Marriage Summit to energize all who minister to, walk with families
July 29, 2019 at 12:37 p.m.
By Christina Leslie | Staff Writer
What are the reasons fewer young adult Catholics are getting married in the Church, and what can the Church do about it?
Those are among the questions ministry leaders will explore at the Diocese of Trenton’s Marriage Summit to be held May 8 or 9 in Georgian Court University, Lakewood. Sponsored by the Department of Youth, Marriage and Family Life, the summit will offer a host of local and nationally-known speakers and resources for ministering to Catholic couples and families, and introduce the diocese’s “Plan for Strengthening Marriage,” a document containing seven concrete, measureable objectives designed for all who minister to married couples and their families.
Peg Hensler, diocesan associate director of the Department of Youth, Marriage and Family Life, explained the scope and purpose of the summit, saying, “This began as a special event for partners in strengthening Catholic marriage; it is not a retreat for married couples or a Marriage Encounter weekend.” However, she added, “In order for this to take hold in parishes, we need everyone to be thinking about and working toward supporting marriages. Anyone who cares about building strong marriages within our parishes and families would find something of value.”
Hensler connected the summit to the upcoming World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia, noting that this is the Diocese of Trenton’s local response to the growing initiative in the universal Church to strengthen the pastoral care of families.
Participants expected to attend include priests and deacons, parish catechetical leaders, staff members, catechists, educators, pastoral associates, sacramental preparation teams, youth ministers and ministry volunteers from both the English-speaking and Spanish-speaking communities.
Responding to the Needs
The seeds for the marriage summit were planted in 2012 in response to Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M.’s, concern about statistics on the state of marriage in the Diocese. The numbers were sobering: from 1990 to 2007, in the four counties of Burlington, Mercer, Monmouth and Ocean, total marriages decreased by 18 percent and Catholic marriages by 50 percent. In the period from 2007 to 2013, marriages in the Diocese declined an additional 25 percent.
On an April 14 episode of “The Catholic Corner,” the diocesan produced television series, host Msgr. Walter Nolan spoke with Hensler about the Diocese’s response to the sobering statistics.
Hensler, who also serves as coordinator of marriage ministries and Natural Family Planning, said, “We needed to take a look and see what we could do to enhance some of our pastoral practices.”
The Bishop formed a team of parish and diocesan leadership, educators and lay ministers who were tasked with addressing marriage in the Diocese. The multi-year collaborative process resulted in the creation of the “Plan for Strengthening Marriage,” a document with seven measurable objectives to be implemented in phases over a five-year period.
The document strives to “increase the number of Catholic couples in the Diocese who choose sacramental marriage, [and] support all Catholic married couples in the hard work necessary to live the Sacrament as Christ intended: with fidelity, permanence and openness to life.”
Among its objectives are plans to support clergy and lay ministers in their call to be authentic teachers and witnesses to the truth and beauty of sacramental marriage, improve the effectiveness of marriage preparation to be more responsive and relevant to the needs of today’s young adults, regularize the situation of civilly married couples to fully enjoy the sacramental life of the Church and promote a marriage-building culture in every aspect of parish life.
A Wealth of Resources
The upcoming Marriage Summit is a response to these objectives. The main portions of the event will be offered twice, once on each day, to encourage maximum participation. Thus, participants need only to attend one day of the program. The Spanish language workshops will be offered on Saturday only.
Bishop O’Connell will give a keynote address outlining his vision for marriage, and Terry Ginther, executive director of the Office of Pastoral Life and Mission, will present an overview on the diocesan “Plan to Strengthen Marriage.” Attendees will take away a resource booklet which will include a copy of the plan to take back to their parishes and its ministers.
Keynote speaker, Msgr. James Lisante, will share his expertise on the topic of ministering to married couples. Msgr. Lisante, former director of the Office of Family Ministry for the Diocese of Rockville Centre, N.Y., has hosted several national television and radio programs including “Personally Speaking” and “Christopher Close-Up.” His columns have appeared in more than 300 newspapers.
The summit will allow participants to choose from among 15 different workshops offered in English and three in Spanish, all presented by a mix of locally and nationally-known speakers. Workshops aim to address challenges during all stages of marriage.
Topics and presenters at the summit will include: “The Spiritual Mindset of Millennials – Engaging the Next Generation,” with presenter Frank Mercadante, founder of Cultivation Ministries; “Catholic Marriage FAQs,” offered by Msgr. Sam Sirianni; “Healing Wounded Relationships –Embracing the Paschal Mystery in Marriage,” with Father Martin Padovani; “Convalidation Strategies: How to Bring Civil Marriages into the Church,” with Msgr. Richard LaVerghetta, pastor, St. Joan of Arc Parish, Marlton; “Understanding Marriage Through the Lens of the Theology of the Body,” by David Hajduk, adjunct professor in Immaculate Conception Seminary, South Orange, and “The Parent-Parish Partnership – Passing a Living Faith to the Next Generation,” with Dan Mulhall of RCL Benziger.
The summit runs from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on May 8, and 7:45 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 9. Each day of the summit begins with registration, a continental breakfast, Mass and Morning Prayer. Registration costs are $70 for individuals and $105 for couples who serve in ministry together. Group rates and scholarships are available.
Hensler’s goals for the summit are to both enlighten and energize its participants, and provide practical take-aways. “Participants will leave the summit with a better understanding of their role in strengthening marriage, and the basic tools to get things started in their parish community,” she said.
Seating is limited for workshops. Further information on the summit, including the agenda, registration forms, speaker spotlights and workshop highlights, may be found on the Marriage Summit website at www.dotmarriagesummit.org.
