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Year of the Family recap

Posted on by Cori Urban

The Diocese of Burlington’s Year of the Family was a year filled with family-friendly activities, prayer opportunities and educational programming to strengthen and celebrate family life.

“In keeping with the Church’s vision on the beauty and gift of the family, an exhortation that was renewed by Pope Francis in “Amoris Laetitia” (“The Joy of Love”), the Diocese sought to celebrate, foster, encourage and proclaim the joy of love experienced by Christian families in the Church and available to all,” said Deacon Phil Lawson, executive director of evangelization, catechesis, divine worship, marriage and family and respect life for the Diocese of Burlington.

Events during the Year of the Family were designed to focus on various areas of the Church’s teachings on the family and Pope Francis’ 256-page apostolic exhortation on the family, “Amoris Laetitia.” Some of these events were designed to celebrate families, some designed to educate, some designed to inspire and equip leaders with resources and some focused on healing.

“This Year of the Family offers us a year to ponder the Church’s teaching on the family and embrace it ourselves,” Burlington Bishop Christopher Coyne said in announcing the special celebration.

“The purpose of the Year of the Family is to explore, reflect upon and implement the message of Pope Francis’ 2016 apostolic exhortation ‘Amoris Laetitia,’” explained Stephanie Clary, manager of mission outreach and communication for the Diocese. “The overall focus of the Year of the Family is the joy and love that are experienced by being attentive to the important relationships in our lives and serving as an example of that love — God’s love — for those we encounter.”

Beginning in the fall of 2017 and continuing for a year, the special celebration included a World Marriage Day Anniversary Mass at St. Joseph Cathedral, Family-focused Stations of the Cross, a Family Retreat Day in Troy, a family Mass at St. Anne’s Shrine in Isle LaMotte and a Year of the Family Conference in Montpelier. There was a presentation on foster care and adoption by the Vermont Department of Children and Families for diocesan staff.

Family was the focus of an Aug. 25 conference sponsored by the Diocese of Burlington that featured a speaker who said God’s “method is mercy.”

Lisa Likona, an experienced speaker on the family and nationally known spiritual writer from New York, quoted St. John Paul II’s “Dives in Misericordia” (“Rich in Mercy”) in her keynote address, “Mercy in the Heart of the Family.”

“Mercy is love’s second name,” she said. “Mercy stoops down in order to pull up” and makes people feel fuller, richer and purified.

More than 100 people attended the conference, “Year of the Family: the Joy of Love,” at Capitol Plaza Conference Center in Montpelier. It was the premier event of this year’s celebration of the Year of the Family in the Diocese.

The Year of the Family Celebration also included a workshop at St. John Vianney Parish in South Burlington, “Hope, Healing and Outreach,” for Catholics who are separated or divorced as well as retreats for men and women and a Family Healing Service at St. Joseph Cathedral.

“No matter into what model our families fit — or don’t fit — they can serve as examples of joy and love in the world if they strive to be domestic churches committed to God’s will,” Clary said.

“The Church needs families!” enthused Josh Perry, director of worship for the Diocese of Burlington. “Insomuch as families hold the presence of Christ, the Church — which we know to be the Body of Christ — is strengthened by the presence of families. Throughout [“The Joy of Love”] the Church is referred to as a ‘family of families.’ The Church needs you!”

Deacon Lawson expressed gratitude to the 17 men and women from throughout the Diocese who made up the steering committee for this Diocesan Year of the Family and for the many initiatives that took place “and will continue to bear fruit in our parishes and in our families.”

—Originally published in the Winter 2018 issue of Vermont Catholic magazine.

 

 

Year of the Family Conference

Posted on by Cori Urban

Reflecting Pope Francis’ call to share the Gospel of the good news of the family, the premier event of this year’s celebration of the Year of the Family in the Diocese of Burlington will take place on Saturday, Aug. 25, at the Capital Plaza Conference Center in Montpelier.

