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Diocese of Joliet in Illinois Marriage Catechesis Initiative helping parishes and Catholic leaders to share the good news about marriage and its unique gifts of sexual complementarity and procreation of children, all at the service of the common good of society RESOURCES & OPPORTUNITIES |
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About the Marriage Catechesis Initiative
Parish Packet Resources Available Online
Minimum Parish Responsibilities (Summer/Fall 2012)
Additional Catechetical Possibilities
A Comprehensive Plan for Marriage Ministry
Websites of Interest
Contacts
About the Marriage Catechesis Initiative
This fall, all parishes are being asked to make a special effort to present the Church's teaching on marriage to the Catholics of our diocese. On May 31, a special Marriage Catechesis Day was offered at the St. Charles Pastoral Center. Bishop Conlin asked that all clergy and pertinent parish staff attend. Included here is the entire 3 hour and 13 minute video recording of the day, including presentations by Archbishop Kurtz and Dr. Helen Alvare:
PowerPoint only: The Case for Marriage at the Intersection of Law, Religion and Research (Dr. Helen Alvare's PowerPoint)
Parish Packet Resources Available Online
On that day, each parish received a packet with the following materials:
Made for Each Other
A 12 minute DVD which highlights sexual complementarity and equality in marriage. Also included was a 40 page Viewer's Guide Booklet and a 40 page Resource Booklet for priests, deacons, catechists and teachers.
Made for Life
A 10 minute DVD which highlights the procreative uniqueness of marriage between a man and a woman. This DVD package also included a Viewer's Guide Booklet and a Resource Booklet.
PLEASE NOTE: all of the above materials, both the videos and the material from the booklets, are available for free on the bishops website, www.marriageuniqueforareason.org.
Leader's Guide to Marriage: Love and Life in the Divine Plan
This large 75 page manual includes the text of the U.S. Bishops' 2009 pastoral letter on marriage. It also features a variety of ways to present the material in parish settings.
Marriage: Love and Life in the Divine Plan
This is an abridged version of the bishop's letter.
PLEASE NOTE: All of the above materials related to the bishop's letter, Marriage: Love and Life in the Divine Plan, are available for free at the bishop's website at http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/marriage-and-family/marriage/love-and-life/index.cfm.
Minimum Parish Responsibilities (Summer/Fall 2012)
At minimum, we would ask that all of the parishes do the following:
1) Discuss the May 31 Catechesis Day and review the materials with staff.
2) At the opening meetings with catechists in August-September, offer an educational experience with some combination of the Marriage: Unique for a Reason video and support materials.
3) Offer an adult formational experience during the fall for the parish where these materials are presented and discussed.
4) Create a link to this diocesan webpage www.dioceseofjoliet/marriagecatechesis on your website or put it in the bulletin. Review the webpage periodically to see what resources and ideas are being offered.
Additional Catechetical Possibilities
Additional possibilities that could well take place:
1) Choose a Sunday where parish couples speak at the masses briefly witnessing to their marriages (but not replacing the homily). Follow up with one of the videos or a short presentation after mass.
2) Show the DVD to your parish council – invite their reflections on the ways they can support marriage at the parish.
3) Become familiar with the U.S. bishops’ letter on marriage: Marriage: Love and Life in the Divine Plan, as well as the Leader’s Guide. There are specific guidelines and directions for holding anywhere from one to seven sessions to help unpack the letter. Focus on the nature of marriage, its sacramentality, and the challenges facing it. The bishops highlight four issues: cohabitation, contraception, divorce, and same-sex marriage. At http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/marriage-and-family/marriage/love-and-life/index.cfm are handouts and PowerPoint presentations that can help offer a fuller catechesis based on the letter.
4) Also available after June 4 from the USCCB are more copies of the tri-fold abridged version of Marriage: Love and Life in the Divine Plan (25 for $12). Consider getting enough to pass out to catechists and other key people. A free “plain copy” version is available online at www.usccb.org.
5) Interview the engaged couples of your parish, asking them how their faith affects their relationship, and how they complement each other. Weave their answers together into an article that goes on the parish website or as an insert in the bulletin.
6) Go to the diocesan website, www.dioceseofjoliet.org/marriagecatechesis, and use some of the materials found there for use as bulletin inserts and webpage material.
7) Parishes could host four monthly gatherings for young adults in their 20’s and 30’s on a different aspect of Marriage: Unique for a Reason which could feature a showing of one of the USCCB-produced videos, a short presentation on the topic, and a thorough facilitated discussion on how this topic intersects with their life as a young adult, their peers, and their world.
8) Gather your marriage preparation and marriage ministry volunteers for a DVD showing and discussion of these issues.
9) Consider “e-blasts” to your e-mail address list using these materials.
A Comprehensive Plan for Marriage Ministry
For parishes wishing to make a more comprehensive effort:
Scrutinize the “Commitment to Ministry” page of the bishops’ letter on marriage where the bishops pledge to be a “marriage-building church,” and call for a comprehensive and collaborative” ministry to marriage. Specifically, they pledge:
1) to proclaim and witness about the meaning and mystery of marriage
2) to accompany and assist people at all stages of marriage
3) to invite and include the gifts of married couples, clergy and religious in this ministry
4) to use many different methods and approaches to reach people who are at varying stages of readiness to receive the Church’s ministry in this area
5) To celebrate and incorporate a diversity of races, cultures, ethnicity, and heritage in marriage ministry
Create an ad hoc committee (or work with already formed committees or entities) to, first, offer praise and encouragement to those already accomplishing these tasks in your parish and, second, to consider and implement ways of responding further to the bishops’ call.
Websites that can be of great help in this catechetical initiative:
www.marriageuniqueforareason.org highlights the uniqueness of man and woman in marriage. The DVDs, Viewer’s Guides, and Resource Booklets are available online at this website. Additional DVDs are being created; the next one will be in Spanish.
www.usccb.org offers many resources for marriage catechesis in the Marriage and Family section.
www.foryourmarriage.org was developed by the bishops to strengthen marriage and offer a wide range of resources and ideas for Catholic marriage.
www.portumatrimonio.org is the Spanish version.
www.dioceseofjoliet.org/marriagecatechesis will continue to be a site for resources and updates on the marriage catechesis effort.
www.couragerc.net contains resources for those experiencing same sex attraction.
www.ascensionpress.com contains many resources related to the Theology of the Body. Of particular note for young people (not just teens) is the Theology of the Body for Teens books and DVDs.
www.catholicconferenceofillinois.org The Catholic Conference of Illinois Defense of Marriage Department has identified the method for covering the most ground with the broadest possible audience as the creation, distribution and utilization of a Parish Toolkit on Marriage. The goal of the project is to offer resources to pastors and other parish leadership to catechize their people in regards to topics surrounding marriage.
The Parish Toolkit, tentatively available to parishes in late Summer, will include documents covering (1) an introduction to the toolkit, (2) answers to frequently asked questions, (3) catechetical reflections, (4) best resources list, (5) information on the Courage Ministry, (6) department member listing and (7) information on “How to Get Involved”.
Are you planning to host or coordinate a marriage catechesis event or program in your area? If so, we would love to
hear from you. Please email your event details to familyministry@dioceseofjoliet.org.
The Marriage Catechesis Initiative is a collaborative effort of the following agencies and offices of the Diocese of Joliet: Office of the Bishop * Campus Ministry * Divine Worship * Family Ministry * Hispanic Ministry Lay Formation * Religious Education * Respect Life * Young Adult Ministry * Youth Ministry Members of the Marriage Catechesis Committee: |
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