How the Cooperators of the Heralds of the Gospel came about

The Cooperators (also known as tertiaries) emerged in various cities and nations where the evangelizing action of the Heralds of the Gospel has been manifested.

This is because the witness of the Heralds of the Gospel has awakened in a growing number of people the desire to be heralds of the Good News themselves, with the characteristics proper to the spirituality and charism of the institution.

Married or single lay people living in the world, priests, deacons, religious men and women, lay people in consecrated life, or members of other associations or apostolic movements, the Cooperators of the Heralds of the Gospel, in addition to observing the precepts and duties proper to their state, strive to live according to the charism and spirituality of the Association, dedicating their free time to it and committing themselves to fulfill certain obligations.

They wish to apply a Charism to their lives

The Heralds of the Gospel, placing themselves at the service of the Church, proclaim the Gospel to all social classes, working in parishes, homes, and schools, in a wide variety of professional, cultural, and sporting environments, on television and radio, in slums, hospitals, nursing homes, and prisons, and in every place where it is possible to bring a word of consolation, encouragement, or hope.

However, as long as their duties and lifestyle allow, the Cooperators also engage in these activities, guided by those whom their superiors designate for this purpose, as part of this charism.

In this way, they wish to apply to their life in the world—in their family circles, in their social activities, and in their professional work—the spirit and teachings of the Heralds of the Gospel, being witnesses of Christ to those around them by word and example.

However, like any herald of the Gospel, they know that all their efforts will be fruitless if their hearts are not intimately united to Jesus and Mary, for the interior life is the soul of the apostolate.

The core of the charism of the Cooperators

Here is the core of their charism: to bear witness to the beauty and splendor of truth and virtue, to be a symbol of God's infinite goodness and greatness, transmitting in all their manifestations a note of solemnity and beauty.

In this sense, it is according to this charism that the Heralds of the Gospel, both those who have a life of total dedication and the Cooperators, seek the perfection of charity in all things and desire to attain holiness themselves. As Pope St. John Paul II warned:

"[holiness] is a commitment that does not affect only some Christians: all Christians, of any class or condition, are called to the fullness of Christian life and to the perfection of love. This ideal of perfection is not an extraordinary path... accessible only to some ‘genius’ of holiness. The paths to holiness are varied and appropriate to each person's vocation" (Novo Millennio Ineunte, 31)

They share in the special graces that God grants to the Association

Cooperators participate in the special graces that God grants to the Association. The Holy Father has granted them a plenary indulgence: in articulo mortis; on the feast of the Chair of St. Peter (February 22); of Our Lady of Good Counsel of Genazzano (April 26); and of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus (October 1).

They are organized into Sodality groups, depending on the parishes to which they belong or the proximity of a house of the Heralds of the Gospel.

To become a Cooperator, the candidate begins by preparing for Consecration to Jesus Christ, Wisdom incarnate, through the hands of Mary, according to the well-known method of St. Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort.

On the day of his admission, he pronounces the formula of Consecration during a solemn ceremony, in which he receives the tunic of a Cooperator, the insignia or badge, and a prayer book.

The prayer book contains prayers that Christians should recite at different times of the day, for example, upon rising and going to bed, before and after meals, at the time of the Angelus, as well as other prayers that are very useful for increasing one's life of piety, obtaining the intercession of the Blessed Virgin and the saints, and pleasing God.