Association for Catholic Diocesan Marriage & Family Life Ministry

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Terence Palmer
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WORLD MEETING OF FAMILIES DUBLIN, IRELAND 21st 26th AUGUST 2018 ARCHBISHOP DIARMUID MARTIN THE PRESIDENT OF THE 2018 WORLD MEETING OF FAMILIES, SPOKE AT A MASS TO MARK THE OPENING OF IT.

the Argentine pontiff had told him of his wish to come to Dublin for the gathering, which has the theme, The Gospel of the Family: joy for the World Homily notes of Most Rev.

1 WORLD MEETING OF FAMILIES DUBLIN, IRELAND 21st 26th AUGUST 2018 ARCHBISHOP DIARMUID MARTIN THE PRESIDENT OF THE 2018 WORLD MEETING OF FAMILIES, SPOKE AT A MASS TO MARK THE OPENING OF IT. THIS WAS HELD IN KNOCK ON 21st AUGUST 2017 ON THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE APPARITION OF OUR LADY OF KNOCK Of Pope Francis visit to Ireland for the closing Mass on 26th August 2018, Archbishop Martin said the Argentine pontiff had told him of his wish to come to Dublin for the gathering, which has the theme, The Gospel of the Family: joy for the World Homily notes of Most Rev. Diarmuid Martin, Archbishop of Dublin and Primate of Ireland The family is one of the primary places where the encounter with the love of God and day to day life takes place. Married couples are called to enter into a path of living that reflects and incarnates in our world and in our times that lavish love of God. Passing on the faith within families is not just an intellectual exercise. Married couples pass on the faith by witnessing to the tender loving kindness of God. They do so through their mutual love as spouses including their sexual love and through their love of their children. Families are also called to contribute to a wider culture of loving care, which Pope Paul VI called a civilization of love. 1

2 God s love reaches out to all. We have an obligation to preach the Gospel of love to all. There is no family that is ideal. Plates fly in every family. There are however great families who struggle, at times heroically. The celebration of a World Meeting of Families would be hypocritical were it to be a celebration that ignored this struggle. A civilization of love must involve the search for a new politics for families, a politics of care for the marginalised and those who struggle. Where human love fails or is imperfect, our response should not just be that of condemnation or exclusion but one of allowing the medicine of mercy to lead people towards a more perfect love. God s love is lavish and is lavished on us. Should we overlook the fact that God is the one who lavishes love on us, then we have failed to understand God. If we do not abandon ourselves to understand and be enriched by the lavishness of God s love, then we can even misinterpret any true definition of God and interpret God s power and glory in terms that are utterly worldly. We can call God, Lord and creator, yet if we fail to understand that God loves everything and everyone he created, then we begin to misunderstand our faith. Pope Francis surprises us in so many ways with his gestures of loving care and his constant talk of God s mercy and how God s mercy reaches out to all. There are even some who feel that he is in danger of reducing the significance of God s law. Pope Francis is certainly not betraying God s law but he is reminding us that we as individuals and as Church can only be messengers of God s law if we reflect God s love and mercy. People will only understand God s law when they understand it to be a law of love. We are called, as the prayer of the Mass of Our Lady of Knock reminded us, to be witnesses to the God [who] gives hope to his people in time of distress. We come now to anoint this Icon that will be a central inspiration in all our preparations for the World Meeting of Families as we set out on a journey of ecclesial renewal to rediscover that Joy of Love, Amoris Laetitia, which is God s great gift to us and which we are called to share with all these around us. Let us remember the three key words for living in peace and joy in the family: May I, Thank You and Sorry. In our family when we are not intrusive and ask May I, in our family when we are not selfish and learn to say Thank You, and when in a family one realises he has done something wrong and knows how to say Sorry, in that family there is joy and peace. I have a dogmatic certainty: God is in every person s life. Even if the life of a person has been a disaster, even if it is destroyed by vices, drugs, or anything else God is in this person s life. You can you must try to seek God in every human life. Pope Francis Daily Reflections Pope Francis 2

FAMILIAS FRIENDS EVENTS 2017 The Joy of Love The Challenge of Amoris Laetitia in the Home, Parish and School The day was so interesting and informative with plenty of opportunities to dialogue with

