All involved in family ministry, including priests and deacons, pastoral associates, youth ministers, teachers, religious educators, committee members around the diocese, are  invited to an innovative diocesan program June 2 in St. Robert Bellarmine Parish, Freehold, aimed at inspiring families to literally bring the upcoming Year of Faith home.

Entitled “Forming Holy Families in the Year of Faith,” the event,  sponsored by the diocesan Department of Youth, Marriage and Family Life, will run from 9:30 a.m. – 2 p.m. and features a presentation by Matthew Pinto, the gifted speaker, noted author and founder and president of Ascension Press who will offer insight on ways to inspire families to become more engaged in their faith, said Linda Richardson.

Richardson, director of the Department of Youth, Marriage and Family Life, described the event as a “one-of-a-kind” workshop for parish leaders to focus on how to nurture faith in the family. Along with Pinto’s presentations, there will be demonstrations of family activities and seven round table discussions on a variety of topics such as Home Life, a comprehensive family ministry program; family welcoming program; engaging the parents of teens; the Christian family movement; Liturgy of the Word with children, and more.

“We’ve never done anything quite like this before,” said Richardson. “It is an effort to reach out and help people in ministry prepare for the Year of Faith, gather together and focus on new ideas of how to reach families. We want to offer things that will invite families to live the faith at home in the Domestic Church.”

Richardson said Youth, Marriage and Family Life was especially happy to be presenting Pinto who has been in the forefront of multiple Catholic initiatives including the Theology of the Body Institute and Catholic Exchange.com.

He has appeared on numerous television and radio programs explaining and defending the Catholic faith, and has conducted seminars on a variety of Catholic issues throughout the country. He is the recipient of the Catholic Leadership Institute’s 2004 Award for Outstanding Catholic Leadership. He and his wife, Maryanne, reside in Pennsylvania and are the parents of six children.

 “We are really excited about having Matthew come,” she said. He’s done a lot of wonderful work and he’s got a lot to share.”

She said the event was planned in response to Pope Benedict’s declaration of the “Year of Faith” which will begin Oct. 22 and is timed to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council.

When he announced the Year of Faith, Pope Benedict spoke of it as “a moment of grace and commitment to a more complete conversion to God,” and a means to “strengthen our faith in him and proclaim him with Joy to our people.”

Richardson said that hopefully, this event will help those in ministry gather new ways “of inviting families” into what the pope has referred to as “the place of life, of friendship with Christ.”

Tickets are $20 and include continental breakfast and lunch. For more information, call Linda Richardson at 609-403-7155.