FAMILIA (lay apostolate)

FAMILIA's logo

FAMILIA is an apostolate, founded in Minneapolis, Minnesota, designed to strengthen Christian family life.[1] It stands for FAMIly Life In America. As the director in Edmonton summarized it to the Western Catholic Reporter, "Familia was put together from what Pope John Paul II said about family."[2]

History

Familia was founded in 1993 by Paul and Libbie Sellors as a four-year program of catechetical formation. The series moves from encyclical to encyclical, and then through the Universal Catechism in a coherent way that creates the building blocks of faith.[3]

In 2009, it co-sponsored the National Marriage Conference with the Diocese of Lexington.[4] In 2012, the former communications director was hired as Family life coordinator for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.[5]

In 2012, the Cana Family Institute assumed the apostolate with the intent of relaunching it in conjunction with other marriage and family programs.[3][6]

Program

The center of FAMILA is a regular meeting that includes a Gospel reflection, catechesis, study of a magisterial document related on family life, and a resolution.[7] The materials are prepared by those with graduate-level ecclesiastical degrees in theology and is designed to study the magisterial documents sequentially. Beyond this meeting, FAMILIA trains and equips the leaders and provides different helps to improve family life.[8]

FAMILIA usually exists as part of parish or diocesan structures in a variety of parishes throughout Canada, the USA, and the Philippines.[9][10][11][12] In the Archdiocese of Houston, for instance, it is in 16 parishes with over 500 participants.[13]

References

  1. ↑ "FAMILIA". Regnum Christi. Retrieved 14 October 2012.
  2. ↑ "Familia anchors families in faith". Western Catholic Reporter. Retrieved 15 October 2012.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "How FAMILIA Began". FAMILIA. Retrieved 14 October 2012.
  4. ↑ "Holy Family Is Model for Strong Family Life, Says Bishop". AmericanCatholic.org. Retrieved 15 October 2012.
  5. ↑ "Archdiocese names new Marriage, Family and Life director". The Catholic Spirit (Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis). Retrieved 15 October 2012.
  6. ↑ "Providing Perspective". Regnum Christi. Retrieved 14 October 2012.
  7. ↑ "A Typical Meeting". FAMILIA. Retrieved 14 October 2012.
  8. ↑ "What is FAMILIA". FAMILIA. Retrieved 14 October 2012.
  9. ↑ A Few examples of parish websites listing it: St Gertrude, Cincinnati, OH, St Peter's, Huber Heights, OH; St Christopher's, Vandalia, OH; St. Ann,Copell, TX; St Ambrose, Cheverly, MD; St Thomas, Fort Thomas, KY; St Joseph's, Erie, PA; Cathedral of Christ the King, Atlanta, GA; St Patrick's, Calgary, AB, Canada; and The Ascension of the Lord, Davao City, Philippines.
  10. ↑ A Few examples of diocesan websites listing it: The DIocese of Charleston, SC; and The Diocese of Trenton, NJ
  11. ↑ "Ottawa holds a FAMILIA benefit dinner". Regnum Christi. Retrieved 15 October 2012.
  12. ↑ "St. Valentine’s Familia Evening". The New Wine Press (the Archdiocese of Winnipeg). Retrieved 15 October 2012.
  13. ↑ "Services & Resources". The Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. Retrieved 15 October 2012.

External links