CCL Europe Newsletter number 21, December 2009 |
||
| To CCL teaching couples and promoters, friends and benefactors The annual conference of teaching couples, promoters, candidates and those interested in becoming active members of our CCL branches in the Czech and Slovak Republics took place this year in Slovakia. It alternates between our two countries. The venue is chosen to be close to the borders, so as to be accessible to as many as possible. This conference was the 16th, and the number attending has been growing steadily over the years, so that this year there were 17 couples from Slovakia and 10 from the Czech Republic. As usual there were as many children, including teenagers, as adults. The programme included technical questions on NFP and breast-feeding as well as moral questions. These conferences are highly valued by all of us, above all for providing a means of building fellowship between the families, for giving us mutual support in our apostolate and keeping up-to-date with personal news and developments. It was the first two-generation conference we have had so far, in which the son of one of our teaching couples, and his newly-wedded bride, have also applied to be trained as a teaching couple. At present we have 10 teaching couples in the Czech Republic, including 2 couples who have received their certificates this year, and there are 4 candidate couples. CCL in Slovakia has 9 teaching couples (+ 1 in England), but also 3 consultants (women who have been trained in the STM, but do not teach courses) and several active promoters. CCL in Slovakia is more active than CCL of the Czech Republic, even though Slovakia has only half the number of inhabitants (5 million as opposed to 10 million), because there are more Catholics (and Protestants) in Slovakia. Nevertheless, even in the Czech Republic we have been gradually experiencing an increase in interest. After 18 years of activity I suppose we are gradually becoming more well-known and accepted. Perhaps it could also be that some women at least are realising that “The Pill” is not so wonderful as it has been touted. International A couple of weeks ago we were visited by two young men from White Russia. One of them, a Greek Catholic priest, understands a little English but has difficulty in communicating in it. The other, a Roman Catholic lay theologian, can speak English well. They are both very active in the pro-life movement, both are married and teach NFP, the STM according to what is known as the “English method”. So we were able to exchange information about our mutual activities. Last month a lady from Slovenia sent me an e-mail, surprised and pleased to know that there actually is a branch of CCL in Europe. (Actually there are several.) She has been communicating with our founders, the Kippleys, and was interested in our approach, so I sent her copies of our English manual and other materials. In case you don’t quite know where Slovenia is, it is a small country of 2 million inhabitants, originally part of the former Yugoslavia and bordering on Italy, Austria, Hungary and Croatia. It is as yet too early to say, but we could be travelling to Slovenia to help start up a branch there. The lady is a professional translator, so there should be no difficulty in producing the materials. Although we can balance our books for our work in the Czech Republic, run exclusively by volunteers, we still need extra money for helping out in other countries, especially in Slovakia, where Jozef needs to be able to support his family and spend as much time as possible for the work of CCL Slovakia, but also in Georgia, and as you see, potentially in further countries. We are grateful for any donations you can afford, to help in this work. During Advent we prepare to celebrate the birth of Christ at Christmas. He was born to exemplary parents – his mother, the Immaculate Virgin Mary and his foster father Saint Joseph. Apparently God the Father considered it desirable, important or even, in his own economy of salvation, necessary, for his Son to be born into a Holy Family. In our own time we experience unprecedented attacks on the family from all sides. It is in this context that we understand our work of promoting and teaching NFP. If we can help couples to live a chaste married life, then that is a defence against one line of attack. We pray for your families and wish you the Divine blessing as you celebrate Christmas with them. Donations for Slovakia should be sent preferably to Jozef Predac, Slovenskej armady 15, 953 01 Zlate Moravce, Slovakia, payable to “Jozef Predac” or “Liga par paru v Slovenskej republike”. Donations for Georgia (or the Czech Republic or Slovakia) may be sent (in any currency) to me (payable to “David Prentis” or “Liga par paru Ceske republiky, o.s.”). They may be earmarked for “Slovakia” or “Georgia” or the “Czech Republic”. You will find full details at http://www.lpp.cz/?a=20&id=59 . For anyone wishing to donate by electronic credit transfer account details can be provided. UK residents may send cheques payable to “The Couple to Couple League” to CCL of Great Britain, 44 Park Street, Beeston, Nottingham, NG9 1DF. Irish residents may send cheques payable to “The Couple to Couple League” to Andrew & Catherine Breen, 102 Rosewood Est, Ballincollig, Co Cork. US and Canadian residents may send cheques payable to “Peter von Buelow” to Peter & Leeta von Buelow, NFP Mission in Europe, 8444 Chamberlin Road, Dexter, Michigan, 48130. It should be stated in each case that the donation is for CCL Europe or Slovakia or Georgia. Money collected at these addresses will be forwarded to me or to Jozef. If this newsletter has been forwarded to you and you would like to be put on the mailing list, please send an E-mail to lpp@lpp.cz with SUBSCRIBE in the subject line. If you would NOT like to receive this newsletter in the future, please send an E-mail to lpp@lpp.cz with UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject line. If you change your E-mail address please inform me at lpp@lpp.cz. If you have any comments or questions please do write to me. God bless, David Prentis, with greetings from Mishka too |
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
| ||
| Couple to Couple League Czech Republic Kladno |
| ||
| Prentis David Kladno Czech Republic / |
IFFLP-FIDAF
Liaison Enlace Link Committee
| Contact e-mail | WEB Site - HOME |
This web site is the voice of the Link Committee. The Committee has the objective to maintain the links and to encourage communication between the associations that are interested in promoting the family life, natural family planning, (NFP) in a context of family life education (FLE) and in accordance with its basic philosophy
El Comité de Enlace tiene como objetivo mantener los lazos y favorecer la comunicación entre las asociaciones que se interesan a la Planificación Natural de la Família (PFN) en un contexto de Educación a la Vida Familiar (EVF) de acuerdo con los principios directores