Throughout the diocesan conversations during Listening 2004: My Family My Church, very little was said about marital or family spirituality. What was shared mostly related to prayer at home or participation as families in the Sunday Eucharist. This overlooked the love and care for one another that families recognised among their greatest joys but not necessarily as their embodying of God's love.
As Bishop John Hine noted: "We find ourselves in the situation where a profound insight which is at the heart of true renewal of family life is virtually unknown, or certainly unclaimed in the responses made by families. How can we remedy this?"
As Bishop John Hine noted: "We find ourselves in the situation where a profound insight which is at the heart of true renewal of family life is virtually unknown, or certainly unclaimed in the responses made by families. How can we remedy this?"
The Family - A Blessing For the Church
In his Pastoral Letter on the Synod on the Family (1 November 2015) Cardinal Vincent Nichols reflected on his recent experience at the Family Synod in Rome. It enabled him look at families with fresh eyes. He could see in families a love, ‘expressed in everyday ways, a love which strives so hard to be faithful, to overcome rows and difficulties with forgiveness, a love which gives energy for the day and rest in weariness.’ During the Synod the family was spoken of as 'a blessing for the Church' but in his Synod intervention Cardinal Nichols went further saying, ‘let us be taught by the family’. He told the Synod how the consultations in England and Wales had revealed that in spite of the difficulties they faced, most people wanted to speak, 'again and again, of the love they have for their family, which gives meaning to everything they do.' Many families give a powerful witness to the Church and the Church must be taught by them especially when facing difficult problems: ‘Most families never withdraw a loving welcome home, even when dismayed by certain behaviour. We, the entire Church, must learn this pathway of “tough love”, a love that is compassionate, honest, and always seeking to find and nurture all that is good, as illuminated by the Gospel.’Read the full text of Cardinal Vincent Nichols’ Pastoral Letter on the Family Synod
Read the full text of Cardinal Vincent Nichols’ Intervention at the Family Synod
Home is a Holy Place sets out to raise greater awareness of God's presence at home not just among families but among all those who serve them in any way within our Catholic community. It is about recognising and responding to God's presence
- at home with our families
- in the ordinary events of our daily lives
- in the deep joys and sorrows we experience together
- in our relationships with one another, whether we are children, siblings, parents, spouses, friends or neighbours
The Home is a Holy Place Resource Pack
The Home is a Holy Place Resource Pack was developed to assist parishes in raising awareness of the spirituality of the home. A Home is a Holy Place pack was sent to every parish in England and Wales in 2007/8 but all the main printed materials can be viewed or downloaded from this website. Experience of using the pack points to its value especially when working with families who feel on the margins of church life, or who feel that their lives don't always measure up to the Church's teaching on marriage and family life. It's therefore an extremely useful tool for evangelisation and for affirming the gifts with which God has graced the church of the home.
RESOURCES
Size: 1 MB Home is a Holy Place - What happened?
Reactions to the Home is a Holy Place Resource Pack Size: 190 KB Marriage & Family Life Resources Order Form
Size: 772 KB Not Easy but Full of Meaning
A report by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales on the responses of families to Listening 2004: My Family My Church – a series of diocesan conversations on marriage and family life with 15,000 families in England & Wales.
Reactions to the Home is a Holy Place Resource Pack Size: 190 KB Marriage & Family Life Resources Order Form
Size: 772 KB Not Easy but Full of Meaning
A report by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales on the responses of families to Listening 2004: My Family My Church – a series of diocesan conversations on marriage and family life with 15,000 families in England & Wales.
Size: 897 KB Getting Started
A four page leaflet containing ideas for using the Home is a Holy Place DVD and accompanying materials in different ways Size: 3 MB Introducing Home is a Holy Place
A 24 page background booklet explaining the vision and goals in more detail Size: 372 KB Home is a Holy Place: Before You Begin
A reflection for group leaders Size: 297 KB What Does Home Mean To You?
Group work sheet/handout Size: 254 KB How Do you and Your Family Show Love For One Another?
Group work sheet/handout Size: 241 KB What Are The Challenges in Your Family Relationships?
Group work sheet/handout Size: 217 KB When Are You Most Aware of God in Your Family Experiences?
Group work sheet/handout Size: 683 KB Family: An Adventure in Love
Size: 325 KB Home is a Holy Place: Where Next
A reflection for group leaders
A four page leaflet containing ideas for using the Home is a Holy Place DVD and accompanying materials in different ways Size: 3 MB Introducing Home is a Holy Place
A 24 page background booklet explaining the vision and goals in more detail Size: 372 KB Home is a Holy Place: Before You Begin
A reflection for group leaders Size: 297 KB What Does Home Mean To You?
Group work sheet/handout Size: 254 KB How Do you and Your Family Show Love For One Another?
Group work sheet/handout Size: 241 KB What Are The Challenges in Your Family Relationships?
Group work sheet/handout Size: 217 KB When Are You Most Aware of God in Your Family Experiences?
Group work sheet/handout Size: 683 KB Family: An Adventure in Love
Size: 325 KB Home is a Holy Place: Where Next
A reflection for group leaders