Couples for Christ marks 10th year

Couples for Christ marks 10th year

TORONTO–Couples for Christ (CFC) celebrates its 10th year of presence in the GTA. CFC is a Catholic Community that started in the Philippines in 1981. The community has grown from an original group of 16 couples to approximately 1.4 million active members in 108 countries. In Toronto, the original 12 couples who attended the Christian Life Program in 1994 have grown to a population of over 3,000— Filipinos and non-Filipinos.

CFC is a lay arm of the Roman Catholic Church in the work of family renewal and evangelization. It has a number of bishops as its spiritual directors. The Catholic Bishop’s Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has granted Couples for Christ recognition as a Private Association on the Lay Faithful in accordance to Canons 321-329 of the Code of Canon Law. Furthermore, CFC operates under the auspices of the Family Life and/or evangelization offices of parishes and dioceses throughout the world. In the GTA, CFC is closely associated with numerous parishes where CFC members serve in different capacities as Eucharistic ministers, lectors, deacons, or volunteers. CFC worked with the Archdiocese of Toronto as a frontrunner in significant tasks during the WYD in 2002.
The 3,000-strong CFC membership is under the spiritual direction of Fr. Mark Villanueva and Fr. John Henry.

CFC has programs for every member of the family: CFC Kids for Christ—for children of CFC members ages 4 – 11. CFC Youth for Christ— for children of CFC and non-CFC members ages 12 – 21. CFC Singles for Christ -for single men and women ages 22 – 40. CFC Handmaids of the Lord – for widows, mature single women, divorced women and single mothers. CFC Servants of the Lord — for widowers, mature single men, divorced men and single fathers. There are also programs that provide services for family enrichment and education along natural family planning and adult relationships through the CFC FEED ministry. The CFC Flame Ministry publishes print and audio/video materials on the spiritual, social and family events of the Couples for Christ worldwide. And for the socially conscious, there is ANCOP, a registered international charity arm supporting the community development project: Gawad Kalinga.

In celebration of its 10th anniversary, members of Couples for Christ and its Family and Social Ministries will be gathering at a picnic on August 8th at Milne Park, Markham (north of Steeles, along McCowan). A fitting dinner/dance party will follow on August 14th, with a celebration of the Holy Mass, 5 pm at St. John’s Hall, 2185 Stavebank Road, Mississauga.

For more information: please call the CFC offices at 416-321-1937 or 905-564-8539.

(PRESS RELEASE)