Father Caffarel

A BIOGRAPHY

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.

CAUSE FOR BEATIFICATION

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.

HENRI CAFFAREL BOOKS

There are many books written by Father Henri Caffarel, but not all are translated from the original French language to English.  Some of the English translations are:

• • • Marriage Is Holy, edited by Henri Caffarel, 1957
    • Being present to God “Letters on Prayer”, 1983
    • Love and Grace in Marriage, 1960
    • Conjugal Love by The Friends of Father Caffarel, 2020

Other Father Caffarel writings can be found by clicking on this link: Fr Caffarel Writings

CONJUGAL LOVE

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.

The book is a comprehensive study on the vocation of marriage based on the couples call to love.  Marriage is: “The only community based on a sacrament!”

Conjugal Love takes you through the journey couples make in Christian marriage, through all its stages, its highs and lows, its joys and crises.  The book has been translated by a working group of couples in Teams using the original texts in French.

FRIENDS OF FATHER CAFFAREL

The Friends of Father Caffarel was formed in 2005.  The Friends is an international association with the purpose of making the wisdom of Father Caffarel better known around the world.  It includes his showing his personality, his ideas on marriage and personal prayer, his spirituality – as well as working for, and supporting the cost, of promoting his canonisation.  The association is a charity under French law and as such is technically a separate legal entity to Equipes Notre Dame.

The association publishes a newsletter twice a year that is sent to all members. There is an annual subscription of €10.

For the latest news and bulletins click on this link: Friends of Fr Caffarel

Video made by Friends of Father Caffarel in 2020