It will equip parish leaders with tools and resources to support more effectively and reach out to families and individuals in their parishes and in their communities, as inspired by Pope Francis’ apostolic exhortation, “The Joy of Love.”

The conference is geared toward inspiring and equipping parishioners with concrete tools and resources to take back to their parishes. “In that way they can help their parishes and communities to more actively support and encourage families through, as Pope Francis has said, ‘the vicissitudes of life,’” explained Deacon Phil Lawson, executive director of evangelization, catechesis, divine worship, marriage and family and respect life for the Diocese of Burlington. “There is a strong need to equip people for ministry at the local parish and community level to be those agents of outreach, healing and support.”

It is hoped that every parish in the Diocese will send at least or two people to the conference.

There have been a number of events held during this Year of the Family, all designed to focus on various areas of the Church’s teachings on the family and Pope Francis’ “Amoris Laetitia.” Some of these events are designed to celebrate families, some are designed to educate, some are designed to inspire and equip leaders with resources, some are focused on healing.

Lisa Lickona, editor for Saints for Magnificat, will give the keynote address at the August conference; her topic will be “Mercy, the Good News and the Family.” She earned a Licentiate in Sacred Theology from the John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family. She is an experienced speaker on the family and a nationally known spiritual writer. She and her husband have eight children and run a small organic farm.

Breakout sessions will include such topics as marriage enrichment, foster care, creating a family-friendly parish, family-based catechesis, the domestic Church and supporting families during life’s difficult times.

Breakout session topics include:

+ Simcha Fischer, author of “The Sinner’s Guide to Natural Family Planning,” speaking about NFP;

+ Lisa Lickona on the family of saints;

+ Cathy Frost of the Vermont Department for Children and Families on foster care and adoption in Vermont;

+ Father Jon Schnobrich, vocations director for the Diocese of Burlington on fostering a culture of vocations in the family and on the challenges of raising a family amidst the current changing cultural landscape;

+ Josh Perry, director of worship for the Diocese of Burlington, on family-friendly parishes and liturgies;

+ Father Luke Austin, judicial vicar for the Diocese of Burlington on annulments; and

+ Deacon Lawson on supporting and strengthening marriages.

Breakout sessions are geared toward ministers who encounter these issues not toward people who experience them.

“The breakouts are designed to be very concrete and practical, providing tangible tools to take back to your parish,” Deacon Lawson said.

Hosted by the Diocese of Burlington, this daylong conference will explore, reflect upon and respond to the message of Pope Francis’ 2016 apostolic exhortation “Amoris Laetitia” (“The Joy of Love”). In it he confronts the challenges facing families today while offering a hopeful message to help people be courageous believers who strive to live as holy families and encourage the healthy lives of families in today’s culture.

The cost of the conference is $30.

For more information and to register, go to vermontcatholic.org/YearoftheFamilyConference.

—Originally published in the Summer 2018 issue of Vermont Catholic magazine.

 

 

 

Year of St. Joseph: Diocese of Burlington

Posted on by Bishop Christopher Coyne

On Dec. 8 of last year, Pope Francis declared a “Year of St. Joseph” to commemorate the 150th anniversary of St. Joseph being named patron of the Universal Church.  The year began that day and will end this year on Dec. 8.

In his Apostolic Letter entitled “Patris Corde” (“With a Father’s Heart”), Pope Francis describes St. Joseph “as a beloved father, a tender and loving father, an obedient father, an accepting father; a father who is creatively courageous, a working father, a father in the shadows.”  Love and devotion to St. Joseph are particularly close to us here in the Diocese of Burlington as our cathedral is named for him and places us under his protection.

There is much to consider and ponder concerning St. Joseph and his importance to the Church. Much will be offered for our devotion to him during this patronal year. In this moment, I would offer some thoughts that draw upon a homily of St. Paul VI “On the Holy Family” that he preached on Jan. 5, 1964. In his homily St. Paul VI spoke of Nazareth as “a kind of school where we may begin to discover what Christ’s life was like and even to understand His Gospel.”  In describing what we can learn from the hidden years of Jesus, Mary and Joseph in Nazareth he raises up three simple aspects of the Holy Family which can also be applied to St. Joseph himself.

