The Office for Family Life fosters a family perspective in Church and society that promotes ministry to, with, by, and for families in all stages. The Office supports marriage formation and pastoral care to advance the missionary discipleship of the Domestic Church in the Diocese of Orange.
Emmaus Ministry for Grieving Parents One-Day Retreat
Saturday, June 17, 2023 at St. Irenaeus
St. Irenaeus is hosting a one-day retreat for parents who have experienced the death of a child of any age by any cause, no matter how long ago. Losing a child under any circumstances is horrendous. Focusing on the spirituality of the grieving process can help tremendously.
Join other Emmaus Parent Companions and our Diocese of Orange Retreat Team in a warm and loving place—to think, to talk, to feel, and to pray. Find compassion, rest, and peace … at least for a time. All grieving parents are welcome.
Spots are limited; register early! $35 for individuals or $60 for spouses (includes lunch & dinner). Kindly register online by June 7.
Mental Health Awareness Month
May is Mental Health Awareness Month!
The Office for Family Life is pleased to provide you with an updated version of our Resources for Mental Health guide, available in English and in Spanish. Our Diocese of Orange Behavioral Health webpage includes further resources.
The website for the Diocese of Orange chapter of the Association of Catholic Mental Health Ministers shows all of the events and programs going on in our diocese and at our parishes around mental health and is updated regularly: catholicmhm.org/orange.
Are you an adult who works with youth? Consider taking Mental Health First Aid (Youth) to learn how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental health and substance use challenges among children and adolescents. We are hosting this training on Saturday, June 3 at the Diocesan Pastoral Center from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Pre-registration is required by Friday, May 19.
We hope these will assist you to warmly welcome parishioners affected by mental illness and their families. For further information about mental health ministry in the Diocese of Orange, fill out and submit our online inquiry form.
The Marriage Course by ALPHA
The Marriage Course at St. Vincent de Paul starts May 24
The Marriage Course by ALPHA is for couples seeking practical support to strengthen their relationship, keep the spark alive and stay connected. The next 7-part series starts on May 24, 2023 and meets weekly on Wednesday evenings from 7-9 pm (ends July 5). It will be conducted online via Zoom so participants can join from the comfort of home. For more information, contact Deacon Angelo & Cindy Giambrone at [email protected] or 714.697.5659.
Support Changes Everything
Pregnant? Need Help?
Local help is available: pregnancy clinics and centers, shelters and food distribution, mental health support, and resources for maternal and perinatal health.
Hope and Healing After Abortion
The Church understands and cares
Hope and Healing After Abortion is a sensitive, private, confidential experience of accompaniment. Our volunteers aim to provide a caring, compassionate, and non-judgmental presence for anyone who is suffering from the affects of abortion and who is seeking reconciliation with God and their faith community.
Getting married?
Marriage formation for engaged couples
The sacrament of marriage is not a social convention, an empty ritual or merely the outward sign of a commitment. The sacrament is a gift given for the sanctification and salvation of the spouses, since “their mutual belonging is a real representation, through the sacramental sign, of the same relationship between Christ and the Church. The married couple are therefore a permanent reminder for the Church of what took place on the cross; they are for one another and for their children witnesses of the salvation in which they share through the sacrament.”
Pope Francis in Amoris Laetitia n. 72
Marriage
& Family
Formation
Pastoral
Care