For further information, contact Peg Hensler at 609-403-7156 or [email protected].
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By Christina Leslie | Staff Writer
What are the reasons fewer young adult Catholics are getting married in the Church, and what can the Church do about it?
Those are among the questions ministry leaders will explore at the Diocese of Trenton’s Marriage Summit to be held May 8 or 9 in Georgian Court University, Lakewood. Sponsored by the Department of Youth, Marriage and Family Life, the summit will offer a host of local and nationally-known speakers and resources for ministering to Catholic couples and families, and introduce the diocese’s “Plan for Strengthening Marriage,” a document containing seven concrete, measureable objectives designed for all who minister to married couples and their families.
Peg Hensler, diocesan associate director of the Department of Youth, Marriage and Family Life, explained the scope and purpose of the summit, saying, “This began as a special event for partners in strengthening Catholic marriage; it is not a retreat for married couples or a Marriage Encounter weekend.” However, she added, “In order for this to take hold in parishes, we need everyone to be thinking about and working toward supporting marriages. Anyone who cares about building strong marriages within our parishes and families would find something of value.”
Hensler connected the summit to the upcoming World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia, noting that this is the Diocese of Trenton’s local response to the growing initiative in the universal Church to strengthen the pastoral care of families.
Participants expected to attend include priests and deacons, parish catechetical leaders, staff members, catechists, educators, pastoral associates, sacramental preparation teams, youth ministers and ministry volunteers from both the English-speaking and Spanish-speaking communities.
Responding to the Needs
The seeds for the marriage summit were planted in 2012 in response to Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M.’s, concern about statistics on the state of marriage in the Diocese. The numbers were sobering: from 1990 to 2007, in the four counties of Burlington, Mercer, Monmouth and Ocean, total marriages decreased by 18 percent and Catholic marriages by 50 percent. In the period from 2007 to 2013, marriages in the Diocese declined an additional 25 percent.
On an April 14 episode of “The Catholic Corner,” the diocesan produced television series, host Msgr. Walter Nolan spoke with Hensler about the Diocese’s response to the sobering statistics.
Hensler, who also serves as coordinator of marriage ministries and Natural Family Planning, said, “We needed to take a look and see what we could do to enhance some of our pastoral practices.”
The Bishop formed a team of parish and diocesan leadership, educators and lay ministers who were tasked with addressing marriage in the Diocese. The multi-year collaborative process resulted in the creation of the “Plan for Strengthening Marriage,” a document with seven measurable objectives to be implemented in phases over a five-year period.
The document strives to “increase the number of Catholic couples in the Diocese who choose sacramental marriage, [and] support all Catholic married couples in the hard work necessary to live the Sacrament as Christ intended: with fidelity, permanence and openness to life.”
Among its objectives are plans to support clergy and lay ministers in their call to be authentic teachers and witnesses to the truth and beauty of sacramental marriage, improve the effectiveness of marriage preparation to be more responsive and relevant to the needs of today’s young adults, regularize the situation of civilly married couples to fully enjoy the sacramental life of the Church and promote a marriage-building culture in every aspect of parish life.
A Wealth of Resources
The upcoming Marriage Summit is a response to these objectives. The main portions of the event will be offered twice, once on each day, to encourage maximum participation. Thus, participants need only to attend one day of the program. The Spanish language workshops will be offered on Saturday only.
Bishop O’Connell will give a keynote address outlining his vision for marriage, and Terry Ginther, executive director of the Office of Pastoral Life and Mission, will present an overview on the diocesan “Plan to Strengthen Marriage.” Attendees will take away a resource booklet which will include a copy of the plan to take back to their parishes and its ministers.
Keynote speaker, Msgr. James Lisante, will share his expertise on the topic of ministering to married couples. Msgr. Lisante, former director of the Office of Family Ministry for the Diocese of Rockville Centre, N.Y., has hosted several national television and radio programs including “Personally Speaking” and “Christopher Close-Up.” His columns have appeared in more than 300 newspapers.
The summit will allow participants to choose from among 15 different workshops offered in English and three in Spanish, all presented by a mix of locally and nationally-known speakers. Workshops aim to address challenges during all stages of marriage.
Topics and presenters at the summit will include: “The Spiritual Mindset of Millennials – Engaging the Next Generation,” with presenter Frank Mercadante, founder of Cultivation Ministries; “Catholic Marriage FAQs,” offered by Msgr. Sam Sirianni; “Healing Wounded Relationships –Embracing the Paschal Mystery in Marriage,” with Father Martin Padovani; “Convalidation Strategies: How to Bring Civil Marriages into the Church,” with Msgr. Richard LaVerghetta, pastor, St. Joan of Arc Parish, Marlton; “Understanding Marriage Through the Lens of the Theology of the Body,” by David Hajduk, adjunct professor in Immaculate Conception Seminary, South Orange, and “The Parent-Parish Partnership – Passing a Living Faith to the Next Generation,” with Dan Mulhall of RCL Benziger.
The summit runs from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on May 8, and 7:45 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 9. Each day of the summit begins with registration, a continental breakfast, Mass and Morning Prayer. Registration costs are $70 for individuals and $105 for couples who serve in ministry together. Group rates and scholarships are available.
Hensler’s goals for the summit are to both enlighten and energize its participants, and provide practical take-aways. “Participants will leave the summit with a better understanding of their role in strengthening marriage, and the basic tools to get things started in their parish community,” she said.
Seating is limited for workshops. Further information on the summit, including the agenda, registration forms, speaker spotlights and workshop highlights, may be found on the Marriage Summit website at www.dotmarriagesummit.org.
For further information, contact Peg Hensler at 609-403-7156 or [email protected].