First, we can learn from St. Joseph’s silence. “Beset as we are by the cacophony of strident protests and conflicting claims so characteristic of these turbulent times, the silence of St. Joseph should teach us how to meditate in peace and quiet, to reflect on the deeply spiritual, and to be open to the voice of God’s inner wisdom.” St. Joseph can teach us the value “of meditation, of a well-ordered personal spiritual life and of silent prayer that is known only to God.”

Second, from St. Joseph we can learn about family life. He can serve “as a model of what the family should be” — a community of love and sharing, beautiful for the problems it poses and the rewards it brings, in sum, the perfect setting for rearing children – and for this there is no substitute.

Finally, in St. Joseph we have a craftsman who teaches us about “work and the discipline it entails.” He reminds us that while “work has its own dignity … it is not an end in itself. Its value and free character derive not only from its place in the economic system, as they say, but rather from the purpose it serves.”

In closing, this initial reflection on St. Joseph is, I hope, the first of many that I will share with you.

St. Joseph, patron of the Church, pray for us.

—Originally published in the Spring 2021 issue of Vermont Catholic magazine.

Year of St. Joseph

Posted on by Bishop Christopher Coyne

On Dec. 8 of last year, Pope Francis declared a “Year of St. Joseph” to commemorate the 150th anniversary of St. Joseph being named patron of the Universal Church. The year began that day and will end this year on Dec. 8.

In his Apostolic Letter entitled “Patris Corde” (“With a Father’s Heart”), Pope Francis describes St. Joseph “as a beloved father, a tender and loving father, an obedient father, an accepting father; a father who is creatively courageous, a working father, a father in the shadows.” Love and devotion to St. Joseph are particularly close to us here in the Diocese of Burlington as our cathedral is named for him and places us under his protection.

There is much to consider and ponder concerning St. Joseph and his importance to the Church. Much will be offered for our devotion to him during this patronal year. In this moment, I would offer some thoughts that draw upon a homily of St. Paul VI “On the Holy Family” that he preached on Jan. 5, 1964. In his homily St. Paul VI spoke of Nazareth as “a kind of school where we may begin to discover what Christ’s life was like and even to understand His Gospel.” In describing what we can learn from the hidden years of Jesus, Mary and Joseph in Nazareth he raises up three simple aspects of the Holy Family which can also be applied to St. Joseph himself.

First, we can learn from St. Joseph’s silence. “Beset as we are by the cacophony of strident protests and conflicting claims so characteristic of these turbulent times, the silence of St. Joseph should teach us how to meditate in peace and quiet, to reflect on the deeply spiritual, and to be open to the voice of God’s inner wisdom.” St. Joseph can teach us the value “of meditation, of a well-ordered personal spiritual life and of silent prayer that is known only to God.”

Second, from St. Joseph we can learn about family life. He can serve “as a model of what the family should be” — a community of love and sharing, beautiful for the problems it poses and the rewards it brings, in sum, the perfect setting for rearing children — and for this there is no substitute.

Finally, in St. Joseph we have a craftsman who teaches us about “work and the discipline it entails.” He reminds us that while “work has its own dignity … it is not an end in itself. Its value and free character derive not only from its place in the economic system, as they say, but rather from the purpose it serves.”

In closing, this initial reflection on St. Joseph is, I hope, the first of many that I will share with you.

St. Joseph, patron of the Church, pray for us.

—Originally published in the Feb. 6-12, 2021, issue of The Inland See.

 

Year of the Family: The Joy of Love

Posted on by Cori Urban

Following a successful Year of Creation in the Diocese of Burlington, 2018 will be celebrated throughout the Catholic Church in Vermont as the Year of the Family with a particular focus on Pope Francis’ 256-page apostolic exhortation on the family, “Amoris Laetitia,” (“The Joy of Love”).

