About Us: Family Life and Spirituality
The most beautiful thing God made is the family, Pope Francis tells us. Our office works to lift the life and spirituality of today’s families at all stages, building their faith at home and the Church itself.
The most beautiful thing God made is the family, Pope Francis tells us. Our office works to lift the life and spirituality of today’s families at all stages, building their faith at home and the Church itself.
The Office for Family Life & Spirituality collaborates with parishes and apostolic movements in the mission of supporting and strengthening the family, the basic unit of society and of the Church. We do this by witnessing to the beauty and the realism of the Catholic vision for marriage and family life, while empowering families to be agents of evangelization through domestic church life. Specific areas of focus include marriage formation and enrichment, family spirituality, resources for hurting families, and pastoral support for the divorced, all of which fall under the umbrella of building and strengthening the domestic church.
The Diocesan Office for Family Life & Spirituality was established in July 2017, one of the first fruits of the diocesan Family Life Synod, which concluded in October 2016. In his document, “Embracing the Joy of Love,” Bishop McElroy had called for a diocesan synod whose goal was to “provide a moment of profound renewal and growth in our ecclesial support of families in San Diego and Imperial Counties. It will also provide leadership in transforming our families ever more fully into authentic schools of the Gospel and be a genuine reflection of mercy and compassion of God.” Click here to learn more about the Synod.