History of Couples for Christ – Massachusetts      Couples for Christ (CFC) started in Massachusetts (MA) in September, 2002 when the CFC National Director appointed Sid Sawabi as the Area Head for MA. Shortly after, a contact was made with the Pastor of St. Mary's Church in Ware, MA through a parishioner, Aaron Sawabi. The CFC Ministry was introduced to the pastor who was so excited to present the program to the Diocese of Springfield. Sr. Joan, the Family Ministry Coordinator of the parish, readily accepted the proposal for a Christian Life Program (CLP).      Frank Padilla, CFC International Director at that time, informed Sid Sawabi that there are CFC members from other areas that are now MA residents, such as Chris and Nenette Smith from CFC-UK and Jun and Tess delos Reyes, Youth Coordinators from Oregon. In the meantime, it was known that Carlos Melocoton from Singles for Christ, Philippines (SFC) was attending Pre-theology courses at Assumption College in Worcester. These CFC members were asked to serve in the first CLP conducted in the Fall of 2002 at St. Mary's Church. A couple, 1 single (SFC) and 1 Servant of the Lord (SOLD) were dedicated and met as a household (HH) with Chris and Nenette. In the Boston suburbs, Chris and Nenette (who moved to Sudbury) were joined by Carlo and Merl (CFC-Philippines) of Waltham, who then became the Music Ministry Coordinators.      In the Worcester area, Carlos made contacts with Filipinos (specifically Cecile Catalan) and set up meetings between CFC leaders and Fr. Joe Adamo (Pastor of Ascension Parish Church) to organize a CLP. A CLP scheduled before the Holy Week of 2003 was conducted by the New Jersey (NJ) mission team led by Sid and Manie Sawabi with the MA members including Aaron Sawabi from Ware household as service team. In this 2nd CLP, 6 Handmaids of the Lord (HOLD) and 2 SOLD were dedicated: Cecile Catalan was designated HH head for HOLD while Chris supported the servants at their prayer meetings. In September, Chris, Nenette, Carlo, Merl and 3 HOLD (Cecile, Dorie and Jessica) attended the 1st USA Northeast Regional Conference in NJ.      Carlo and Merl hosted the 3rd CLP at their parish hall (St. Charles Borromeo Church, Waltham) in March 2004 with a harvest of 2 couples and 1 HOLD. Ed and Agnes Valencia (CFC-Philippines) also became known to the group at this time and added to a total count of 5 couples for the Boston area HH. In July, Chirs, Nenette and Cecile attended the 10th CFC National leaders Conference in San Antonio, Texas. Also in this year Leo and Chie Bartolome (CFC-NJ) migrated to CFC-MA: Anna Geron (SFC-Winnipeg, Canada) and Bill Danahy from Winchester, MA got engaged and made connections: Gene and Evita Florendo came to a General Assembly (GA) at Chris and Nenette's house prompting to host a CLP at their residence in Lexington.      Gene and Evita were dedicated in the 4th CLP held in October, 2004 after which the couples were split into two households with Ed and Agnes as head for the Lexington area while Leo and Chie led a HH in Quincy. Consequently, five more CLPs were completed in Lexington between January, 2005 and February, 2006 with a total of 6 couples, 5 handmaids, 1 servant and 9 singles. A CLP in June, 2005 held in part at a couple (Jessie and Emelyn) participant's home in Holden and partly at the Ascension Church was organized by the Worcester CFC members where 5 couples and 1 single were dedicated. At this point a third HH for couples was formed with Carlo and Merl as head and this time based in Worcester. Ismael Romero, the first SFC-MA brother was the seed that brought bountiful SFC harvest (6 sisters) in August at a CLP in Lexington.      