Marriage & Family Life

On Saturday November 13, 2021 our diocese hosted the Enkindling the Flame of Faith Conference on Catholic Parenting. Please check out the playlist below which includes the full conference and panel discussion or choose an individual keynote or breakout.

 

Keynote Topics

The Centrality of Christ
The famous maxim goes "you can't give what you don't have" and this is certainly the case for parents trying to bring their kids into relationship with God. Drawing from years of parish experience and being a father of two, Tom Quinlan will speak on why the strength of our bond with Christ is the most important feature in our effort to hand on the Catholic faith.
Handout 1: The Path of Joy
Handout 2: Eucharist - Food That Satisfies Our Deepest Hunger

The Kerygma for All Ages
How can we proclaim the Gospel in a way that it takes deep roots in our children's hearts? As a mother of four and an educational psychologist, Dr. MaryRuth Hackett will offer insights in how to teach the core message of salvation from the toddler all the way through teenage years.

The Spirituality of Parenting
Raising kids is a unique spiritual experience. In the midst of hectic schedules and the stress of life how is Jesus calling you to pray without ceasing and know Him more? David Dawson is a father of 8 and seasoned retreat leader who will unpack how being a parent shapes how we relate to God and can be our ultimate pathway to holiness.

Breakout Sessions By Age Group

Infants to Pre-K
Adolescents and Teenagers

Keynote Speakers

Tom Quinlan has a heart for parish catechetical leadership, having served as parish DRE (in the Chicago Archdiocese) and diocesan director (in Joliet, Illinois) for 25 years. He now serves in leadership formation, adult formation, evangelization, and pastoral renewal for the 24 parishes in the Des Moines metro area. Tom is particularly committed to bringing an evangelizing catechesis to family and parent formation ministry in our country. He is the author of three books, including  Excellence in Ministry: Best Practices for Successful Catechetical Leadership (Loyola Press, 2017). Tom and his wife, Kristi (a former DRE), are loving life in Iowa with their two little boys, Danny and Matthew.

Dr. MaryRuth Hackett is a mom of four with a doctorate in educational psychology, specializing in child development. She currently hosts a Diocese of Phoenix podcast called Parenting Smarts blending together the science of child development and the realities of family life. She also contributes regularly to the Parenting with Peer Review website which weaves together the Catholic faith with the best research on child development.

David Dawson serves the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux as director  of the Office of Parish Support.  David is a native of Baton Rouge. He has been married to Kate for 14 years and they have eight children, aged eleven years and younger. He brings over 15 years of professional ministry leadership experience, most recently serving the Archdiocese of New Orleans as Director of the Office of Marriage and Family Life since 2014. He has served as National Coordinator for Domestic Church, as well as State Curriculum Coordinator for the Governor’s Program on Abstinence.

 

  

Here you can find:

Guidelines and registration for marriage preparation

Resources and contact information for Natural Family Planning

Information about marriage enrichment opportunities

Resources for those struggling with divorce, bereavement, infertility, miscarriage, marital and familial conflict, same-sex attraction, and pornography

We, in the Office of Marriage and Family Life, hope that the information you find here will help you to better connect your relationship with God, as well as with those relationships you have with your spouse and family members. Here, we think you’ll find opportunities to understand our faith more clearly and connect with others more effectively as we seek to grow in holiness both in the domestic Church and the Church universal.

Please direct any questions to Chez Filippini, director for the Office of Marriage and Family Life, at 850-435-3553 or at filippinic@ptdiocese.org