April 2026 Monthly Letter

Venerable Henri Caffarel

Our founder, Father Henri Caffarel, has been declared Venerable!  On March 23, Pope Leo XIV received Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, and authorized the publication of the decree recognizing the heroic virtues of Father Henri Caffarel (1903-1996), founder of Teams of Our Lady.  This decree grants him the title of "venerable."  This is an incredible moment of joy for the 150,000 members of Teams of Our Lady worldwide and one that we should share with married couples around the world.  

Hope and Joy Await

Holy Week is upon us!  We are about to be plunged into the spiritual darkness of the Triduum knowing that the hope and joy of Easter Sunday is just a few days away!  God never abandons us. The Holy Spirit is always there to guide us through our daily lives, through the big and little events, circumstances, and situations of life.  In Teams of Our Lady, a situation that can feel big and dark is when a team loses existing couples from the team.  With confidence in God’s providence, we can mourn that which is lost and face the difficult change.  We know that God’s plans are always more perfect than our own.  With God's help, we can face this change with hope and joy.  Below is some guidance on how to proceed if you are experiencing a change in the composition of your team. 

Rebuilding Teams

In our continued series of "Team Formation", last month, we discussed the piloting process.  This month, as we conclude the series, we want to discuss rebuilding teams.

Sometimes, things just don’t work out, despite all our best efforts. There are several reasons that a team may lose couples or even disband. This is when prayer can change hearts. It is critical that a Sector Responsible Couple visit with the couples to determine what each couple is thinking and feeling about continuing in the Movement now or maybe later.  It is important to acknowledge the hurt of losing a couple(s) from the team, even if the reason for leaving the team is totally understandable.

Prayer is also critical for the remaining remnant of the team. It can seem uncomfortable to think about adding new couples to your team.  "How will this change our team dynamic?"  "Will new couples really fit with our team?"  "Do we have to repilot?"  These are some of the concerns we have heard from teams needing to add couples. Prayer will lead you to the answers to these questions and prepare hearts for the change in team dynamics.

When discerning adding couples to your team, think about the following factors and discuss them with your Sector Responsible Couple:

• It is best practice to add more than one couple to an existing team, if possible.
• Consider the option of combining two existing teams that each need additional couples to be a team of 5-7 couples.
• Consider adding couples previously on a team to the existing team.  Sometimes, couples just need to step away from the Movement for a few years due to life’s circumstances or experiences and are happy to rejoin the Movement at a later time.
• Invite new couples to an Information Meeting with the option to join an existing team.

Once new members are added to an existing team, there are options for Repiloting. This is critical for the rebuilt team to share formation, just as the previous team had that opportunity. Accompaniment is a hallmark of the Movement and can not be short-changed or side-stepped. The following are ways to pilot new couples onto an existing team and should be discussed with your Sector Responsible Couple before proceeding.

• Traditional piloting with an external Pilot Couple:  The Sector RC assigns a Pilot Couple to accompany the entire team through the piloting process using the USA-SR Piloting Material. This Pilot Couple is NOT a member of this team but from another team in the Sector or Region.  Your Study Topic for the next year is the Piloting Material.
• Traditional piloting with an internal Pilot Couple:  This assumes the existing team has a well-formed, trained Pilot Couple as part of the existing team membership. This couple can serve as the Pilot Couple and guide the team through the piloting process using the USA-SR Piloting Material.  Your Study Topic for the next year is the Piloting Material.
• Concurrent piloting with a Pilot Couple:  The new couples joining the existing team meet once a month with a trained Pilot Couple (either internal or external) to go through the USA-SR Piloting Material.  In addition, the new couples also meet monthly with their new team members and follow the Study Topic being used by the team.  This option requires the new couples to attend two meetings per month which could be difficult for them.
• Concurrent team couple to new couple piloting overseen by a Pilot Couple:  A trained Pilot Couple assigns specific chapters in the USA-SR Piloting Material to each existing team couple. The existing team couples rotate meeting with the new couples once a month outside of their regularly scheduled team meetings.  This allows the new couples to get to know each of the existing couples as they go through the piloting process.  This option also requires the new couples to attend two meetings per month which could be difficult for them.  A trained Pilot Couple closely follows the team development process and stays in contact with the couples on the team.