The first SFC-MA household was born when Bill and Anna Danahy (newly weds when dedicated as a couple at the Lexington CLP in March, 2005) were designated as SFC couple coordinators. Three more singles (1 brother, 2 sisters) were added from different CLPs in October 05 and February 2006. In May 2006 the 3rd Worcester CLP was again warmly welcomed by Fr. Joe at Ascension Church when 1 couple, 1 handmaid and 3 singles were dedicated. By this time, SFC MA grew in numbers and was split into 2 households: 1 brother HH led by Ismael and 1 Sister HH led by Vera Flores. Since then, SFC MA has shown active participation in singles teachings like Covenant Orientation, Singles Weekend Retreat 1 (SWR1) and their first attendance in the 12th SFC National Leader's Conference in Seattle, Washington in September 2006.      New York City was the venue of the 11th CFC USA Leaders Conference in July, 2005. CFC-MA sent 3 couples (Chris & Nenette, Leo & Chie, Dino & Josie) and 3 handmaids (Lolit, Cecile, and Shonee) delegates. It was after this conference that CFC-MA initiated its first fund raising effort for Gawad Kalinga (GK) which generated $4,000 remitted to ANCOP-USA. Later in the year, CFC members were appointed to leadership positions: Gene and Evita Florendo as ANCOP-GK Coordinators and Leo and Chie Bartolome as Flame Ministry Coordinators. By August, CFC NE Regional Director Sonny Aguiling formed the first CFC-MA Fraternal Household. That same year, CFC-MA celebrated a Family Day at Cochituate State Park in Natick, MA and its first CFC Christmas Party/General Assembly.           The New Year of 2006 began in the right direction with a Praisefest led by SFC-Northeast. The week after, a blessed CFC Double Wedding (Jessie and Emelyn, Gabby and Beth) was officiated by Fr. Joe Adamo, Pastor of Ascension Church. In July, Chris and Nenette, Bill and Anna and Evita participated in the 12th CFC USA Leaders Conference in Las Vegas.      It laid the ground work for Gene and Evita to host a powerful GK Event in September 9, with Dylan Wilk, Sonny Aguiling, Cito and Malen Lorenzo as special guests. Unveiled that night was the start of fundraising efforts for the first GK Massachusetts Village to be built in the donated property of Bebet Benitez McClelland in Laguna. Meanwhile, Paz Mendoza, HOLD-MA, attended the 8th CFC Handmaids of the Lord USA Leaders Conference in Florida in late September.      In the previous years, SFC CLPs were conducted by mission states of NY and NJ which gradually raised a lot of awareness and interest in the MA area. Youth for Christ (YFC) "Go 4 Gold" in the Easter of 2003 ran a youth camp/confirmation retreat in Plymouth facilitated by Jun and Tess de los Reyes with their Parish Church. Bro. Carlos Melocoton opened the first YFC at St. Anne and St. Patrick in Sturbridge, MA, where he was stationed as a Novice. In April, 2004, he gathered 5 youths from the parish to join a YFC camp in Connecticut. He has since then moved to Brighton as a Profess Brother of the Augustinians of the Assumption. Now in his 3rd year of Masters of Divinity program, he continues to support YFC-NY/NJ in their youth evangelization program. Meanwhile, Karynn and Esp Elio (Youth Leaders in Boston University and YFC-NY) helped Bro Carlos gather students from Boston University, Berkeley School of Music and Northeastern at the Assumptionist House as participants for the first Youth Camp at Assumptionist Center in Brighton. This allowed CFC-MA a claim for a campus-based YFC presence.      Formation programs (CLP and Leaders training, Evangelization and Financial Stewardship), Covenant Orientation (CO) seminars, Foundation for Christian Living and a Marriage Enrichment Retreat (MER1) have been initiated locally as membership grows.      In October 2006, CFC-MA hosted the Northeast Regional Conference chaired by Gene Florendo. There were more than 600 members attended from other northeastern states: NJ, NY, MD, VA, RI, DE, and PA.      These and all have come to pass as fruits of the unwavering missionary zeal and leadership of MA mission couple Sid and Manie together with all the CFC-MA leaders who always say "Yes" when asked to serve with them, whether it's rain, shine, snow or fall in Massachusetts.                                                                   Praise the Lord! ==last updated: 2006