Catholic Cell Groups

[anruari]

The problem of such group is that if you do not have a properly trained leader, you could mislead each other. The blind leading the blind. Remember that our Church relies on discipleship on passing the correct teaching. We must be disciples of one who the Church has made worthy a teacher. It could be a priest, a religious or even a lay person who received the proper training.

Cannon law allows for 2 specific type os associations or groups: Those of the Clergy. and Those of the Laity. Before the invention in V.C.II of the “Personal Prelature” the 2 forms could not be mixed. There is currently only 1 “Personal Prelature” (an organisation to which both the Laity and Ordained may belong) and that’s the Opus Dei. (however I believe Our current pope has recently offered to create a 2nd one for the SSPX if they come back into communion with Rome.)

normally, therefore, organisations or associations of the Lay faithful are called “Lay Ecclisial Organisations”. and the Vatican has a method of approving and vetting them, (but it takes time)

the catechism says this:

900 Since, like all the faithful, lay Christians are entrusted by God with the apostolate by virtue of their Baptism and Confirmation, they have the right and duty, individually or grouped in associations, to work so that the divine message of salvation may be known and accepted by all men throughout the earth. This duty is the more pressing when it is only through them that men can hear the Gospel and know Christ. Their activity in ecclesial communities is so necessary that, for the most part, the apostolate of the pastors cannot be fully effective without it.433

There are many lay ecclisial organisations, which are formally reccognised on an international basis, many already named and mentioned, plus local groups like local unaffiliated prayer-groups or bible study groups.
Taking part in this kind of group is not against the teaching of the Church, but very much in keeping with it. It gives the lay person an environment in which to inform his / her knowledge of The Lord, and his / her conscience. To form meaningful friendships with other Catholics, and a place to invite people to who you are trying to witness to / evangelize. (A little reminder taht the Mass, while the pinacle of christian worship and devotion, is not actually intended for the uninitiated, and until relatively recently, catechumenens (the un-baptized in the process of conversion) were expected to leave after the Homily and would be given catechises in a separate room.
Small personal groups give a much better environment where a potential convert or revert can be brought to sufficient knowledge about the Mass that they can have some understanding of what is going on before they are expected to attend Mass (which might otherwise appear meaningless to the average non-christian)

 

[parishcells3]

Catholic cell groups have been formalized into a worldwide Service Organism with Statutes and recognized by the Vatican since 2009 ad experimentum for 5 years.
The area promoters of cells for the USA are on their way to the International Seminar of Parish Cells of Evangelization in Milan which begins next week.
On the vigil of Pentecost this weekend, we will gather with other movements and groups
from around the world to celebrate with Pope Francis.
Anyone who is interested in learning more about this gift of the Holy Spirit for the new
evangelization may look us up on stedward.net in the USA or on the international site at
www.cells-evangelization.org.

May your parishes be blessed with the fire of the Holy Spirit!

 

[Vitalina]

My parish has a program called “Why Catholic” that resembles a cell group structure. Parishioners meet in groups at the homes of certain group members to pray together and discuss the faith. It’s different from the cell groups of Protestant churches, though, because the parishioners only meet for a few weeks a year instead of every week. I think it’s a great way to connect with the community and learn about Catholicism, unless the group’s full of “cafeteria Catholics”. I personally haven’t participated because I’m too shy for this sort of thing, but I think it’s a great way to grow in faith and feel a deeper connection to the Church.