Father Caffarel (1903-1996) had a deeply held conviction that couples were made for happiness. He had his own personal conversion experience at the age of 20.
After the approach from the newly married d’Heilly’s, Father Caffarel and the four couples held their first “Team” meeting on 25th February 1939. After the end of the war, the Teams began to grow in number. Father Caffarel accompanied and helped to develop the movement and its charism for many years as it grew and spread throughout the world.
On recognition of his work, there has been a move to develop a cause for his canonisation, and this reached a crucial stage on the 18th October 2014, when the first stage of this cause was formally closed and the documentation sent to Rome. This ceremony, which included the sealing of the boxes holding the documentation, and concluding with a Mass celebrating his life, took place in Paris, attended by many couples from Teams.
Father Caffarel constantly wrote his reflections for the Teams bulletin “L’Anneau d’Or” – “The Golden Ring”. This was published from 1945 to 1967. They are written in French. Sr Fernanda Barbiero presented a reflection of the magazine at the Friends Symposium in 2017.
Conjugal Love provides the reader with deep insights into the wonder and greatness of Christian marriage; its sacramentality, spirituality and the challenges of the lived experience in an increasingly busy world.