Cfed

• CICM Spirituality


  Completely centered on the Incarnation of the Word, as its principal source
• Incarnation of God becoming man

  • The limited revelation in the Old Testament becomes whole and complete through Jesus Christ, who is God himself
  • The Word was already present in the very beginning and His essence as God is already existent
  • The dawning of a new day of light and salvation was the theme of the incarnation
  • The abstract idea, the invisible God, the unreachable God, has become an actual present, a visible God and a reachable God
• The heart of the CICM spirituality is "completely centered on the Incarnation of the Word, as its principal source"
• The CICM is at the service of the work of Redemption
• CICM's missionary spirituality


  Characterized and oriented by our dedication to the Incarnate Word
• The CICM is consecrated to the Incarnate Word
• Consecration to the Incarnate Word

  An availability for the work of redemption - the members are entirely devoted to the service of Christ
• The Incarnate Word is the fundamental inspiration for all CICM missionary commitments
• The CICM's consecration to the Incarnate Word demands faithful service to God's plan as manifested in Christ
• The cross on the CICM coat of arms symbolizes the poverty, suffering, deprivation and failure that often mark the life of missionaries and their enterprises
• The cross also carries the seed of life and resurrection
• The Virgin Mary has a special place in CICM spirituality as the Mother of the Incarnate Word
• Mary


  • The first servant of the mystery of the incarnation
  • Model of faith and total dedication to God and to her Son's mission
  • The CICM is invited to follow the example of Mary in the way that she deepened her own vocation
• The CICM mission statement has clearly reflected the values, norms and beliefs of the organization to guide the actions and organizational initiatives of the missionaries
• The CICM mission statement has guided the missionaries to see the meaning and purpose of their commitments
• The CICM mission statement has imbued a sense of belonging and identity
• Mission statement


  One of the most defined ways to express a cultural identity to others
• Values, norms and beliefs

  Create a unique cultural environment
• The CICM mission statement has clearly reflected these values to guide the actions and organizational initiatives of the missionaries
• "One Heart, One Soul"

  The motto of the CICM, taken from the Acts of the Apostles
• The motto "One Heart, One Soul" expresses God's ideal about humankind, his creation
• The motto "One Heart, One Soul" expresses the awareness of the revelation that aroused joyful enthusiasm in the early nascent Church
• The motto "One Heart, One Soul" became a missionary motto for the CICM
• The motto "One Heart, One Soul" is directly related to the words "witness to universal brotherhood"
• The motto "One Heart, One Soul" expresses a fundamental aspect of the CICM vocation
• CICM mission statement


  It is future-oriented and sharply focuses on the corporate commitment of the members of the institute
• The CICM mission statement does not elaborate on the conditions required for its implementation such as an adequate formation or the indispensable mobility of the members
• The Criteria for Our Missionary Involvements deal with the practical implications of the CICM mission statement
• CICM's specific commitment


  • In frontier situations
  • Its basic approach is an encounter that eventually develops in an in-depth interreligious dialogue and/or in first evangelization
  • World solidarity is a logical consequence of this movement
• CICM is not a lone fighter, it belongs to a larger community, the Church which is at the service of the mission
• The CICM community is first of all at the service of the mission
• The foundational assumptions with which CICM approaches its mission

  • God's Plan of Love
  • Our Commitment to Frontier Situations
  • Our Commitment to Dialogue
  • Our Commitment to First Evangelization
  • Our Commitment to World Solidarity
  • Our Commitment to the Local Church
  • Our Commitment to Community
• God's Plan of Love


  God plans to reconcile the whole of Creation to Him, in Christ, through the Spirit. Mission therefore also comprises sharing in God's care for the whole of creation. The goal of the mission is the Kingdom of God of which the Church is the servant.
• Our Commitment to Frontier Situations

  It is the specific charism of CICM to bring the Good News of Jesus Christ wherever it is most needed, e.g., in frontier situations such as geographic areas where the Gospel is not known or lived, isolated areas where people feel abandoned, large cities where the feeling of anonymity prevails, marginalized groups, refugees and displaced persons, people who live in extreme poverty, young people who feel there is no future for them. Our direct involvement with these groups should be supported by a prophetic presence in the world of communications, organizations that participate in the struggle for liberation, justice and peace groups, organizations committed to safeguarding the created world, associations which seek to influence international decision-makers.
• Our Commitment to Dialogue

  We fully respect the freedom of people. We are called to encounter people of all religions and convictions, and to establish a dialogue of life with them. As part of this commitment, we acquire adequate knowledge of the language and the culture of the people who welcome us and make every effort to insert ourselves in their life situation. Some among us nourish and enrich this common commitment by engaging in an in-depth interreligious dialogue.
• Our Commitment to First Evangelization

  We are particularly grateful when people, through the action of the Spirit, open their hearts to the message of the Gospel and express the desire to join the Church of Jesus Christ. We share with them the message of joy that transformed our own lives and invite them to share with us their faith experience. We jointly convert ourselves to God and form dynamic communities that live and proclaim the Gospel within the God-given context of the people. When these communities, in communion with the universal Church, reach maturity and become a local Church assuming full responsibility for her mission in the world, we move on to other places where our presence is most needed.
• Our Commitment to World Solidarity

  We acknowledge with sorrow the growing gap between the Gospel vision of a new humanity of freedom, fellowship, and justice, and the world where there is poverty, oppression, lack of freedom, inequality, injustice, violence, and hatred. We, therefore, participate in the struggle of the marginalized to restore their dignity as responsible persons created in the image of God and called to fully participate in building a better world for all. As part of this commitment, we seek to challenge the rich nations to adopt a more austere lifestyle, to abandon the old economic order based on unlimited growth for the benefit of a few, and to commit themselves to a new model of global development based on global sharing.
• Our Commitment to the Local Church

  We affirm that the mission of Jesus Christ in which we share is entrusted to the entire community of believers coming from all cultures, races, and nationalities. As a missionary institute, we are a visible sign of the commitment of the whole Church to the mission of Jesus Christ in the world, especially concerning those who do not belong to the Church. In dialogue and cooperation with the leadership of the universal Church, we discern where our presence is most needed. We loyally cooperate with the leadership of the local Churches while remaining faithful to our commitment to frontier situations. In doing so, we are a sign of solidarity among the local Churches in their universal mission. As part of this commitment, we help the faithful of the Churches in which we are present to develop a growing awareness of their missionary responsibility and gratefully welcome young people who in their turn hear the call of the Lord and express the desire to join the institute.
• Our Commitment to Community

  We believe that how we live and work together is important in fulfilling our mission. It is our task to foster with the Spirit dynamic communities of praying and active believers. Since we cannot give what we are not, we live and work as much as possible in intercultural evangelizing communities that foster values such as mutuality, interdependence, a simple lifestyle in solidarity with the poor, conscious and respectful interaction with each other and the culture in which we live, common prayer nourished by and oriented towards our mission.