3 FAMILIAS FRIENDS EVENTS 2017 The Joy of Love The Challenge of Amoris Laetitia in the Home, Parish and School The day was so interesting and informative with plenty of opportunities to dialogue with others sitting near me about various points in the Joy of Love and our response to the thoughts contained within it. FAMILIAS was delighted to host Fr Chris Thomas, Director of the Irenaeus Project, in May and June this year, as keynote speaker and workshop facilitator at its annual FAMILIAS Friends Event in the Dioceses of Cardiff, Clifton and Liverpool. The workshops entitled: The Joy of Love The Challenge of Amoris Laetitia in the Home, Parish and School offered FAMILIAS Members and Friends an introduction to Amoris Laetitia (The Joy of Love), Pope Francis Apostolic Exhortation on marriage and the family, as an aid to reflection, dialogue and pastoral practice. Following are three short reflections on the day from the MFL Ministry Coordinators in the hosting dioceses: Diocese of Clifton (Anne-Marie Sparrow): Fr Chris led the day with a beautiful reflection which set the tone for a reflective yet challenging day. There was no pressure but a gentle leading to really look at the words of Pope Francis and the challenge this gives us in our daily lives whether at home, school or parish level. All present felt that it was a pity that the hall wasn t packed as we all need to hear/read this document. The reflection at the end of the day brought all the discussions and thoughts together. Good handouts were available for us to reflect on in the days and weeks ahead. Archdiocese of Cardiff (Joanne White): 28 people from all walks of life attended the Cardiff event at the Cornerstone. Fr Chris led the gathering in prayer and reflection on the key themes of Amoris Laetitia. We came to understand that by studying the document we would recognise that the Joy of Love is not about rewriting the teachings of the Church which are firmly upheld, but the urgent need for the faithful to explore the true meaning of those teachings and to apply them in the way Jesus had intended with love and mercy. This presents a challenge for us all. There were some great discussions during the workshop and everyone got to hear and listen respectfully to the views of someone whose voice they might not normally hear. Archdiocese of Liverpool (Maureen O Brien): Here in Liverpool 50 people attended the workshop, taking the opportunity to explore further Pope Francis s groundbreaking document Amoris Laetitia in which he reflects on family life, offers encouragement to families and asks the Church to meet people where they are and to consider the complexities of their lives reminding us that we should avoid judging people and imposing rules without considering their struggles. There was time during the day to have table discussions on ten very important points raised by Pope Francis about Love and Family. People who attended the day said they talked about it all the way home! 3

The hymn called A Joy for all the Earth is the official hymn for the World Meeting of Families 2018 and was composed by young Irish composer Ephrem Feeley.

4 The hymn called A Joy for all the Earth is the official hymn for the World Meeting of Families 2018 and was composed by young Irish composer Ephrem Feeley. The hymn found its inspiration in the document Amoris Laetitia - the Joy of Love, written in 2016 by Pope Francis following the Synods on the Family held over the preceding two years. The hymn was launched in Dublin at an event attended by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Prefect of the Vatican s Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life. A Joy For All The Earth Love bears all things, endures all things Love longs for all things good, love never ends Love is patient, and love is kind. Love is not resentful; it is not rude. Love is not arrogant, nor boastful, nor jealous, but love rejoices, rejoices in the truth Refrain The joy, of love, a joy for all God s family, The joy of love transcending time and space. Our Love for each other mirrors God the Father s love. The joy of love: a joy for all the earth. (2) Here in Gods family all find their home. All can find salvation troubled souls find peace. Here is found tenderness, compassion and justice Here God reaches down to us and touches us with grace. Refrain (4) This is what God asks of us, to act with justice, to love with tenderness, to walk humbly with God, to give our lives in service to others. The joy of the Gospel is the joyful love of Christ! Refrain World Meeting of Families 2018 Ltd. All rights reserved. (3) Love is our origin, our constant calling. Love is our fulfilment, in God s dwelling place. Love is the mystery of Father, Son and Spirit, Love is communion of blessed Trinity. Refrain (5) Love bears all things, endures all things love longs for all things good, love never ends. The lyrical nature of the melody allows for this piece to be performed by smaller forces too, even a single voice and accompaniment, making it suitable for weddings. The piece also is suitable for general use, and could be used as a strong stately entrance or communion processional hymn." WEBSITE FOR THE WORLD MEETING OF FAMILIES: 4

WMOF 2015: PERSONAL REFLECTIONS ON THE THEOLOGICAL PASTORAL CONGRESS The Theological Pastoral Congress of the 8th World Meeting of Families was held from Tuesday 22nd to Friday 25th September 2015 at

Participants were invited to a number of keynote speeches including presentations by Cardinal Robert Sarah, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle and Professor Helen Alvare and were offered the choice of over