Magnificat - Spring 2026 Issue has Arrived

The Spring 2026 issue of the Magnificat will be arriving in your mailboxes this month.  Click Here to access the electronic version on the website.  Thank you to Carolyn Audije, Jacksonville FL 06, for all her hard work to create such a visually pleasing and cohesive publication.  Also, thank you to Larry, her husband, for all of his support of this good work!

Letters from International Responsible Team (ERI) 

We are excited to share with you two letters received from members of the International Responsible Team.  The first letter is from Cristiane & Antonio Brito, Liaison Couple for the Americas Zone.  Their theme is  “Mission in Teams of Our Lady”.  They are inviting us to reflect on our availability, how we welcome each call as a gift from God, and how we all share the responsibility to contribute to the Movement, not just to receive.

The second letter is from Fr. Augusto Garcia, ERI Spiritual Counselor.  He continues the series on “The Spiritual Counsellors and Advisors of Teams in the Teachings of the Popes”.  In this issue, he reflects on the message Pope Paul VI addressed to the Spiritual Counsellors at the Fifth International Gathering in Rome (1976), highlighting the richness of their pastoral service within Teams.

New Retreat Resources on Member Portal 

Have you seen them?!  There are new retreat resources available inside the member portal.  Go check them out especially if your team is beginning preparations for the annual retreat.  Many thanks to Marie Kelly and Carrie Taylor, both from Cypress TX 01 for the wonderful retreat ideas and content and for the beautiful, easy to read formatting!

 Have You Registered?

We are striving for all active members in Teams to register with the Member Portal on the website.  Have you registered?  If not, please search your inbox for a personalized email sent to you on 04/01/2026 with your own unique registration link.  (If you did NOT receive the email, that should mean you are already registered.)  This Member Portal is for members only and contains many valuable resources for your use.  We would like at least one person from each household to register to access this information. 

Our goal for 2026 is to achieve total registrations of 4,116 (2,026 more than we had on Jan 1).  As of today, we have 2,600 registered, which is 181 more since last month and 1,516 from our goal!  Please help us reach this goal and spread the word to your local teams about the importance of registering.  If you have any questions or concerns, please contact technology@teamsofourlady.org 

Have You Contributed?

Another goal of 2026, is to increase the percentage of contributions to the Movement in the USA Super Region.  For the past several years, 23-24% of the total households have financially contributed.  For 2026, our participation goal is 46%.  In Teams, we are builders of one another's faith life with mutual aid, encouragement, and witness.  One of our membership responsibilities is contributing annually to the Movement.  Although the Movement suggest one day's wage, we are not concerned with the dollar amount, only that as many participate in some way as possible.  As of today, 3.74% of active member households have made a contribution for 2026.  We, as a Movement, must think about building.  Our founder, Venerable Henri Caffarel, made this very clear...

"A movement declines toward death when its members stop thinking like builders and start thinking like tenants." - Fr. Caffarel

2026 USA-SR National Mixed Teams Night

Mark your calendars!  The 5th annual USA Super Region National Mixed Teams Night is scheduled for Saturday, August 22, 2026.  The registration form is open.  We look forward to spending an evening with Teams couples from all around the United States as well as Trinidad & Tobago.  We will offer mixed teams in English, Spanish, and Portuguese depending on demand.  Register today and plan to join us!  Scan the QR code or click the image to register.

April 2026 Prayer Service

Please find the April Prayer Service prepared by Fr. Eli Lopez, USA-SR Spiritual Counselor, reflecting on the eighth chapter of the new 2025-2025 Study Topic, “Love is Much More Than Love”. 

We are praying that each of us experience a blessed Triduum and a very Happy Easter!  Our Lady, Queen of Teams, pray for us!

Peace, Greg & Melanie