Catholic Family Life Symposium Helps Families Find Time for Christ

Major conference with 30 experts at the University of Notre Dame July 19-21 will discuss the issues facing families today and how they can cope

Families are under more pressure than ever today. School, work, social media, drugs, materialism and other issues all challenge each member of the family and make it more difficult to find a spiritual connection. The constraints on time alone make it tough for families to even have dinner together! Catholic families are no different; however, they are called to live differently. These concerns and more will be addressed by leading experts at the Family Symposium July 19-21 at the University of Notre Dame. This major event is sponsored by Our Sunday Visitor, Holy Cross Family Ministries, Pastoral Solutions Institute and the University of Notre Dame. More than 30 authorities in the fields of theology, social science and pastoral ministry to families will come together to discuss and answer these questions about Catholic family life July 19-21 at the University of Notre Dame. They will explore how families can encounter Christ in everyday relationships and how to express that experience with each other and in their community. “As we work to help families live a truly Catholic life, particularly as family, the domestic church, we need to identify what it is that makes a Catholic family different and provide resources to simply and practically live a Catholic family life,” said Dr. Greg Popcak, Director – Pastoral Solutions Institute. “This symposium will address many of these issues and provide tools to help families enhance and improve their spiritual well-being.” Some of the experts scheduled to speak at the Family Symposium include several well-known Catholic family authorities Dr. Greg & Lisa Popcak, Andrew and Terri Lyke, Tim and Sue Muldoon, Julie Rubio, Justin Bartkus, Pat Fagan, Darcia Narvaez, Mark Gray, Joe Atkinson, Julia Dezelski, and many others. Organizers of The Catholic Family Life Symposium will focus on ways families can experience faith in the home with each other and spread that faith into their communities. The conferences focus will center on:

Helping parents and children to understand how to live as a Catholic family.
Provide best practices that are flexible for all families to live a life of faith.
Identify day-to-day life practices so family members can better relate to each other and experience God together.
Provide materials that outline spiritual practices that fit with the messiness of family life.
Show how the family can change the world working together as family to make a difference.

To gather input from families and professionals that work with families, a survey had been developed. Families and professionals are invited to complete the survey. For more information on the symposium visit CFLSymposium.org.

Copyright 2019 Dave Kindy for Holy Cross Family Ministries About the CFL Symposium Sponsors: OUR SUNDAY VISITOR The world's largest English-language Catholic publisher and provider of services, Our Sunday Visitor serves millions of Catholics and Catholic organizations globally through publishing, offertory and communication services. For more information, visit OSV.com. HOLY CROSS FAMILY MINISTRIES Holy Cross Family Ministries (HCFM) is a family of Catholic ministries dedicated to inspire, promote and foster the prayer life and spiritual well-being of families throughout the world. Families are served through video, retreats, radio, daily family prayers via app or email, Rosary app, weekly eBooks, and reflections through social media and blogs! We provide for families 24/7 online and strive to be a respected and reliable catalyst for inspiration, support, and dynamic content on family life through a focus on spirituality and prayer, especially the Rosary. Ministries include FamilyRosary.org, Family Theater Productions, Father Peyton Family Institutes, (FatherPeyton.org) and CatholicMom.com. (CatholicMom.com). Founded by Venerable Patrick Peyton, a priest of the Congregation of Holy Cross, was known worldwide for his message, “The Family That Prays Together Stays Together.” PASTORAL SOLUTIONS INSTITUTE The Pastoral Solutions Institute was founded in 1999 to provide resources to religiously committed Catholics need to live more faithful and abundant marriage, family, and personal lives. Since that time, The Pastoral Solutions Institute has become nationally-recognized for its leadership in integrating cutting-edge counseling psychology with solid Catholic theological principles. The Institute offers a wide variety of resources and professional services intended to help committed Catholics overcome problems like marital conflict, childrearing problems, depression, anxiety, stress and the difficulties associated with major life transitions. UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME One of America’s leading undergraduate teaching institutions, the University of Notre Dame has been at the forefront in research and scholarship. Notre Dame has a unique spirit. It is traditional, yet open to change. It is dedicated to religious belief no less than to scientific knowledge. The University of Notre Dame was founded in 1842 by Rev. Edward F. Sorin, C.S.C., a priest of the Congregation of Holy Cross, a French missionary order.