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

"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