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Family
Life Office
"The
well being of the individual person in the human and Christian
society is intimately linked with the healthy condition produced
by marriage and family." Vatican
II, Gaudium et Spes, par. 12
Mission
A primary function of the Church is to foster Christian relationships rooted
in the Spirit. The family is the fundamental unit of permanent relationships
and the primary focus of Christian development. The Marriage and Family Apostolate
- commonly called the Family Life Office - is an archdiocesan agency whose specific
purpose is to be a resource to all parishes as they work with families.
The following
are our major purposes:
- to help
families recognize their giftedness and call within the Church
and society.
- to respond
to the needs and challenges of the family by making available
to them as many opportunities as possible for enrichment, healing
and spiritual renewal throughout the family life cycle stages.
- to work
in collaboration with all church agencies and ministries and
particularly with parishes to develop and promote a family perspective
at every level.
- to promote
awareness among clergy and laity of opportunities for lay involvement
in ministry, especially "like to like" peer ministry
in family related areas such as, but not limited to, marriage
preparation, marriage enrichment, parenting family enrichment,
and separation, divorce or bereavement.
 Family
Life Office Services
- Marriage
Preparation - Deanery and Parish based programs
- Marriage
Preparation for second marriages
- Engaged
Encounter Weekends*
- Hispanic
Marriage Preparation and Marriage Enrichment
- Marriage
Encounter referrals*
- Family
Enrichment
- Family
Retreats
- Family
Spirituality
- Human
Sexuality Programs
- Support
Groups, Seminars, Facilitator Training, Days of Prayer, and
Retreats for Bereaved, Separated and Divorced
- Natural
Family Planning Information
- Retrouvaille
Weekends for hurting marriages**
- Parent
Education
- Parent
Support Group Models
- Parish
Family Ministry Training
- Parish
Council Family Advocate Training
- Christian
Family Movement
- Family
Systems/Family Life Cycle Education
- Family
Perspective Training for Parishes
- Resources
and Referrals for Families Affected by Substance Abuse, Unemployment,
Physical and Sexual Abuse
- Parish
Family Advocate Training
- Anniversary
Sunday for those Celebrating 25th, 50th and Special Wedding
Anniversaries
- Family
Life Library, Videos, Audio Cassettes
* Marriage
Encounter and Engaged Encounter are a weekend process designed
to give couples the opportunity to examine their lives together…a
time to share their feelings, hopes, disappointments, joys
and frustrations…and to do so honestly in a face to face,
heart to heart encounter with the one person they have chosen
to live with for the rest of their lives. For further information:
Marriage
Encounter web site: www.wwmect.org; Engaged
Encounter web site: www.hartfordcee.org
** Retrouvaille, also a weekend process, is a process for
married couples who need to rediscover themselves and each
other, and recapture their commitment.
Staff
Donald
and Christine Paglia, Co-Directors
Sister Mauryeen O'Brien, O.P., Director of Separated Divorced
and Bereaved Ministry
To contact
the Family Life Office:
Family
Life Office
412 Ridge Road
Hamden, CT 06517-2914
Telephone: 203-230-2460
Fax: 203-230-2472
Email: familylifeoffice@hartfordflo.com
Web
site: www.hartfordflo.org
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