By Carrie Harkey, Special to the Florida Catholic
On March 19, 2021 Pope Francis inaugurated Year of “Amoris Laetitia Family,” an initiative that offers the Church an opportunity to celebrate and reflect on the central role family plays in transmitting the Gospel and shaping society.
It is intended that the teachings reach every family through various proposals of a spiritual, pastoral and cultural nature that can be implemented in Dioceses and Parishes throughout the world. The special year will conclude on June 26, 2022 on the occasion of the next World Meeting of Families in Rome.
During this special Year of “Amoris Laetitia Family,” the family will be celebrated by being placed at the center of commitment and care from the Church. The Church is called to walk with families through all the joys and challenges of family life with special emphasis directed to efforts aimed at youth, the engaged, spouses, the elderly, and those couples that are wounded or facing a crisis. The objective of this special year is to nurture reflection, dialogue, and pastoral practices and, at the same time, to provide encouragement, stimulus and to help the family in its spiritual and concrete daily life. (AL 4)
It is through the Church that Christ bestows the grace necessary to live as intentional disciples. It is through the family that God’s covenant passes from generation to generation. May this special year be a time to recall the great gift spouses have received in the Sacrament of Marriage along with a reawakening to the important mission to which they have been called.
It is the task of the Diocese of Venice Family Life Office to help bring this effort to Catholic families in the region. This will be done by continuing to advance programming and developing many new and exciting initiatives aimed at formation encounters that assist families to embrace the universal call to holiness and live out the vocation of marriage in order to be a light to the world.
During the coming months, this “Joy of Love” column will periodically feature these ongoing efforts (conferences, workshops and access to resources resources) and invite participation as we journey together to rediscover the family as a gift – a gift from God.
Carrie Harkey is the Diocese of Venice Family Life Coordinator and can be reached at 941-484-9543 or harkey@dioceseofvenice.org.
To promote greater formation for couples, the Diocese of Venice Office of Family Life and the St. John Paul II Foundation (Houston, Texas) are working together to bring the first “Together in Holiness” Marriage Enrichment Conference to the Diocese on Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021.
“Together in Holiness” is unique in that it offers a place of encounter, where God’s plan for marriage and family is proclaimed and a desire for holiness is enkindled in the hearts of married couples. This is complemented by ongoing formation for spouses within a natural community of friends who accompany each other on the path to holiness by providing formation that will help learning take root in daily living.
“All couples in the Diocese of Venice are encouraged to join us this fall as the Conference explores how your family can become its own ‘school of virtue’ through this marriage initiative,” Bishop Dewane said. “My hope is that each of you may be inspired to live out the beautiful vocation of marriage more fully and embrace the call to be missionary disciples. How blessed the Diocese is to offer this Conference.”
Catholic Charities, Diocese of Venice Inc. is offering Mental Health Counseling for adults and children provided by licensed mental health therapists. If you or someone you know is feeling stressed, anxious, overwhelmed, depressed, or helpless, Catholic Charities can help. For more information, please call 239-455-2655. There is no charge for this service.
This was the opening sentence of the apostolic letter “Patris Corde” of Pope Francis on the 150th Anniversary of the proclamation of St. Joseph as Patron of the Universal Church by Pope Pius IX in his decree Quemadmodum Deus.
Fradd stressed that he didn’t want to tell his audiences what to do, but to provide information about behaviors and the negative consequences that result.
During his talks, Fradd used age-appropriate language to deliver his powerful message. He began each session facing the issue head-on, saying: “The problem with porn is not that it shows too much but instead it shows too little of the human person. Porn reduces the complexity, the individuality and the uniqueness of the man or woman. It creates a two-dimensional thing for consumption and dehumanizes them in that way.”
Pope Francis said that to be a mother is a great treasure, as she “helps her children grow up and wants them to grow strong and does not want them to pursue a frivolous life or to become lazy, sinking into a comfortable lifestyle in which they content themselves with possessions.”
Macedonio confirms each child has a solid foundation built on love and faith. “To do that, you have to live and practice your faith at home,” she said, acknowledging it’s the little things we do, respecting each other, being courteous and kind, and always prepared. “This has motivated them into becoming the active teens they are today and sets them up to face the future.”
The Youth Mental Health First Aid workshops on April 29, 2021 at St. Agnes Parish in Naples and May 1 at Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Parish in Sarasota, were offered through the Diocese Department of Religious Education in an effort to teach those who interact with teens how to help an adolescent (age 12-18) who is experiencing a mental health or addictions challenge or is in crisis.
As May is a month dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Bishop Frank J. Dewane led a prayer service in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary for the staff of the Diocese of Venice Catholic Center on May 3, 2021. The prayer service took place in the entrance lobby where a statue of the Blessed Virgin is on display. In addition to prayers, the staff also sang two songs in honor of Our Lady.