5 WMOF 2015: PERSONAL REFLECTIONS ON THE THEOLOGICAL PASTORAL CONGRESS The Theological Pastoral Congress of the 8th World Meeting of Families was held from Tuesday 22nd to Friday 25th September 2015 at the Pennsylvania Conference Centre in Philadelphia. Participants were invited to a number of keynote speeches including presentations by Cardinal Robert Sarah, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle and Professor Helen Alvare and were offered the choice of over 70 break-out sessions on a wide range of issues affecting the family. These sessions were led by academics, theologians and practitioners from different cultural and faith backgrounds. Following are some personal reflections by members of the English and Welsh delegation on the sessions they attended: The break-out sessions were stimulating and yet frustrating as there were often difficult choices to be made over which one to attend. The question and answer sessions at the end of each highlighted the real pain that some families experience and their deep desire to be more affirmed and supported by their Church. In the session: How Precious Is the Family: Advice from Pope Francis on How to Love, Alejandro Bermudez, Joseph Loehr, Gina Loehr, and Rabbi Abraham Skorka four panellists who know Pope Francis, gave an input on their impressions of the man and what they had learnt from him in respect of family life. The one that caught my attention was Rabbi Skorka, a Jewish friend of the Pope from his life in Argentina. He and the then Archbishop of Buenos Aires engaged in regular dialogue on how to love, and how precious the family is. They spoke together from their hearts and these conversations continue today. Skorka affirmed that the Pope is very consistent and lives what he speaks, with Christ as his guide. Together they discovered many parallels in biblical and rabbinical visions of family life, and the influence of family across generations. The Q&A session came alive with the first voice from the audience speaking of their sense of exclusion from the Catholic family. The Rabbi responded: We must take our lead from Pope Francis and not reduce this to something abstract. The question (of exclusion) belongs to us all. He went on to say that the whole church must discover the essence of the Gospel and live it more authentically. We must invite people who feel on the edge into dialogue. In her break out session entitled: Loving the Elderly, Dr Janet Smith spoke with great warmth and humour about life as BAD (Beleaguered Ageing Daughter) with her BAM (Beloved Aged Mother). Her Mother is living with Alzheimer s disease and Dr Smith is her principal carer. Illustrated by a series of anecdotes from BAD and BAM s life together, Dr Smith shared the joys and sorrows of their relationship and gave the audience some practical tips that were helping her to maintain her relationship with BAM despite being BAD. It provoked laughter and tears in equal measure from myself and others around me, many of whom evidently had personal experience in similar circumstances. 5

MEMORIES OF THE WORLD MEETING OF FAMILIES 2015 On Sunday 20th September a delegation of nine diocesan and national representatives from England and Wales flew to Philadelphia for the 8th World

The delegates attended a four day Congress along with 20,000 others from across the globe, then joined the Holy Father and 1,000,000 pilgrims for the Festival of Families on Saturday 26th.

sleeves and joined others to pack 30,000 meals for the Catholic Relief Service (CRS) which will be sent out to families in Burkina Faso.

6 MEMORIES OF THE WORLD MEETING OF FAMILIES 2015 On Sunday 20th September a delegation of nine diocesan and national representatives from England and Wales flew to Philadelphia for the 8th World Meeting of Families (WMOF). The theme was Love is Our Mission: The Family Fully Alive. The delegates attended a four day Congress along with 20,000 others from across the globe, then joined the Holy Father and 1,000,000 pilgrims for the Festival of Families on Saturday 26th. Following are some of their personal impressions of that week: waiting on the parade route on Saturday My favourite memory of the WMOF was the Helping Hands event where our delegation rolled up their sleeves and joined others to pack 30,000 meals for the Catholic Relief Service (CRS) which will be sent out to families in Burkina Faso. To prepare us for the task we heard a moving testimony from one of their ambassadors, a Ghanaian who had lost both his parents and several siblings at a young age. He was fortunate to come into contact with CRS they fed him and gave him the chance to attend school. He now has a Master s degree, is married with four children and works for CRS himself. Small acts of kindness can make such a difference. This was just one hour of our time, but will never know how many lives it touched. The feeling I have come away with is that working with families is such a privilege. To help people see the beauty in our family relationships and to know that God is with us in all our messiness and our wounded states. To be able to share the passion God has for each and every one of us is a great thing. The legacy of WMOF for me is that the complex dynamics that were at play in Philadelphia will continue to be so in our own context in England and Wales. We are church, the body of Christ and everyone needs to both know they have a space, a contribution to make, and a home. The way forward is affirmed as being very practical, doing Christianity creating space for listening, empathy and sharing the journey. The Exhibition Hall at the Congress at the WMOF I will take home the example of the Amish people who built Philadelphia without a first street because only God is first; we must remember that we are born through God as equals, not one above another. There are too many memories to count but they would include attending, as the guests of the Irish delegation, the premier performance of The Wedding Feast of The Lamb by Dr Cormac O Duffy an Irish American who conducted the piece himself with gusto and humour and the Catholic Grandparents Association reception. One evening I attended Mass and a reception for the Irish delegation hosted by the Irish Catholics of Philadelphia. This took me far outside the glitzy city centre security zone through scenes of tired urban dilapidation to the beautiful parish church of St Anne s from this distance the city appeared a distant bar chart of bright lights. (picture Prayer knots in the Grotto outside the Basilica of Ss Peter & Paul) 6

