Our Catholic Catechism refers to family as a “domestic church” (2204). In relationship to one another we form a community that shares faith and love. A family helps us to understand God's love. The communion of persons that we call family best exemplify the communion of the Father, Son,  and  Holy Spirit. The gift of children to a family reflects the glory of God’s own in creation. The Christian family is called to grow in faith and live in the world as a sign of Christ’s love.

Anyone who has ever experienced family life knows that being a sign of Christ’s love every minute of every day challenges each member of the family. As your family shares the joys and struggles of relationship to one and another and God, you may find the resources on our For the Family webpages helpful. In an address on December 1 Pope Benedict XVI emphasized, "In our time, as in the past, the eclipse of God, the spread of an anti-family ideology and the abasement of sexual morality appear interconnected". This is why "the new evangelisation is inseparable from the Christian family. The family is the Church's 'path', because it is a 'human place' in which we encounter Christ. ... The family founded on the Sacrament of Marriage is an individual microcosm of the Church, a community which is saved and saves, which is evangelised and evangelises.

Like the Church, the family is called to live, irradiate and express to the world the love and presence of  Christ."

Get the Facts: What the supporters of the HHS Mandate Don't Want You Know...

"The Science. The results are in: contraception availability does not reduce unintended pregnancie." Keith Riler explains. "Many adolescent males will wholeheartedly affirm a connection between
the availability of contraception and sexual activity, and scientific data supports the link. Studies have shown that contraception increases sexual activity — i.e., that more contraception means more sex."

Need more evidence? "Testimony. Abortion industry regulars admit the truth. Guttmacher regularly reports that 55%-60% of women having abortions are on contraception."

Catholic Families as Good Citizens

2012: Archbishop Carlson asks for Catholic families to stand together against the HHS Contraceptive Mandate in Missouri    
        "And, therefore, I would ask of you two things.  First,
as a community of faith, we must commit ourselves to prayer and
fasting, that wisdom and justice may prevail, and religious liberty may
be restored.  Without God, we can do nothing; with God, nothing is
impossible. Second, I would also recommend visiting www.usccb.org/conscience,
to learn more about this severe assault on religious liberty and how to
contact Congress in support of legislation that would reverse the
Administration’s decision.I call upon each of you to join me and the
Bishops of the United States in speaking out on this violation of
religious freedom and conscience by contacting your U.S. Representatives and our U.S. Senators. 
Every Catholic has the responsibility to promote the dignity of human
life and religious freedom.  If we do not make our voices heard, no one
else will.  Let us work together to preserve the freedoms our
forefathers established in our Constitution!"

Patron Saint for Your Family: Adopt a Saint

"Start off the new year with a new friend. Maybe a new friend who’s very old. Maybe a friend in high places. A sort of trend has started recently, prompted in part by several Catholic blogs on the Internet — adopt a saint. Families are picking out a patron saint to guide them and accompany them through the new year. It’s easy, it’s educational, it’s spiritual and it’s a fun way to incorporate your Catholic faith into your everyday
family life and teach your children the reality of the communion of saints, those who have died and are in heaven eager to help us with their prayers and intercessions" (The St. Louis Review, Watkins, 1/12/12).

Parenting

 Parenting a child, for many, will be the most important, challenging and rewarding job of lifetime. As with any job or career, it will require learning new skills that are not necessarily "automatic." Becoming a good parent will require a disciplined commitment to study and practice these new skills. Good parenting takes time.

 The Office of Laity & Family Life hopes to offer a variety of resources and programs to enrich and nurture many kinds of families. We believe that all God’s children deserve to be raised in an atmosphere of unconditional love, mutual respect and healthy interaction. As we develop these pages, we invite you to tell us of community events and local resources that could be shared with other parents.

“The weakest members of society should be helped

to defend themselves against usury, just as poor people should be helped to derive real benefit from micro-credit, in order to discourage the exploitation that is possible in these two areas.”  [par. 65, Pope Benedict XVI Caritas In Veritate, 2009]

How informed are you on legislation in the State of Missouri regarding Catholic School advocacy?

Get the latest information by clicking here.

          The mission of the American Center for School Choice is rooted in two basic propositions: The education of the child is a fundamental responsibility of the family. Enabling parents to choose the school that will best help them to fulfill this responsibility. Check out School Choice around the Nation - click here.

           Support the Archdiocese of St. Louis' Today and Tomorrow Educational Foundation

           Help for Today - Hope for Tomorrow Kindergarten through 4th Grade Program

 Introduced for the 2008-2009 school year, this program originally offered 600, $2,000 needs based tuition assistance scholarships to city of St. Louis residents desiring to have their K-4th grade aged children attend a parochial or private school in the city of St. Louis.  During the 2009-10 school year, this program was expanded to include 220 more children, anadditional 271 students were added for the 2010-11 school year, and we are currently accepting applications for the 2011-12 school year.  There are currently 733 students in this program. Thirty-five parochial and private schools are participating in the program.  

Envigorate Your Catholic Spirit and Change Your Environment:

Attend a Cursillo Weekend

Some say it's the best kept secret in the Catholic Church, but it's no secret at all. Several popes, inlcuding Pope John Paul II have praised the Cursillo Movement and enouraged Catholics to experience the weekend in their local dioceses. In 2002, on May 6, Pope Joh Paul II addressed an audience of those who had experience a Cursillo with these words: "The little seed sown in Spain more than 50 years ago has become a great tree rich in fruits of the Spirit." He was speaking about Cursillo, and on numerous occassions he blessed the Cursillo Movement.

People in St. Louis who have experienced the Cursillo weekend, have called it "a little bit of heaven right here on Earth," "transforming for me and my family," and "Cursillo has given me the tools, the knowledge to use them, and the confidence to use them to bring Christ into each one of my environments."

To attend a Cursillo weekend in St. Louis go to www.cursillo.org/stlouis and download a reservation form or email cursillostl@gmail.com for more information. Two weekends a year are held in St. Louis for men and two for women (fall and spring). Do you want to get to know Jesus Christ better? Do you have a love for your Catholic faith and want to know more? Do you want to know how easy it is to share that faith with your family, friends, and those with whom you work? Cursillo is short for Cursillo

de Cristiandad (short course of Christianity). Begin your journey today. Contact Cursillo St. Louis.

CatholicMom.com celebrates Catholic motherhood and shares ways to learn about topics related to faith and family.

St. Louis Healthy Families   educates, trains and advocates for stronger relationships, marriages and

communities in our region and state.  We provide a variety of services and programs to individuals, couples and families – both directly and in collaboration with other leading social service agencies and employers.

Family Retreat

Take some time to explore spirituality with your family. As a part of the Catechetical retreat program through the Archdiocese of St. Louis, family retreats offer the perfect opportunity for being together. Visit their website to register and see photos of all the fun. Sacred Heart Family Camp-click here.

Those who try Family Retreat Camp once may find themselves returning year after year. Such has been the case for decades in California, where the camp originated, and the practice is gaining momentum in our area.

For more information or to register for Sacred Heart Family Retreat Camp, call the Sacred Heart Sisters at 314.429.0526 or 314.792.7464.

For views of the camp and directions, visit the Eagle Hurst Ranch website at www.eaglehurstranch.com.