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CHRISTIAN FAMILY PLANNING SEMINAR The Christian Family Planning Seminar is an opportunity for engaged
and married couples to gain meaningful insight into what the Church
teaches about Marriage and Family, with an emphasis on family planning.
Presented by certified diocesan instructors, this three-hour seminar
gives witness to the value and benefits of following Church teaching. NFP helps couples to understand the human body and how it works. Though a man may be continuously fertile, a woman is not. Her body gives distinctive signs that show when she is fertile. Being aware of these signs of fertility is the first step of "Responsible Parenthood," according to Church teaching. Following Church teaching in the area of family planning has many benefits, including the ability to space births, keeping a clear conscience, increasing communication and cooperation which, in turn, strengthens the marriage. Accordingly, the risk of divorce is minimized with the practice of NFP.
For those struggling with same sex attractions who are looking for the support of a faithful group of Catholics to help live chastely, a support group has formed in the Rockford Diocese. A local chapter of Courage will help those with same sex attractions to develop chaste, Christ centered, friendships with other adults with similar struggles. Courage is an international ministry dedicated to helping its members live Catholic moral and spiritual principals in a context of trust and support. Each group is led by a priest. If you are interested in more information about this confidential ministry, please call (815) 540-4520 or e-mail courage@rockforddiocese.org to find out when and where Courage will meet. More information about Courage can be found at www.Couragerc.org. All contacts are confidential. If you have a son or daughter, brother or sister, involved in a homosexual relationship and it's breaking your heart, a support group called Encourage has formed in the Rockford diocese. Many parents of faith have been shocked, disappointed, and bewildered that their child has chosen to immerse himself or herself in the gay lifestyle. If you would like to join a spiritual support group that helps families and friends deal with these issues, please call Denise at (630) 587-3007. All contacts are confidential. JOYFUL AGAIN! Are you struggling to deal with grief over the loss of your spouse? Do you need someone who will listen to you with understanding and compassion? Joyful Again was designed with you in mind. Please join other widows and widowers on this powerful journey toward healing and hope. Trained facilitators who have been widowed themselves help with the process. Joyful Again offers help in resolving the grief felt inside after the death of a spouse. Experience helpful presentations, meaningful sharing and support with others having the same loss, and personal growth through forgiveness, healing, prayer, and the sacraments. Learn how others are coping with their loss, what they have found helpful, and that you are not along with your grief. The retreat is held at Bishop Lane Retreat Center, Rockford, Illinois. It starts at 8:30 AM and concludes at 3:15 PM the next day. The cost is $90 (includes meals and private accommodations). For more details or to register, contact the Office of Family Life, 7708 E. McGregor Rd., Rockford, IL 61102, (815) 965-5011. LENTEN SENIORS RETREAT- For Catholics 55+ Bishop Lane Retreat Center, Rockford IL LIFE'S HEALING JOURNEY Healing Childhood Hurts Weekend The Spiritual Journey Weekend 2006 Life's Healing Journey Schedule MOTHER-DAUGHTER TEA DIOCESAN MARRIAGE PREPARATION To register for any of the following programs, please contact the Office of Family Life, 7708 E. McGregor Rd., Rockford, IL 61102, (815) 965-5011. Engaged Encounter provides a unique time away for couples planning marriage in the church. It is an opportunity to look honestly and intensively at their prospective lives together as husband and wife. Through a series of presentations by married couples and a priest, each couple is able to reflect, examine, and deepen their relationship with each other and with God. Following each presentation, a series of writing and sharing exercises challenge couples to explore many aspects of their relationship in a more focused and effective way. Some of the areas and topics covered in these presentations include: Openness in Communication, Signs of a Closed Relationship, Called to be One, Becoming a Family, Forgiveness in Marriage, and Wedding: The Beginning of our Sacrament. The Engaged Encounter begins at 8:00 PM on a Friday evening at Bishop Lane Retreat Center, Rockford, IL. It concludes late Saturday evening. The cost, which includes Program, Materials, Meals, and Overnight Accommodations for each person at the Retreat Center, is only $135 for a couple marrying in the Rockford Diocese, $155 if from another Diocese. $30 of cost is required as a non-refundable but transferable deposit at the time of registration. The balance is due on arrival. There is a $15 late registration fee for registrations received less than four weeks prior to the requested date. The Remarriage Seminar is specifically designed for couples in or
entering a Remarriage where one or both have had a previous marriage.
During this Seminar you will be able to not only reflect on and discuss
pertinent issues, concerns, and realities of any couple getting married,
but also those unique to couples who have been married before. The Remarriage Seminar begins at 8:00 PM on a Friday evening at Bishop Lane Retreat Center, Rockford, IL. It concludes late Saturday evening. The cost is $135 per couple and includes Seminar, Materials, Meals, and Overnight Accommodations. $30 of cost is required as a non-refundable deposit but transferable deposit at the time or registration. The balance is due upon arrival. Sacramental Preparation for Marriage Convalidation The Sacramental Preparation for Marriage Convalidation is an effort by the Church to prepare couples married civilly to receive the Sacrament of Matrimony. Couples already civilly married are not coming to the Catholic church for a "blessing of their marriage." They are making a new consent in the sight of the Catholic Community to become a Sacramental couple. The decision to be married in the Catholic Church means: You are freely coming to the church, You want God to be at the center of your relationship, You as a couple will become the Sacrament of Matrimony-the living sign of God's love, You will be making an ongoing lifetime commitment to each other, God and the Church community, and Special graces flow from your Sacramental relationship that strengthens you and guides you on your journey. Presentations during the day include: Sacrament of Matrimony, Family Origin, Effective Couple Communication, Married Intimacy, Decision Making, and Married Spirituality. The cost is $45 and includes lunch. NATURAL FAMILY PLANNING (NFP) For more information on NFP, see also Christian Family Planning Seminar. Call an instructor in your area for classes near
you Rockford Area
West
East
*Key: PRO-LIFE LITURGY, PRAYER, & SOCIAL The Diocesan Pro-Life Liturgies began in 1994 and will continue to be offered at various parishes in the Diocese every month. The evening begins with a Rosary for Life at 6:40 PM followed by Holy Mass and veneration of an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The evening ends with a social hour including refreshments, pro-life displays, and pro-life literature. SUMMER VOCATION CAMPS For more information, visit the web site for the Diocese of Rockford Office of Vocations or call the Vocation Office at (815) 399-4300, ext. 387. This page was last modified on October 12, 2007
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