CANA Year at International Week: forming missionary couples!

At the heart of the International Week, which brought together country leaders, international teams, and the Community Council from January 12 to 17, 2026, in Tigery, France, the « CANA Year » was presented by Sister Marie, International Head of CANA.

Currently in an experimental phase across 11 countries for the 2025-2026 pastoral year, this presentation provided a progress report. It also recalled the context that led to the implementation of the CANA Year—addressing areas where the mission was struggling to generate calls to commitment within the CANA Fraternity and the Community.

The innovative nature of the CANA Year was also highlighted, particularly its great flexibility in implementation. In the first stage, couples freely choose activities centered around four dimensions (Couples & Families, Mission, Fraternity, and Personal Relationship with Christ). A second stage leads the couple to the « CANA Sending » (Envoi), to become missionary disciple couples. Overall, the CANA Year has been launched and is gradually unfolding in the pilot countries. Fruits and graces are already being gathered in some regions. More than the difficulties, hope is clearly present. Following the presentation, questions were collected. A second session, held as a round table, provided answers and insights into questions regarding how long a couple stays with CANA and the specific role of the CANA Sending.

These exchanges helped country leaders better embrace the CANA Year, seeing it as a genuine tool for calling couples to be missionary disciples—serving wherever the Holy Spirit invites them: the Community, the Communion, or other mission fields within the Church and the world. Thus, the CANA mission « to love better » reminds us that every couple carries Good News within them: that of a love that grows stronger, that learns, that forgives, that bears witness… and that proclaims.

Ézéchiel & Claudine | CANA International Team