“Like last year’s Year of Creation, this Year of the Family offers us a year to ponder the Church’s teaching on the family and embrace it ourselves,” Burlington Bishop Christopher Coyne said in announcing the special celebration.

Among the components of this special year will be a new diocesan Pre-Cana program, a World Marriage Day anniversary Mass, a Catholic men’s conference and diocesan women’s retreat, the annual Family Mass at St. Anne’s Shrine and other diocesan-wide and parish activities that are still developing.

“The purpose of the Year of the Family is to explore, reflect upon and implement the message of Pope Francis’ 2016 apostolic exhortation ‘Amoris Laetitia,’” explained Stephanie Clary, manager of mission outreach and communication for the Diocese.

The 2017 year-long focus on “Laudato Si’” and 2018’s year-long focus on “Amoris Laetitia” aim to assist the faithful in understanding these global documents at the local level and supporting Vermont parishes with resources and ideas for furthering these Vatican messages in Vermont communities.

“While certain events during the Year on the Family will focus on specific family situations (for example, Pre-Cana prepares a man and woman to start a new family together as husband and wife, and the annual Family Mass at St. Anne’s Shrine brings together multi-generational families of many forms for a celebratory day of joy), the overall focus of the Year of the Family is the joy and love that are experienced by being attentive to the important relationships in our lives and serving as an example of that love — God’s love — for those we encounter,” she said.

“No matter into what model our families fit — or don’t fit — they can serve as examples of joy and love in the world if they strive to be domestic churches committed to God’s will.”

Pope Francis writes of how “the Lord’s presence dwells in real and concrete families, with all their daily troubles and struggles, joys and hopes” and “every family … can become a light in the darkness of the world.”

Emulating what Pope John Paul II did in writing “Familiaris Consortio” in 1994, Pope Francis seeks to highlight the challenges that families face today and proposes ways for the Church to proactively respond in a new way: “Nowadays, pastoral care for families has to be fundamentally missionary, going out to where people are,” commented Deacon Phil Lawson, executive director of evangelization, catechesis, divine worship, marriage and family and respect life.

The husband and father of six hopes his family exhibits love and joy. “The world needs more of both of these. As Pope Francis states in ‘Amoris Laetitia:’ The strength of the family ‘lies in its capacity to love and to teach how to love’ and later on he refers to a ‘joy-filled witness.’ If my family and all our families can be agents of love and joy, we will have served our Lord’s mission well in the world,” he said. Michael Hagan, coordinator of religious education and catechesis for the Diocese, emphasized that that the Church truly is a community. “It is easy to make the faith strictly personal and forget that we are deeply connected with the other members of the Church as members of the Body of Christ,” he said.

“If we want to help and support families within our Church that are going through hard times, we will first have to take seriously the truth that we are deeply, spiritually connected to them.” He noted that Pope John Paul II many times made the point that the future of humanity is closely linked to that of the family.

“The claim, then, is that the world depends on the success of the family,” Hagan said. But how could the family hold so much significance? “The family reflects the Trinitarian community of persons, the family is the community in which God chose to become man, the family is where we first experience love, share ideas, form relationships, and the family is where we hone our skills to enter into society at large,” he continued. As persons seek to do God’s will “on earth as it is in heaven,” it is clear that the family is a gift from God to be both celebrated and protected, he said.

“The Church needs families!” enthused Josh Perry, director of worship for the Diocese of Burlington. “In so much as families hold the presence of Christ, the Church — which we know to be the Body of Christ — is strengthened by the presence of families. Throughout the document, the Church is referred to as a ‘family of families.’ The Church needs you!”

At the same time, the Church recognizes the many difficulties families face today. For some, Christ’s presence in the family can seem completely absent. “The Church tirelessly works to strengthen and support families through its accompaniment in pastoral ministry and its celebration of the sacraments,” Perry emphasized.

