“The pastoral intervention of the Church in support of the family is a matter of urgency. Every effort should be made to strengthen and develop pastoral care for the family, which should be treated as a real matter of priority, in the certainty that future evangelization depends largely on the domestic Church.” –John Paul II, Familiaris consortio, 65
The Archdiocese of Detroit is partnering with the St. John Paul II Foundation to bring the marriage enrichment initiative Together in Holiness to our Families of Parishes. This will allow each Family of Parishes to offer marriage enrichment program in a small group structure. These sessions provide ongoing formation with couples accompanying one another.
The Together in Holiness Formation series aims to inspire and equip spouses to grow together in holiness, which also empowers parents to form their children in the Catholic faith. This is done by equipping a Family of Parishes to build community and accompaniment amongst couples.
This series includes seven sessions where couples meet once a month for reflection and discussion, utilizing a guidebook. Each session includes video presentations, discussion questions, wisdom from the Church’s teaching and the saints, and specific activities that couples complete between each group gathering to help integrate and bring home the formation. A Host Couple facilitates these home-based small groups. The first area of focus is the family as a domestic church.
Take these next steps in order to utilize Together in Holiness in your Family of Parishes:
1. Attend a virtual “Come and See” informational session on Tuesday, April 28 at 1:30 p.m. to learn more about the Together in Holiness Formation series. Clergy and parish staff are invited to this hour-long online meeting to learn more about the series and how it can be implemented at the Family of Parishes level. To register, click here.
2. Identify and invite couples to be Host Couples. A Host Couple facilitates each small group of three to six couples, whether they meet in the comfort of their home or at the parish. The Together in Holiness staff provides all the vetting, training, and ongoing support to couples interested in being Host Couples. Training for the Spanish version is available to bilingual Spanish-speaking couples. Your Family of Parishes will receive regular updates on the program utilization from the St. John Paul II Foundation throughout the process.
3. Budget. The Archdiocesan partnership with the St. John Paul II Foundation allows for a special rate for each Family of Parishes to contract with the Together in Holiness Formation series. This covers Host Couple training, ongoing support for them while facilitating the small group Formation series gathering of couples, and all the materials needed to host the series.
Marker 3.1 in Unleash the Gospel reminds us that an “effective way to foster communion is to form well-planned small groups in which the members meet regularly for … formation as well as mutual support, encouragement, and growth in holiness.” Utilizing the Together in Holiness Formation series within your Family of Parishes can help couples do that. Sign-up today to join us on April 28th to learn more about this endeavor.
For additional information or questions, please contact David Grobbel at [email protected] or 313-237-5894.
