Marriage and Family

 

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Marriage and Family

Our Holy Father in his address to the U.S. bishops on the occasion of his visit to the United States stressed the importance of stable sacramental marriage.  The following is an extract of his address of April 16, 2008:

 

"...a matter of deep concern to us all is the state of the family within society. Indeed, Cardinal George mentioned earlier that you (the US bishops) have included the strengthening of marriage and family life among the priorities for your attention over the next few years. In this year's World Day of Peace Message I spoke of the essential contribution that healthy family life makes to peace within and between nations. In the family home we experience "some of the fundamental elements of peace: justice and love between brothers and sisters, the role of authority expressed by parents, loving concern for the members who are weaker because of youth, sickness or old age, mutual help in the necessities of life, readiness to accept others and, if necessary, to forgive them" (no. 3). The family is also the primary place for evangelization, for passing on the faith, for helping young people to appreciate the importance of religious practice and Sunday observance. How can we not be dismayed as we observe the sharp decline of the family as a basic element of Church and society? Divorce and infidelity have increased, and many young men and women are choosing to postpone marriage or to forego it altogether. To some young Catholics, the sacramental bond of marriage seems scarcely distinguishable from a civil bond, or even a purely informal and open-ended arrangement to live with another person. Hence we have an alarming decrease in the number of Catholic marriages in the United States together with an increase in cohabitation, in which the Christ-like mutual self-giving of spouses, sealed by a public promise to live out the demands of an indissoluble lifelong commitment, is simply absent. In such circumstances, children are denied the secure environment that they need in order truly to flourish as human beings, and society is denied the stable building blocks which it requires if the cohesion and moral focus of the community are to be maintained...It is your task to proclaim boldly the arguments from faith and reason in favor of the institution of marriage, understood as a lifelong commitment between a man and a woman, open to the transmission of life. This message should resonate with people today, because it is essentially an unconditional and unreserved "yes" to life, a "yes" to love, and a "yes" to the aspirations at the heart of our common humanity, as we strive to fulfill our deep yearning for intimacy with others and with the Lord."

The Department of Marriage and Family Life seeks to contribute to the transformation of society by strengthening marriages and families according to Gospel Values.

The Department serves the needs of households of faith through marriage preparation and enrichment, natural family planning and parenting resources.  In addition, the department provides coordination of support groups for those undergoing marital difficulties, adjustment following divorce, and widowhood.  Other services include training parish teams for programs of marriage and remarriage preparation, family ministry, and enrichment programs.

In addition, the Department provides ongoing training of parish teams for these programs, as well as collaboration for family ministry and enrichment.

Who We Are…

The Department Director is Louise Ritz, available by email at ritzl@ptdiocese.org, or by phone at (850) 435-3533

The Department Administrative Coordinator is Bill Michie, available by email at michieb@ptdiocese.org, or by phone at (850) 435-3532. Mario Sacasa, liaison in Tallahassee, (850) 201-0254, e-mail: mariosacasa@gmail.com. 

Planning to get married?
To help you with your plans please click here to read the FLORIDA PROVINCE POLICY FOR MARRIAGE PREPARATION.  Hint:  The first step is to contact a priest or deacon to oversee your preparation.

Helpful Links:

Marriage and Family LIfe Directory of Events and Ministries, click here.

For a rich source of information for those who are married or are planning a marriage or just to learn more about marriage in the Catholic Church see the website established by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops: www.ForYourMarriage.org

The Office of Marriage and Family Life is a member of the National Association of Family Life Ministries
Web Site: www.nacflm.org

Domestic abuse awareness information:
http://www.usccb.org/laity/women/violence.shtml

State of Marriage Report 2007 -  National Marriage Project 

A Family Ritual: Eating Together?
Having "a place at the family table":

~ Keeps us in touch with one another's lives
~ Helps us feel grounded (we're important to our family)
~ Increases our longing to be at "The Eucharistic Table"
~ Helps us learn how to find our place in the world.

Family Challenge: Together...
Think back to times you did eat together more often.
What have you lost?
Decide in advance at least one day to eat together each week.
See more at www.casaFamilyDay.org

Newly Married?  Check out this website:
www.avemariapress.com

Engagement & Military Deployment
Engaged couples, where one or both are active duty or in the reserves, this link provides an opportunity to discuss important issues related to deployment. 
http://healthymarriageinfo.org/docs/downloads/faq_military.ppt

Deployment/Family Separation Guide Information
www.afcrossroads.com/famseparation/guide_sec01.cfm
http://deploymentlink.osd.mil/deploy/family/family_support.shtml

Do You Have A Family Altar? Click Here.

Institute For American Values
http://center.americanvalues.org/?p=5

Strengthening Families, Communities, & A Nation: One Marriage At A Time
www.healthymarriageinfo.org

The Social Health Of Marriage In America Document
http://marriage.rutgers.edu/Publications/Print/PrintSOOU2006.htm

Debate about "Same-Sex Marriage"

Marriage is a basic human and social institution.  It originated from God not the state.  It is the union of a man and a woman and must remain such in law.  It makes an irreplaceable contribution to the good of society especially through the procreation and education of children.  

Official Church Statements About Marriage and Same-Sex Unions:

"Between Man and Woman: Questions and Answers About Marriage and Same-Sex Unions"; US Conference of Catholic Bishops (Nov. 2003)2. Promote, Preserve, Protect Marriage; Administrative Committee of US Conference of Catholic Bishops (Sept. 2003)3. Considerations Regarding Proposals to Give Legal Recognition to Unions between Homosexual Persons; Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (July 2003)
**information taken from Family, Laity, Women and Youth of the USCCB

Church Ministry to Homosexual Persons

Are you or a loved one experiencing homosexual attractions and looking for answers? Courage Pensacola-Tallahassee, an apostolate of the Roman Catholic Church and endorsed by the Pontifical Council for the Family, ministers to those with same-sex attractions and their loved ones. Confidential help can be found by emailing couragetallahassee@yahoo.com, or by contacting Amy 850-261-8330, Frank at 850-320-0088 or Ricardo 954-309-1474 (Spanish speaking).