WHAT WE DO

- About
Explore below to learn about the goals of the Office of Marriage and Family Life:
- Offer a resource for marraige preparation
- Support marriage enrichment
- Promote Natural Family Planning (NFP)
- Help parents, youth and young adults understand marriage
- Drive the Clean Heart Initiative to protect families from online pornography
- Serve our cultural communities
- Support marriages and families in their difficulties
“Marriage is a way of discipleship and conversion.”
- Archbishop Sartain
The life of every family is marked by all kinds of crises, yet these are also part of its dramatic beauty. . . . Each crisis has a lesson to teach us; we need to learn how to listen for it with the ear of the heart.
Pope Francis
Amoris Laetitia #232

GOALS FOR 2019
Offer a resource for marriage preparation
Marriage preparation should lead a couple closer to one another while establishing a connection with their Church. We want to help parishes make this happen. By working with parish staff to help them identify and implement the marriage preparation model most effective for their parish, we can be your partner in making the marriage preparation process the best possible experience for the couples and your parish.
Contact us to help tailor your marriage preparation process to the needs of your parish.

Support Marriage Enrichment
The parish can and should be a constant source of support and encouragement for marriages and families. We can help your parish with resources including:
- Help in setting up events such as date nights to support marriages
- Free mini-retreats and evenings of reflection for married couples and families
- Retreats for couples to strengthen their commitment to one another and your parish
- Connection with sources of support such as Retrouvaille and Marriage Encounter
Contact us to arrange the event that is right for your parish.

Promote Natural Family Planning (NFP)
Safe, effective and proven to strengthen marriages, Natural Family Planning (NFP) can be enormously helpful to families. We will continue to develop NFP resources in the months to come. In the meantime, use the following URL to access existing NFP resources http://www.seattlearchdiocese.org/CFF/FamilyLife/NFP.aspx

Help parents, youth and young adults understand marriage
A number of Pastors have asked us to speak to parents, youth and young adults to let them know the good news about marriage and family life . Part of this message is letting parents know that, through their parish and the sacraments, Jesus will strengthen their family and call their children to a vocation. We can provide speakers on many subjects including:
- Love for Life: Sharing God’s plan for love with our children
- Made for excellence: Forming habits that lead our children (and us) to good decisions
- Is the Church behind the times? How to respond to critiques of the Church.
- Protecting children and teens from online pornography
Contact us to arrange one of these talks, and many others, at no cost to your parish.

Drive the Clean Heart Initiative to protect families from online pornography
Confessors know how grave the threat of online pornography has become. We need to help people free themselves from this growing addiction. We also need to help parents protect their children by providing strategies for prevention, helping them to talk to their children and preparing them to respond constructively when exposure happens. Contact us to connect your parish and school with this initiative and get help for your community.

Serve our cultural communities
Serving our Hispanic and Multicultural communities remains a top priority. In collaboration with our Office of Hispanic Ministry and Office of Multicultural Ministries, we want to support the particular needs related to marriage and family life for the communities in your parish. Contact us to find ways to work together to serve the communities in your parish.

Help us build a ‘field hospital’

We don’t have all the answers. Sometimes we don’t even know what the right questions are. What we do know is that families face many challenges and need a Church that is there to help them. Please share with us your questions and concerns. Whatever they might be. Together, we can figure out a way to respond and bring the good news of our Lord to every family. Contact us and let us know what your parish needs.

Archbishop Sartain established the office in January 2019, appointing Deacon Eric Paige as the Director. Please feel free to contact Deacon Eric with questions at eric.paige@seattlearch.org or (206) 382-4864.

Office of Marriage & Family Life

Archdiocese of Seattle

WHAT WE DO

GOALS FOR 2019

Support Marriage Enrichment

Promote Natural Family Planning (NFP)

Help parents, youth and young adults understand marriage

Drive the Clean Heart Initiative to protect families from online pornography

Serve our cultural communities

Help us build a ‘field hospital’