I LL BE THERE: PERSONAL REFLECTIONS ON POPE FRANCIS IN PHILADELPHIA It was a whirlwind trip to the USA last week for Pope Francis and we followed his progress from Washington DC to New York with

7 I LL BE THERE: PERSONAL REFLECTIONS ON POPE FRANCIS IN PHILADELPHIA It was a whirlwind trip to the USA last week for Pope Francis and we followed his progress from Washington DC to New York with interest as we attended the Congress of the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia. The city also eagerly anticipated his arrival banners bearing his image fluttered on giant poles; tons of water bottles were stacked on street corners; memorabilia overflowed in shop windows and hundreds of barriers were winched into place in preparation for the arrival of the Holy Father and 1,000,000 pilgrims on the weekend. Following are some personal reflections by members of the English and Welsh delegation on that historic event: What stays with me in particular is his address to the thousands gathered in Benjamin Franklin Parkway on Saturday evening he spoke with his whole body, with such infectious joy and animation, about the beauty of love, born in the family. He asked us to nurture this, and also to look after young couples preparing for the beautiful vocation of family life, and older people who must not be allowed to feel neglected and abandoned. The preparations for the papal visit were immense and it was interesting that the level of security was far greater than that provided for a presidential visit. The local people were so delighted to see him as he drove past and there was an almost frenzied excitement, similar perhaps to what Jesus may have experienced entering Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. Perhaps it is because they both have a clear message of living love to share! I watched his arrival on TV and it seemed to me that he walked off those aeroplane steps with a broader smile and a lighter heart that at any of the other places he had visited so far in this trip to the United States. His embrace of Archbishop Chaput of Philadelphia was the warm greeting of a man coming home to friends. Philadelphia was ready with an equally warm embrace for him. Everyone in the city was in a good mood, even the security personnel who lined the streets and chatted to us while we waited behind the safety barriers for his parade. The city of brotherly love and sisterly affection lived up to its name in its generous welcome of Pope Francis and all of us who were there just because he was. The Pope s visit to Philly came at the end of a very punishing schedule for him. He must have been exhausted and yet still spoke entirely off the cuff at the Festival of Families using little jokes to engage and speak directly to the people gathered and watching on TV. It was wonderful to see him and be part of the huge crowd that waited for hours on the streets of Philadelphia for the parade on the Saturday. It was fitting that the World Meeting of Families was held in the city of brotherly love and sisterly affection because that is what we experienced in every church, in every restaurant, hotel and on the packed streets of Philadelphia last weekend. In the city the excitement and anticipation of Pope Francis arrival was palpable on Saturday as people chatted, shared food, and talked about their family experiences and faith journeys. When the Holy Father finally did appear the daylight was almost gone, but thousands of pilgrims who had been waiting patiently on the streets for hours to catch a glimpse of him shouted with joy, eyes filled with tears and faces wreathed with joy. It was amazing to experience the Francis-effect in action. Pope Francis is always described as a warm and humble man; the experience of being in Philadelphia during his visit has affirmed this for me. I can t put into words how much I have been touched by him. His central message to me has been the need for love of all humanity and the world we live in with the family being the example of unconditional and true love in all its guises, stages, messiness and lived experience. 7

8 2012 My Family My Priesthood booklet. FAMILIAS has recently re-published the popular 2012 My Family My Priesthood booklet. Margaret Hinton, FAMILIAS Steering Group Chair, said in her introduction to the 2nd edition, Families are called by God to be the first and best teachers of love which is at the heart of a life of faith this Gospel way of love in the home helps each person find their own particular way of responding to God s call to share God s love in the world. Therefore, for our priests, the seeds of their vocation too are sown by God and nurtured in their early life experience in their families. The Steering Group made the decision to republish the 2012 document, in its original format, because the stories remain relevant today as each of us seeks to discern our particular vocation. Copies of My Family My Priesthood are available for purchase (@ 5 +pp) by ing parenting@rcadc.org If you would like to join FAMILIAS or find out more about the Association please visit SEVEN RULES OF LIFE 1. Make peace with your past so it won t screw up the present. 2. What others think of you is none of your business. 3. Time heals almost everything, give it time. 4. Don t compare your life to others and don t judge them. You have no idea what their journey is all about. 5. Stop thinking too much it s alright not to know the answers. They will come to you when you least expect it. 6. No one is in charge of your happiness, except you. 7. Smile. You don t own all the problems in the world. Be compassionate Love your enemies Be reconciled Do not judge The sermon on the mount summarised in ten words? To receive your regular copy of the Familias Newsletter via please contact: Clara P Donnelly Familias Administrator Tel: , cc.donn@talktalk.net 8

Let s Talk Family! Let s Be Family!

Let s Talk Family! Let s Be Family! Dublin Diocesan Home/School Family Faith Week 15-20 April 2018 (an initiative developed by the Primary Diocesan Advisers, Education Secretariat) As part of the preparation