On this page you will find information on additional resources developed by the Marriage & Family Life Office and details of collaborative work with partner organisations and departments within the Bishops' Conference. We also feature the work of lay organisations working independently, but with our support, to build welcoming, family friendly parishes. All of these initiatives support the Bishops' current priorities for the pastoral care for marriage and family life.
Major Project Work
Major Project Work
COUNTING OUR BLESSINGS
Counting our Blessings is a new Scripture-based resource produced by the Department for Christian Responsibility & Citizenship at the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales. It consists of 7 stand-alone sessions to support parish and school communities in accompanying families. In a guided small-group process using 'everyday' language each session explores a 'Real Question' in family life and through gentle engagement with Scripture seeks to help us grow in awareness of God's presence in our lives.Read more
LIGHT FOR THE PATH
To accompany families during the Holy Year of Mercy (8 December 2015 to 20 November 2016) the Marriage & Family Life Office produced Light for the Path a 6 session user-friendly resource to help families enter into this special time for the church. The session material is still available to download and use and includes guides for adult only and adult & child sessions.Read more
FAMILY GROUP MOVEMENT
Family Groups are a growing network of parish friendship groups in England and Wales drawn from the Catholic community but open to everyone in the parish. Members commit to spending time together and to grow in love for each other as brothers and sisters in Christ. Parishes seeking to set up Family Groups are supported by a national volunteer Steering Group made up of experienced Family Group members.Read more
PARENTING
The role of parents as the first educators of their children is both critical and irreplaceable. The Church supports parents by recognising the vocation of parenting and the need to focus on the human formation of the family as well as its faith formation. This is done through opportunities to reflect on parenting in the company of other parents, looking at why children behave as they do, and positive ways to respond.Read more
MENTAL HEALTH PROJECT
The Bishops' Mental Health Project grew out of the Everybody's Welcome initiative as it sought to ensure appreciation and acceptance of those experiencing mental ill-health, their families and carers. Now a major project in its own right, the Mental Health Project seeks to further encourage and inspire us as communities of understanding and pastoral care.Read more
DOMESTIC ABUSE
Catholics Experiencing Domestic Abuse Resources (CEDAR) is an initiative for parishes, deaneries and dioceses to help create an environment within the Catholic community in which domestic abuse is understood and recognised as unacceptable.Read more
CATHOLIC GRANDPARENTS GROUPS
Parish Grandparents’ Groups seek to provide a place of welcome, support, trust, and prayer for their members. At their best they are flexible enough to meet the specific needs of those that belong and can develop into an organic, sincere, and supportive group. Through their membership of the group grandparents recognise their vocation as a grandparent, their love of God and their desire to pass their faith on to their grandchildren.Read more
PROCLAIM 15
The Proclaim 15 page contains all the resources that featured in an Marriage & Family Life Office workshop at the 2015 event on welcoming, family-friendly parishes. On the page you can also download a copy of Walking with Families in Sharing the Good News and click through links to additional resources, information and support.Read more
