A husband and wife married 69 years share their love story, which began in the ‘Magic City’ By Marian Christiana The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) National Marriage Week annual initiative begins Feb. 7 and ends Feb. 14 this year. Archbishop Charles Chaput, chairman of the Committee on Laity, …
Marriage enrichment: Christmas peacemakers
Advent is upon us, and no doubt we all are busy preparing to celebrate the birth of Christ with our loved ones. This Advent I would like to challenge you to join me in preparing for Christmas by becoming a peacemaker. A simple definition of peacemaker is a person who …
Marriage Enrichment: Mornings spent reflecting on mercy
Parishioners urged to explore one of God’s greatest gifts with Monsignor Humbrecht By Marian Christiana On Sept. 10, Monsignor Al Humbrecht partnered with the diocesan Office of Marriage Preparation and Enrichment to offer the first of four Mornings of Reflection on Mercy. As one of about 1,000 missionary priests of …
Marriage enrichment: Finding our Road to Emmaus
Our spiritual GPS instructs us to help others find their way as we keep family life holy By Marian Christiana In May I participated in a webinar hosted by the Center for Ministry Development called You Gotta Love Them: Insights into Welcoming, Accompanying and Empowering Families. The webinar was based …
Marriage enrichment: Keeping the family life holy
Pope affirms Church teaching on family and marriage in ‘The Joy of Love’ exhortation By Marian Christiana Family life is holy. It is messy but holy. Since his installation as pontiff, Pope Francis has helped to bring family life and its complications into sharper focus within the universal Church. During his …
Marriage enrichment: Helping couples blend their faith
Ecumenical, interfaith marriages should openly discuss religious practice By Marian Christiana Marriage preparation is one of the great joys of my job. I love working with couples of all ages who are beginning their marital journey. Their happiness and optimism is infectious, and their enthusiasm spills over into my own …
Marriage Enrichment: The secret to wedded bliss
Diocese’s longest-married couples share thoughts on matrimonial longevity By Marian Christiana It is February and love is in the air! February is the month that is dedicated to valentines, candy, flowers and special dates. Although those expressions of love are wonderful, they are not the foundation of lasting love. In …
Marriage enrichment: Celebrating marriage
Strong, long-lasting partnerships serve as role models for us all By Marian Christiana Bishop Richard F. Stika and the Office of Marriage and Enrichment will be honoring long-lasting marriages in February. Before I get into the details of that, let me discuss the importance of long-lasting marriages. Long-lasting marriages are …
Marriage enrichment: Showing caregivers a little love
Valentine’s Day is a good time to let them know how we feel Valentine’s Day is the day typically set aside for couples to express their love for each other. Although it is a special day for couples, the greeting card industry celebrates all forms of loving relations. When my …
Marriage enrichment: Home for Christmas
The Holy Family serves as a wonderful example of how we share our children All of our children will be home for Christmas. We are very excited about that fact! And two of them will be bringing their spouses with them. Our son has been married for three years now …
Marriage enrichment: Focus on the family
Synod of Bishops preparing to deal with a world of challenges facing family life Families come in all shapes and sizes and every one of them has its own particular set of challenges. Luckily for us, Pope Francis understands the challenges of family life and has decided to see how …
Marriage enrichment: Home really is a holy place
Finding new ways to communicate this message more effectively I have just returned from the National Association of Family Life Ministers (NACFLM) annual conference. The theme this year was “Home is a Holy Place,” which was perfectly timed to tie into the emphasis Pope Francis has placed on the Church …
