Office of Laity and Family Life
Our Mission
The Office of Laity and Family Life supports lay Catholics, as disciples of Jesus Christ, in their vocation to the family, in the marketplace, and in the Church. Our mission is achieved in collaboration and cooperation with other offices, agencies and parishes. This mission is born of a strong belief in the value and necessity of a well-formed, active laity and the responsible stewardship of God’s gifts. All employees consider their work to be a ministry and strive to give the very best “customer service” possible. The office serves as an information resource on programs and staff serve as consultants for “training the trainers” in various areas.
The Office Laity and Family Life hosts a number of events during the year. We welcome you to our webpages and encourage you to have a look around. By navigating the blue menu bar on the left of your screen, you can visit all of the ministry groups within our agency.
If you have any questions, can't find what you are looking for, or have suggestions for these ministries, please contact us at 314.792.7171.
A Prayer for Families by Heidi Busse
All-Loving God,
we thank you for all of your good gifts
especially the gift of family.
For parents and grandparents
who nurture our faith
and lift us up in difficult times,
we thank you, God.
For brothers and sisters
who laugh and listen
and celebrate with us in joyful times,
we thank you, God.
For holidays and holy days
when we join together around the table
and remember the bond that unites us,
we thank you, God.
For all those who love us
and care for us
and welcome us home again and again,
we thank you, God.
For the gift of eternal life
and the promise that we will one day join
all of the beloved who have gone before us,
we thank you, God.
With the guidance of the Holy Family,
may we remain a strong and vibrant
family of faith, now and forever. Amen.
Reprint permission from Our Sunday Visitor. Feel free to insert this prayer into your parish bulletin.
Order the Prayer for Families Prayer Card for your parishioners
Why Children Matter, by Johann C. Arnold. As Cardinal Timothy Dolan writes in his foreword to the book, “In an age where both the importance and definition of family seem to be under constant attack from all sides, my friend Johann Christoph Arnold provides a much-needed perspective on marriage and an approach to child rearing that is at once time-tested and completely up-to-date, and solidly grounded in faith…As the fabric of family and society is challenged, he offers up concrete steps to bolster and encourage those parents who want to pass on to their children the values their parents gave them.”