Family Life
“Christ chose to be born and grow up in the bosom of the holy family of Joseph and Mary. The Church is nothing other than "the family of God." From the beginning, the core of the Church was often constituted by those who had become believers "together with all their household..'”- CCC 1655
Welcome to the Office for Mission resources page for Marriage & Family Life.
The family has been called the ‘domestic church’ (LG 11), because it is the place that children first encounter Christ and grow as disciples, through the primary educators in the faith, their parents. The joy of teaching children to ‘Love the Lord your God’ (Deuteronomy 6:5-9) is entrusted to parents, and is enriched when shared with relatives, the parish and the Catholic school.
Family Life
Everyone is born into a family and the Church recognises the need to accompany families in order to strengthen their love for one another, founded on a living relationship with God. Our families should be the people we turn to for support and encouragement, so it is vital for any parish to offer assistance, along with other organisations and agencies, to help families truly become the domestic church, envisioned by recent popes.
Pope Francis said, ‘no family drops down from heaven perfectly formed’ and while family life is often a joy, it can also be a huge challenge. Family life involves both parents and children, but increasingly grandparents and other relatives.
Family should be the place we can express that universal yearning to love and to be loved and to begin to discover our vocation and ongoing mission. We are created for someone, and Catholic anthropology recognises that human beings are not a commodity – God’s love for us in Christ reveals a relationship with Him that is most properly understood and expressed as a covenant, not a contract.
This page is under construction - please check back
For the Sacrament of Marriage, click 'Marriage' in the Vocations drop-down menu.
Resources
Favourite Catholic Prayers
For families to pray together.
“Christ chose to be born and grow up in the bosom of the holy family of Joseph and Mary. The Church is nothing other than "the family of God." From the beginning, the core of the Church was often constituted by those who had become believers "together with all their household..'”
- CCC 1655
Contact
Paul Northam is the Diocesan Advisor for Evangelisation and Marriage & Family Life. Paul can offer advice to help you:
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Promote a Catholic vision of marriage and family life,
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Find useful materials to affirm marriage, family life and the parish family,
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Develop school or parish based work with families;
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Assist those involved in marriage preparation,
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Provide formation in family catechesis to assist parents as well as catechists,
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Pray as a family or married couple.
T: 0121 321 5148