Leaders of the Movement, acting either on their own initiative or on that of the Team members. The Leaders of Movement do not authorize any group of couples, acting independently of the Movement, to call itself a Team of Our Lady.