Letter from the New Regional Couple, October 2025.

26 Oct Letter from the New Regional Couple, October 2025.

Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in
its various forms…so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the
power for ever and ever. Amen.                                                                                    1 Peter 4: 10-11

Dear Friends in Teams,

We feel deeply honoured, and somewhat daunted, at the prospect of being the Responsible Couple
for the Irish Region of Equipes Notre-Dame, for the next four years.

As we assume the position of Regional Couple, we would like to thank Rosemarie and Brendan Gavin
for the wonderful and inspiring manner in which they fulfilled the role for the last four years. Of
course, we also take the opportunity of assuring them of our prayers as they prepare for their five-
year term as Responsible Couple for the Trans-Atlantic Super Region, beginning in January 2026.

As we start our term of service to the Region, we think that it might be timely for all of us, perhaps
as individuals, but especially as individual teams and as a Region to prayerfully reflect on a number
of questions which we have taken – and adapted slightly – from Pope Francis’ last encyclical, Dilexit
nos – On the Human and Divine Love of the Heart of Jesus:

Who are we really?
What / Who are we looking for?
What directions do we want to give to our lives, to our decisions and to our actions?
Why, and for what purpose, are we here?
How would we like to be able to look back on our lives / our involvement in Teams when our
time is up?

What meaning do we want to give to our experiences?
What / Who do we want to be for others?
Who are we for God?

All of these – slightly adapted – questions should, according to the pope, lead us back to the heart.

The heart, of course, is at the centre of our human existence. The Sacred Heart, combining Divine
Love and human love, is at the centre of our existence as Christians. If we are being true to Love, to
the Sacred Heart, we will, as members of Teams, recognise our calling to mission – a threefold
mission: mission to our team, mission to our Movement and mission to the Church using, as St Peter
says, “whatever gifts we have received to serve others, as faithful stewards”.

During the months ahead, we would like to share with you our thoughts, our challenges and our
hopes in relation to these three aspects of mission, informed by the reflections, as individual teams
and as a Region, on the questions above.

We experienced an inspiring Responsible Couples / Teams Day in Avila yesterday, 25 th October – the
theme of which was “Returning to the Source”, during which our Movement’s founder, Fr. Henri
Caffarel, featured strongly. The success of the day was a testament to the dedication and generosity
of Rosemarie and Brendan, their Regional Team and all who played an active part on the day.

We would like to offer a sincere thanks to our ERI guests, Mercedes Gomez-Ferrer and Alberto
Perez, (Responsible Couple – International Leading Team [ERI]), for taking time to be with us in
Dublin – for their inspiring presence. Particular thanks also to Paul and Annette O’Beirne,
(Responsible Couple, Trans-Atlantic Super Region) for spending the day with us all in Avila. And, of
course, a special thanks to Bishop Denis Nulty, (Chair – Bishops’ Council for Marriage and the Family)
for joining us and celebrating Mass to conclude a really wonderful day.

Anne and Mark O’Leary,
Responsible Couple – Ireland Region
Equipes Notre-Dame