OFFICIAL NAME
International Organism at the Service of the Parish Cell System of Evangelisation
ACRONYM
SCPE
ALSO KNOWN AS
The Parish Evangelisation Cells System (SCPE)
ESTABLISHED
1987
HISTORY
In 1986, Fr. Piergiorgio (PiGi) Perini (1929-2020), parish priest of St. Eustorgio in Milan, visited St. Boniface Parish in Pembroke Pines, Miami, where the parish priest, Msgr. Michael J. Eivers, inspired by some pastoral experiences in the United States, started the Parish Cell System of Evangelization in 1983. Back in Milan, Fr. Perini initiated the Cell System method of evangelization in his parish.
From 1987, the experience spread, as if by contagion, first throughout the parish of Sant'Eustorgio, and then, progressively, to numerous other parishes in Italy and other countries.
On 29 May 2008, the International Organism at the Service of the Parish Cell System of Evangelisation was set up to ensure the unified development of the System in the international sphere. They drew up a short document, with regulatory validity, in which the essential outlines of the method itself were defined so as to facilitate its development and diffusion.
On 2 April 2009, the Pontifical Council for the Laity issued the decree of recognition of the International Organism at the Service of the Parish Cell System of Evangelisation.
IDENTITY
The SCPE consists of small groups of lay faithful that are linked by family relationships, work, friendship, common interests, etc. They meet weekly to develop their faith and to evangelise, and then they encourage the evangelised to become evangelisers in turn. In this way, each cell grows and multiplies.
The parish community, understood as “the Church living in the midst of the homes of its sons and daughters” (Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Christifideles Laici, no. 26), is the ecclesial fabric into which the whole SCPE is incorporated.
Since the ministry of evangelisation is essential to the life of the parish, the parish priest is at the centre of SCPE work, with the collaboration and shared responsibility of other priests as well as of the lay faithful (cf. Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Christifideles Laici, no. 27).
Cell meetings are based on prayer, Christian development and the sharing of experiences of evangelisation in each person’s milieu (oikos). Each participant is encouraged to nourish his or her Christian life through Eucharistic adoration, daily attendance at Holy Mass and participation in spirituality seminars, doctrine courses, retreats, spiritual exercises, etc.
The idea that inspires the whole SCPE is to provide, with the help of divine grace, opportunities for personal and community conversion, in the knowledge that evangelising is a vocation proper to the Church (cf. Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Nuntiandi, no. 14). They wish to convey this awareness to the lay faithful because, since they are all members of the Church through the sacrament of Baptism, they “have the vocation and mission of proclaiming the Gospel” (Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Christifideles Laici, no. 33). They are therefore called to renew their participation in the parish in such a way that it may become an enthusiastic faith community committed to the evangelisation of those who are distant. The SCPE aims to foster among its members a mature sense of belonging to the parish and to encourage bonds of close communion and collaboration with all the faithful and with the other members of the parish community. In this way, everyone can embrace their responsibility to be evangelisers.
ORGANISATION
The International Organism at the Service of the Parish Cell System of Evangelisation has a president, assisted by a vice-president.
The governing bodies of the association are the Commission of Promoters that has elective, decision-making and policy-making powers, and the Executive Committee that has administrative and executive powers.
Every three years a Forum is convened to set policy and directives.The structure of each individual cell includes the presence of a leader, i.e., an adult Christian in the faith (or a married couple), who receives a mandate from the parish priest to take care of the brothers and sisters who are already in the cell and those to come.
Several cells (3-5) form an Area, for which an area leader, appointed by the parish priest, is responsible.
The Service Cell is composed of the parish priest, as president, the presbyters and deacons present in the parish, the lay coordinator, all area leaders and the secretary, appointed by the parish priest.
WEBSITE
https://www.cells-evangelisation.org
HEADQUARTERS
International Organism at the Service of the Parish Cell System of Evangelisation
Corso Manusardi, 5
20136 MILANO
E-mail: cells.evangelisation@gmail.com
