A Community of Believers and the Power of Witness: Discovering the Beauty of Marriage

“Cultivating the proclamation of the faith, fostering the involvement in the community of those who approach the Church before and after marriage, and offering “joyful” and “contagious” witnesses to family life, these are the first steps that can help us create together a favorable environment for the marriage catechumenate.” With these words, Cardinal Kevin Farrell addressed the participants in the 4th North American Marriage Catechumenate Summit, which took place from March 16 to 18 in Grand Cocteau, Louisiana, USA.

The message was sent and read on March 16 to the approximately 90 participants—bishops, priests, and family ministry leaders. The Prefect expressed his gratitude to “each one of you for the contribution you will offer to the Church. May the work accomplished not remain merely a collection of ideas, but become a fruitful seed in your communities.” “I entrust to the Lord,” Cardinal Farrell concluded, “the journey of the marriage catechumenate so that, through your service, many couples may discover the grace of the sacrament of marriage. May the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of communion and love who unites the Father and the Son and sustains the love of spouses, also accompany your commitment and make fruitful your apostolate.”

The Marriage Catechumenate Summits are gatherings organized by Witness to Love, a Catholic marriage apostolate serving dioceses and parishes around the world. The North American Summits bring together bishops, priests, and lay experts on marriage from the United States and Canada, and are designed to promote and implement the Catechumenal Pathways to Married Life.