Mother of God Community - Past Structure

Past Structure

From 1974 to 1995 the coordidators of the Community were Edith Difato, Joe Difafto, and sometimes a few others. However there were many other leadership positions. In the 1970s the Community was divided into three geographic regions (Potomac, Rockville, and Montgomery Village) and later, when most members had moved to Montgomery Village the regions were divided somewhat by age or state in life. Each region had a head and within each region were heads of cell groups (usually called clusters), which were generally small men's groups or women's groups, and heads of young men and young women households or heads of extended family households. There were also heads of various community ministries and others with assigned responsibilities. To a large degree each member was expected to discuss and receive discernment for his or her life with his or her designated head (and this head might change every year or two) and the information shared was often passed up the hiearchical line of authority in written or verbal form. Discernment included ones purchases, budget, career, marriage, home location, raising of children, prayer times and many other major or minor issues. Who, when and if one could court (not date) was especially discerned and of course the person courted (under supervision) should also be in the Community. At its height in the 1980s Community membership numbered some 500 or more individuals.