Jane Deegan
Director of Marriage & Family Life Vocation, Lay Spirituality & Prayer
Marriage and Family Life
Marriage is an intimate community of life and love created by God in the beginning. The effect of original sin, although it did not totally corrupt us, still wrought a devastating impact on the relationship between man and woman and, thereby, upon marriage. Our capacity to love totally, freely, faithfully, and fruitfully was particularly undermined. Christ came to save us, free us from sin and death, and heal us. Christ restored marriage to the beginning and elevated it to a sacrament establishing it as a sign of the mystery of God’s love. The sacrament’s graces, with the couple’s cooperation, transforms their love, meaning the sacrament is efficacious for them. It is thus a call to holiness, and a way of salvation for the couple called to make present the truth about God’s love for us (St Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians 5). Sacramental marriage is then a call, a vocation, and a mission to love.
“Willed by god in the very act of creation, marriage and the family are interiorly ordained to fulfilment in Christ and have need of his graces in order to be healed from the wounds of sin and restored to their “beginning,” that is, to full understanding and the full realisation of God’s plan. (From St John Paul II’s letter Familiaris Consortio on the Role of the Family in the Modern World)
A Diocesan Programme for Marriage Preparation known as Betrothed. It takes a holistic approach and covers both faith/spiritual and relational content. The relationship content uses a variation of a programme known as PREP which has numerous research studies behind it confirming its efficacy for strengthening marital relationships https://prepinc.com/pages/our-research.
For more information and bookings, please contact Jane Deegan Director for Marriage and Family Life (07517 906435) or Monika Golembiewska (07549 226794) oAdmin Support for Mission and Evangelisation Team
Other marriage preparation courses are available in the diocese, for more information on other courses, please contact your parish priest.
We run ongoing formation for marriage retreats a few times per year. These retreats are suitable for those newly married, married for a while or in the golden years. Covering both faith and relational aspects of the marital relationship. Take time out to turn your marriage into a great marriage. The retreat includes presentations on both the relational (based on social and psychological scientific findings) and the spiritual (the Good News of Jesus Christ) aspects of marriage to strengthen, heal and enrich your relationship. THERE IS NO GROUP SHARING.
For more information and bookings, please see the website www.loving4life.co.uk
For more information contact Jane Deegan Director for Marriage and Family Life (07517 906435) or Monika Golembiewska (07549 226794) Admin Support for Mission and Evangelisation Team
Help For Your Marriage – Retrouvaille is the name of a programme designed to help heal and renew marriages. The word “Retrouvaille” simply means “rediscovery”. The programme offers the chance to rediscover yourself, your partner, and a loving relationship in your marriage. Programmes happen across the country and usually take place over a weekend.
For confidential information about ‘Retrouvaille’ or to register for the programme: Call or text +44 788 7296983
Email info@Retrouvaille.org.uk or visit www.retrouvaille.org.uk
Where married couples are trying to achieve a pregnancy or have a good reason to avoid a pregnancy, the Church teaches that understanding and practicing the principles of natural fertility, or Natural Family Planning (NFP) is the only legitimate approach.
These approaches respect the truth and meaning of marriage, the sexual act, and the gift of fertility in God's design. Since the sexual embrace is the physical sign of the sacrament (only after consummation is the bond indissoluble) living the sexual embrace in accordance with its truth and meaning is essential to the sacramentality of marriage.
Natural Family Planning (NFP) is a natural, healthy and effective method which unites husband and wife in the shared responsibility of creating and caring for their family. Research has shown that NFP is beneficial to a couple's self-knowledge, couple communication and satisfaction with the frequency of sexual intercourse.
Download our information leaflet here: NFP Information Diocese of Shrewsbury
Passing on Faith to Children
Along with your parish, we want you to feel equipped and supported in your role as parents in passing on the faith to your children. Together with the Franciscan Catechetical Institute we have put together a specific course (track) called Vocation of Parenting. This track consists of two levels – foundation workshops and specialised workshops. You may pick and choose from the list as you wish or work your way through from beginning to end. You can also choose to work through the workshops with a mentor if you wish, who will offer support and encouragement. All these resources are accessible free of charge. Please follow this link to the main page for more details about this programme.
