The Movement started in the early 1960s with family/neighbourhood groups in Tanglin Halt/Queenstown area.

It was a local response to the call of the universal Church. The Lay Apostolate Movements had developed specifically to witness the values of the Gospel in the life of people in a fast changing world. The belief was and still is – personal conversion cannot be disassociated from “a transformation of the whole man in his social context.”

The experience of the Young Christian Workers Movement then was particularly inspiring. The Movement subscribes to the Church’s social doctrine as “ - the application of God’s word to people’s lives and to society, as well as the earthly realities connected with them.” It does this by offering members regular opportunities for discernment, guided by Gospel based ‘principles for reflection’, ‘criteria for judgement’, and ‘directives for action’.

Having the youth working within young people, workers to worker - “from the like to the like,” was found to be both relevant and effective. Parallel movements were started for students (YCS), and for adults – the latter eventually evolved into the CFSM.

Archbishop M. Olcomendy then invited an international extension worker Mr Rene Delecluse to come in 1962 to Singapore to help build an adult lay apostolate.

Lodging in Kingsmead Hall and working out of a small office in Catholic Centre Bras Basah Road, he slowly grew the adult apostolate through faith and hard work.

By 1965, two years after the Movement was registered with the Government, it had quite a good out reach. There were CFSM family groups in Queenstown, St Bernadette, Bukit Ho Swee, Siglap, Red Hill Close, Jln Rumah Tinggi, Holy Spirit, etc. There were professional groups meeting in the Catholic Centre, in the homes of members, etc.

Many priests enthusiastically supported and worked for the Movement. Names that came readily to mind include Fr J. Charbonnier who led the Movement, Fr G, Keanne, Fr Odo, Fr Joseph Ho, Fr James Tan, and many others. Among the lay people who helped grow the Movement were Rudy Mosbergen, Lee Beng Tjie, Philip Motha, Margaret Wong, etc. The pioneer neighbour-hood group leaders include, James Tan, Steven Tan of Tanglin Halt, Henry Ang, John Seng of Queenstown, Mr and Mrs Aloysius Teo of Bukit Hoe Swee, among many others. The Chinese speaking groups were led by Peter Lee, Huang Jin fu, Robert Cheah, etc.

Rene also worked closely with the leaders of YCW, and other union leaders, including Willie Lim, Freddy Wong, Oscar Oliveiro, etc. As Singapore then became part of Malaysia the Movement then grew into Petaling Jaya with the help of Fr Decroocq.

By 1967 the CFSM became an affiliate of both the World Movement of Christian Workers, as well as the International Christian Family Movement.

After Rene left Singapore, Catherine Ng was employed by the CFSM as its full timer, and the early office bearers include R. Mosbergen, R. Holmberg, Willie Lim, etc.

By the late 1970s the baton was passed on to a group of younger leaders led by Freddy Wong, Dennis Chua, Louis Ponnudorai, - all former YCWs, and a few others, with Fr J Troquier as their Spiritual Director.

By the 1980’s the fast pace of economic growth and social changes in Singapore, and a different political climate, saw a change in the Movement’s public profile. Fr. E. Dunne became the Movement’s spiritual Director, and with the CFSM as springboard, launched a series of family service programs which became The Family Life Society providing a range of counselling and other support services for families.

The CFSM steadfastly held to its character of “like for like” lay apostolate - families sharing and supporting one another in faith and personal growth, while participating in society and imbruing it with the values of Christianity.

Neighbourhood family and workers groups continue to wax and wane through the years, turning out cohorts of lay apostolate leaders which went out like leaven into the mainstream of the Church in Singapore and Society. The Movement also actively supported all initiatives by The Church in Singapore towards relating faith with social, economic and political life in Singapore.

By the early 1990’s the Movement was fortunate to be able to co-opt like-minded Fr A. Christophe to help the CFSM leaders in this quest.

Through all these, one important bond that held everything together, and focussed, was the CFSM’s monthly publication. It consistently articulated the Movement’s thinking, help propagate the ‘Social Teachings of the Church’, and provide food for thought and reflection for the formation of its members, parents, and Christian adult lay apostles.

Today, families continue to meet regularly in small groups, in their own neighbourhoods, sharing their life experiences and their lives, learning from one another and growing together as discerning, ‘conscientized’ adult Christians.

At the national level the Movement is currently led by an executive committee of voluntary, annually elected members, with Donald Sng as the President.

Apr 2008