In keeping with the themes of joy and mercy, Pope Francis wrote, “It is my hope that, in reading this text, all will feel called to love and cherish family life.”

Ways parishes and families can celebrate the Year of the Family:
• Offer special blessings at Mass to families, anniversary couples, children, engaged couples, pregnant women and those celebrating birthdays.
• Get “Catholic Household Blessings and Prayers” published by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops for special occasions at home.
• Gather the family and invite the parish priest to bless the home.
• Attend Mass as a family.
• Pray together as a family.
• Sponsor a parish family fun day that begins with Mass or adoration.
• Pray the rosary on a family car trip.
• Share the faith on social media.
• Begin an intergenerational faith formation program.
• Invite persons who might otherwise be  alone to share a holiday meal or a Sunday  dinner with your family.
• Reach out to an estranged family member.
• Read “Amoris Laetitia” and discuss it  as a parish family.

Topics to explore during the Year of the Family:
• Reconciliation with a family member who has been hurtful
• How the loss of a family member affects family dynamics
• How to support a family member struggling with doubt about faith • Living in a model of family you never anticipated (single parent, widow, step family)
• The role of faith in your family
• How to help a broken family heal
• Nurturing good physical, emotional and spiritual health within your family

“The Joy of Love experienced by families is also the joy of the Church… the Christian proclamation on the family is good news indeed.”
— “Amoris Laetitia”

Originally published in the Winter 2017 issue of Vermont Catholic magazine.

WYD pilgrims showed the world faith can lead to peace, pope says

Posted on by Catholic News Service

In a world suffering from “diseases of the soul,” like pride, hatred and violence, the young people who traveled to Portugal for World Youth Day showed that another way of living and interacting is possible, Pope Francis said.

World Youth Day was not a vacation, but “an encounter with the living Christ in the church. The young people went to encounter Christ,” the pope said Aug. 9 at his weekly general audience.

Restarting the Wednesday appointments after a monthlong summer break, Pope Francis used his main audience talk to share some reflections on his trip Aug. 2-6 to Fátima and Lisbon for World Youth Day, an event that saw 1.5 million people gather for a prayer vigil and for Mass.

In addition to the large events with young people from around the world, the pope said he had an opportunity for smaller, more intimate meetings, including with a group of young people from Ukraine, “who shared stories that were painful” about their lives and the losses they have endured since Russia launched a full-scale war on their country.

“While in Ukraine and other places in the world there is fighting, and while in certain hidden halls war is planned — this is awful, isn’t it, wars are planned,” he said, “World Youth Day showed everyone that another world is possible: a world of brothers and sisters, where the flags of all peoples fly together, next to each other, without hatred, without fear, without closing up, without weapons!”

“The message of the young people was clear: will the ‘great of the earth’ listen to it, I wonder, to this youthful enthusiasm that wants peace?” the pope asked. “It is a parable for our time, and even today Jesus says: ‘He who has ears, let him hear! He who has eyes, let him look!’ We hope the whole world listens to this World Youth Day and sees the beauty of these youth moving forward.”

Pope Francis, who did not read a planned prayer for peace in Ukraine while at the Shrine of Our Lady of Fátima, told people at the audience, “I prayed that God would heal the world of the diseases of the soul: pride, lies, enmity, violence — these are diseases of the soul, and the world is sick with these diseases.”

And, he said, while at the shrine, “we renewed the consecration of ourselves, of Europe, of the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary,” he said. “I prayed for peace because there are many wars in many parts of the world.”

Addressing Polish speakers at the audience, Pope Francis offered his blessing to the thousands of people making the traditional August pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Jasna Góra in Czestochowa.

“I entrust you with a desire I have in my heart: the desire for peace in the world,” he told the pilgrims. “Present it to the one who is the Queen of Peace. Ask for this priceless gift, especially for the dear and tormented Ukraine.”

— Cindy Wooden, Catholic News Service