Sunday (July 10th) was a day of celebration for ECC groups across the country. The Encounter of Couples with Christ celebrated 52 years of activity, and at the Archdiocesan Sanctuary of Health and Peace it was no different; from early morning, members of the movement celebrated the day at the Church of Father Eustáquio with coffee and mass.

In the morning, the ECC group was responsible for the Sunday coffee break. The celebration concluded with Holy Mass at 7 pm, celebrated by the rector of the Sanctuary, Fr. Vinícius Maciel SS.CC, who invited the participants of the movement to come up to the altar and receive a warm round of applause from the faithful who were attending the celebration.

Father Vinicius emphasized the importance not only of the ECC, but also of the movements linked to them, such as EAC, EJC, and MAC. “"Brother Vanildo, I called you to the front because, as a future priest, you need to know the importance these couples have in the parishes where they serve. They serve and work hard in the churches where the movement exists!", said the rector to Brother Vanildo Lima Sena, SS.CC., who currently lives in the provincial house in Belo Horizonte.

The ECC

The Couples Encounter with Christ (ECC) is a service of the Church in favor of the evangelization of families. It seeks to build the Kingdom of God here and now, starting from the family and the parish community, showing paths for couples to rediscover themselves, their children, the community, and, above all, Christ. To this end, it seeks to understand what it means to be Church today and its commitment to the dignity of the human person and to social justice.
 
The evangelization of marriage and the family is the mission of the whole Church, in which all the faithful must cooperate according to their own conditions and vocations. It must begin with the exact concept of marriage and family, in the light of Revelation, according to the Magisterium of the Church (Pastoral Guidelines on Marriage – CNBB Doc. No. 12 / DN-p. 13).

How was it born?

The ECC (Encontro de Casais com Cristo - Encounter of Couples with Christ) was born from the restlessness of a priest, Fr. Alfonso Pastore, who dedicated his priestly life to Family Ministry, Health Ministry, and Prison Ministry.

It began in 1970 at the Our Lady of the Rosary Parish in Vila Pompéia, São Paulo-SP. As its founder stated, it began because God willed it, and the presence and activity of the ECC in Brazil are proof of God's action in humanity.

**written with information from paroquiadelucas.com.br