Mission Statement The mission of the Office of Marriage & Family is to assist families in living a Christ-centered life in accord with Catholic Church teaching on human sexuality, marriage and responsible parenthood. Our programs promote growth throughout the different stages of life, fostering the dignity of the human person from conception to a natural death. We are dedicated to proclaiming the presence of Jesus Christ in our families and our daily lives.

For Fully Engaged information, including answer sheets, click here. ~OMF Corner~ "Hannah's Hope" - A Support Group for Infertility One in seven married couples experiences infertility - you are not alone. We invite you to join us on Thursday, February 11 at 6:30 p.m. at the Pastoral Center as we share our stories, support each other in prayer, and share resources following Catholic teaching for infertility treatment. Registration required, please call Laura at (612) 616-0712 or email HannahsHopeMN@gmail.com 40 Days For Life - February 17 through March 28 This coming Lent join hundreds of thousands of people participating in 200+ cities across America & internationally.  40 Days for Life saves lives through prayer and fasting for an end to abortion, peaceful vigil outside Planned Parenthood, and community outreach to spread the message that life is sacred.  Contact Mary Jo Ruhland at rhlgr@aol.com or Judy Haag at bobjudy@meltel.net Build your Marriage on Christ: Covenant of Love Marriage Ministry has begun! These monthly couple gatherings are a wonderful opportunity for husbands and wives to come together to build up their marriage in light of our Catholic faith. Please check out Covenant of Love for more information and join us at the Pastoral Center in St. Cloud (across the street from Cathedral High School at 305 7th Ave) on the 3rd Sunday of each month. We will meet from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the lounge. Our next meeting will be on Sunday, February 21 . Questions? Contact Sheila at 320-252-4721 x 308. Thirteenth Annual Catholic Men's Conference - "Scripture . . . How Catholics Read the Bible" - Saturday, February 27, 2010 - 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. - St. John's University - Keynote: Fr. Britto Berchmans Join men of all ages and walks of life to explore new ways to renew your faith. Take the time to listen to how Christ is calling you to follow Him. Set aside this one day to reflect on your chosen vocation and how being a man of integrity impacts those around you. Click here for more information and to register. Spiritual Adoption Program We are very excited to introduce the Spiritual Adoption Program. This program has been successfully piloted in some of our parishes and schools in recent years and has proven to be very educational and meaningful to children and adults alike. It touches on the three areas of pro-life involvement: prayer, education and service. The program is very simple. Participants in the Spiritual Adoption Program pledge to pray for nine months for a baby in danger of abortion. While this child will remain unknown to his or her “spiritual parent,” God knows who the child is. Many people have found that naming “their child” helps to keep them focused on the reality that their prayers are helping to save a particular baby from the harm of abortion. Click here for more information.   Health Care Reform Bill- Abortion on Demand *UPDATE as of 12/11/09!! Dear Friends, Thanks for your quick action in spreading Friday's NCHLA Action Alert far and wide. We understand that the Hatch-Nelson Amendment is now renamed the Nelson-Hatch-Casey Amendment. Also attached is today's (12/7/09) USCCB letter to the Senate in support of the Nelson-Hatch-Casey Amendment, as well as two helpful fact sheets: one on the amendment and one on problems with the overall Senate bill. In addition, the House and Senate are poised to vote on the Conference Report for the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2010 (H. R. 3288).  This bill will reverse a longstanding ban on the funding of elective abortions in the District of Columbia. The House is scheduled to vote on this bill Thursday, December 10, the Senate shortly thereafter. Click here for more details and to contact your Senators. For Action Alerts and additional information from NCHLA (National Committee For A Human Life Amendment) click here. For background information on the health care reform issue click here. For additional information from the USCCB click here.  FOCA News The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has launched an email campaign to urge Congress to oppose the federal funding and promotion of abortion and to maintain the current policies that promote the dignity of each person from conception to a natural death.  For an update on the latest concerns on the federal and state levels, click here. to find your representatives and senators e-mail addresses, click here. To determine which district you are in, click here. Our vigilance in making our voice heard is key.  Yet, this should always be in a spirit of prayer.  It would be a good time to organize a Living Rosary for the unborn.  For instructions on how to organize a Living Rosary, click here. Marriage Moments (week of 2-1-10) Three weeks ago, few people gave a second thought to Haiti. Today, the devastating earthquake has awakened the world to suffering and a mammoth response. Don't wait for a crisis to awaken you to underlying weaknesses in your marriage. Build a strong foundation today. Plan to attend a marriage enrichment event during February. (Tips courtesy of Susan Vogt) See For Your Marriage for additional resources.   Parenting Pointers (week of 2-5-10) Unless you've been living in a cave, you and your children have been inundated with news about the earthquake in Haiti these last few weeks. Perhaps you and any older children have donated to the relief work, but what can a baby or toddler do? Not much. They are with us to hug and remind us that life is fragile. Pray again for parents and children who no longer have each other to hug. (Tips courtesy of Susan Vogt)   Below are audio portions from the Military Advocacy Training held July 12, 2008 in St. Cloud. Linda Ritchie, who is actively involved in the Befrienders Ministry, offers advice and tips on listening and advocacy skills. Click here to listen Time: 20:25 Mike Mynczywor, LICSW from the St. Cloud VA Medical Center provides referral information for returning military regarding their health care and dental needs. Click here to listen Time: 32:45 Yolanda Von Itter, Family Assistance Coordinator with the Family Assistance Center at Camp Ripley. The National Guards role in keeping in contact with families through deployment and reintegration. Click here to listen Time: 7:25 Below is an audio portion from Diocesan Ministry Day held Oct. 1, 2007 in St. Cloud. Gail Mossman, MN National Guard State Youth Coordinator. She represents the MN National Guard as a State Partner in the MN Operation: Military Kids program. Click here to listen Time: 1:02:38 NB:Large file   Legislative Action See the latest Action Alerts from the National Committee for a Human Life Amendment (NCHLA). CHECK BACK OFTEN AS THINGS CAN CHANGE QUICKLY!   Military Support Many men and women from central Minnesota are members of the United States military and are serving both in the United States and overseas. Some of these brave men and women will be returning home this summer. About the same time, others will be deployed, maybe for the second time. How does the Church and parish reach out to families while their loved-one is deployed? What are the soldiers and families needs during this time of separation? How does the parish community welcome the soldier home and assist the family through the subsequent months as they reintegrate? To assist military families, an advocacy program is being initiated. An advocate is a person or persons in each parish who can coordinate the needs of the soldiers and families from their parish. Click here for more details. PRAYERS for those serving in our military. click here         Partially funded by the Annual Diocesan Appeal, we will continue our work of strengthening families, promoting the dignity of each person and proclaiming Christ to the world. "You have a mission to fulfill, a mission of love which must begin in your homes, in the place where you are, with the people you are closest to; and only then spread out." -- Mother Theresa of Calcutta The Office of Marriage & Family is a member of the National Association for Catholic Family Life Ministers (NACFLM). NACFLM is a growing association of professional ministers within the Catholic Church who work with, for and beside families. Visit their website at: www.nacflm.org About Us   Our History