Missionary Families of Christ commit to serve, grow God’s Church

“We are evangelizers of our Catholic faith, and we are missionaries. Our goal is to serve, and to bring our members and our church parishioners closer to God,” said Rod Justiniani, describing Missionary Families of Christ.

Bishop James F. Checchio celebrated Mass for the missionary families Jan. 18, at Our Lady of Victories Parish, Sayreville, as part of their evangelization rally, an area assembly which drew some 300 members from throughout New Jersey and the Dioceses of Trenton, Camden, Newark and Metuchen.

Area assemblies are held at least once a month, said Justiniani, and held in different New Jersey counties. The New Jersey area is divided into chapters, with some six chapters in the state. Justiniani heads the chapter that comprises the Diocese of Metuchen. In total, the area has some 150 members.

“My chapter is divided into six households … and we meet once a week in a designated member’s house where we have prayer and worship, teaching and fellowship for approximately three hours. Our members are active in their respective parishes as Eucharistic ministers, Lectors, faith formation educators, and our kids act as altar servers. We have our “Live Christ, Share Christ” mission in St. Bernadette, Parlin; St. James, Woodbridge, and Our Lady of Victories, Sayreville, where members meet with parishioners once a month for prayer, teaching and fellowship.”

Justiniani shared that his family is active in their parish of St Bartholomew, East Brunswick, serving as lector, Eucharistic minister and his sons as altar servers. The chapter also has a choir that sings regularly at St James Parish, Woodbridge, during the 7 a.m. and 12 p.m. Mass. Members also lead Divine Mercy in St James.

In addition, he said, the families are involved in charity work, including donating to different parishes’ food pantries. They also serve with Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity in Newark at least once a month, providing and serving food to the homeless.

“We have members all over the country, and we all meet during our annual National Conference every July. This year it will be held in Albany, New York. Last year, it was held in Chicago, and the year before, in Texas. Our members are not only Filipinos,” stressed Justiniani. “We have a fast-growing Spanish and Indian community. We have missionaries who go to Africa, the Caribbean and Europe.”

A background flyer from the Missionary Families of Christ explains, “We started in the Philippines in 1981 as Couples for Christ” but have evolved over the years “in accordance with God’s plan and design. God has revealed to us that every member of our family, not just the couples, has a place and role in ensuring the stability and strength of the family, the family which is God’s basic unit for society”

Staunchly pro-life and committed to the work of evangelization, the community strives “to bring renewal and revival to [God’s] Church. We have become servants of the Church, committed not just to our own evangelization work, but striving to mainstream Catholic lay evangelization. Our Church, of which we are a part, is a missionary Church.”