Catholic Parents Asked to Provide Input to Program on Catholic Families

Copyright 2017 Holy Cross Family Ministries. All rights reserved.[/caption] Tell us what you think! Input from Catholic parents is needed. Leading faith and family experts need to know your opinion as they prepare for the Catholic Family Life Symposium this summer at the University of Notre Dame.

What makes Catholic families unique?
What makes it hard for faith and family life to go together?
What does it take to raise dynamically faithful kids?

Catholic parents are being asked to take a short survey to help set the agenda for this important event that will explore how families can more meaningfully encounter Christ at home in their family relationships; strengthen their ability to raise dynamically faithful kids; and be agents of positive, graceful change in their communities. These experts want to know your thoughts on the challenges of making faith and family life go together. Your input on key questions will help shape the dialogue at this historic conference on spirituality and the family:

Do you think Catholic families are called to live differently than other families in the way to relate to each other at home and live their life as a family in the world? If so, how?
Many people complain that family life makes it difficult to have a meaningful prayer/spiritual life at home. In your opinion, what does an authentic, home-based, family-friendly spirituality look like?
In your opinion, what are the most important things parents and families must do to raise children who maintain a meaningful and consistent relationship with God into their adulthood?

Organized by the Pastoral Solutions Institute and sponsored by the Our Sunday Visitor Institute, Holy Cross Family Ministries, and the University of Notre Dame, the Catholic Family Life Symposium will bring together more than 30 experts in the fields of theology, social science and family ministry to explore the challenges faced by today’s Catholic families and develop strategies to deal with them. Catholic parents are encouraged to complete this short but important survey to help these faith and family experts understand what you need to make your faith more fulfilling for you and your loved ones. The Symposium will explore four critical questions about Catholic family life and spirituality:

How are Catholic families called to be dynamically different from other families?
What does an authentic, domestic-church-based spirituality look like?
How can Catholic families be more effective forges of intentional discipleship?
How can Catholic families take up the call to be outposts of evangelization and positive social change?

Participating in this dialog will be nearly three dozen internationally-recognized, Catholic theologians, social-scientists and leading pastoral ministry professionals. They will include family counselors and authors, Greg and Lisa Popcak, pastoral theologian and family therapist, Tim and Sue Muldoon, family theologians Julie Rubio, John Grabowski, and Joseph Atkinson, faith and family researchers Mark Gray, Pat Fagan, and Justin Bartkus, award-winning moral-psychologist Darcia Narvaez, family psychologist/master-catechist Joseph White, family-life ministers Andrew and Terri Lyke, and Damon and Melanie Owens, directors of the USCCB Family Life Office Dominic Lombardi and Julia Dezelski, and many other world-renown faith and family-life experts. “It seems remarkable, but the church has never explored the unique challenges Catholic families face in living their faith at home in a practical, comprehensive way,” said Dr. Greg Popcak, Director of the Pastoral Solutions Institute and event organizer. “This symposium will address many of these issues and provide tools to help families strengthen both their relationships and their spiritual well-being.” Dr. Popcak urged Catholic parents of every age and stage to participate in the Family Symposium by taking a few minutes to complete the survey. The answers will be invaluable in setting the agenda for the renewal of Catholic family life.