Couples for Christ Canada had its beginnings in 1993 when three CFC couples from Manila met (under circumstances only God could have arranged for them), in the city of Richmond, British Columbia where they and their families had settled as immigrants, and came together to pray, share and fellowship in weekly household meetings. The three pairs were Jojie and Marilen Catibog, Tito and Raffy Macapinlac, and Louie and Angie Untalan.
Within a short span of time, a series of efforts ensued in order to secure official blessing and permission from the Archbishop, Most Rev. Adam Exner, for Couples for Christ to be established in the Vancouver archdiocese.
Andy Lising served as first Country Coordinator for Canada . Ricky Cuenca would take over this responsibility in 1996. Members of the International Mission from the Philippines visited Vancouver regularly during the community’s early years, set pastoral and leadership directions for the community and encouraged everyone to persevere in prayers and good deeds in anticipation of the eventual granting of the official recognition from the archdiocese. At this time, federal incorporation papers were filed with the Ministry of Industry, Canada and CFC was duly incorporated as a non-profit Canadian corporation on March 31, 1994.
The Vancouver Archbishop finally gave the archdiocese’s official recognition and permission for CFC to conduct its activities, particularly its CLPs and youth camps, on February 14, 1995 – through an official letter in which he also named the community’s Spiritual Director, Fr. Peter Chiang, now pastor of St. Paul ‘s parish in Richmond . The community erupted in jubilation.
The work proceeded at a rapid pace from then on. Over the years, mission teams were sent out to many Canadian cities. At present, CFC is in eight of the 10 Canadian provinces: Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Newfoundland (currently inactive), Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec and Saskatchewan, and is poised to open new areas in the 3 Canadian territories – Northwest Territories, The Yukon, and Nunavut.
CFC Canada has been indefatigable in its efforts to truly win the whole country for Christ. CFC even gave real meaning to the word “ecumenism” when it conducted the first CLP in a Church outside of a Roman Catholic one – in a Lutheran Church in Scarborough – with Lutherans as participants. The CLP may well go down also in the record books of Emmanuel Lutheran Church as the first joint cooperative effort with a lay community in Canada.
CFC Canada is also the mission center for several Africa mission areas: Nigeria , Ghana , Togo and Benin, Sierra Leon . CFC Canada is also the mission center for Bermuda in the Caribbean.
The community’s family ministries are well in place. The social ministries are also doing well in Canada and already established in all the Canadian CFC areas. Our work with the poor through ANCOP is receiving strong support from CFC Canada.
National leadership in CFC Canada is provided by the CFC Canada National Council, chaired by Nick Borja.
