✦ March 23, 2026
Our founder, Father Henri Caffarel (1903–1996), has been declared Venerable
A moment of joy for the 150,000 members of the Teams of Our Lady, a happiness to share with married couples throughout the world.
✦ Papal Decree
Pope Leo XIV has today authorised the decree recognising the heroic virtues of Father Henri Caffarel, granting him the title of “Venerable”.
Venerable Henri Caffarel (1903–1996)
Today is a day that will be forever engraved in the history of our movement.
On this 23rd of March, Pope Leo XIV received Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, and authorised the publication of the decree establishing the heroicity of the virtues of Father Henri Caffarel (1903–1996), founder of the Teams of Our Lady.
With this declaration, the Church officially recognises that Henri Caffarel lived the Christian virtues — faith, hope, charity, prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance — in an exceptional, exemplary and constant manner. The Servant of God thus receives the title of Venerable and becomes a model of Christian life. This is the official recognition that Father Caffarel was a faithful witness to the Gospel.
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I am convinced that every Christian is called to holiness and that marriage is a path towards it.
— Venerable Henri Caffarel
What does it mean to be declared “Venerable”?
The canonisation process has four stages. Today we celebrate that Father Caffarel has reached the second of them:
|
1
Servant of God Opening of the cause |
2
Venerable ✦ We are here today! |
3
Blessed Requires a verified miracle |
4
Saint A second miracle after beatification |
A living legacy
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150,000 Members worldwide |
+92 Countries present |
1939 Year of founding |
Henri Caffarel devoted his life to a radical conviction: marriage is not an obstacle to holiness, but a privileged path towards it. The Teams of Our Lady were born from that prophetic intuition, and today, decades later, they continue to be for thousands of couples a school of love, prayer and service.
The next step: the miracle
For Father Caffarel to be beatified, a miracle attributed to his intercession must be verified. This is the moment to multiply prayer throughout the world and to trust that God will answer those who invoke him with faith.
Join the universal prayer
May prayer multiply in every home, in every community, on every continent.
May Venerable Henri Caffarel intercede for all of us, especially for the families and married couples of the world.
Équipes Notre-Dame · March 23, 2026
