National Family Week
The UK's first National Family Week took place between 25-31 May 2009.
The Marriage and Family Life Project Office of the Bishops' Conference produced three leaflets to help families celebrate the week: Family Days In, Family Days Out and Celebrating Home is a Holy Place.
Home is a Holy Place
During National Family Week, the Bishops encouraged parishes to consider using the Home is a Holy Place resource pack. The packs can be downloaded at: www.homeisaholyplace.org.uk or parishes can collect them directly from their dioceses. A free pack is available for every Catholic parish in England and Wales.
Home is a Holy Place is one of the key priorities of Celebrating Family: Blessed, Broken, Living Love, which is the national programme for marriage and family life within the Catholic community in England and Wales. Home is a Holy Place was created in response to a major consultation process called Listening 2004: My Family, My Church in which 15,000 families across England and Wales took part.
A message from Bishop John Hine
Bishop John Hine's message for the 2009 National Family Week:
“I am delighted that National Family Week is being launched with a call to celebrate family life because for the last three years we in the Catholic community have been doing just that: Celebrating Family: Blessed, Broken, Living Love. We recognise the importance of taking time to celebrate the blessings of family life. Families tell us these are the time they spend together and the love they share. Families are at the very heart of both life and love. As such they are also very close to the heart of God. That’s certainly something to celebrate!”
Bishop John Hine
Chair of the Bishops’ Committee for Marriage and Family Life
A parish prayer for families
All praise and thanks are yours, heavenly Father:
you have created families in your image
and have chosen us to be followers
of Jesus your Son.
Look with mercy on all here present
and those with whom we live at home.
Help us to see and give thanks for the formidable
energy with which you have graced family life.
May we work together in harmony
and grow in love by all we do.
Loving Father, we ask this grace
in the name of Jesus our Lord.
Amen.
Listen/download
Left click on the link below to listen to the mp3 using your default media player.
Right click and "save target as" or "save link as" to download.
Bishop John Hine on his work for the Church on marriage and family life (mp3)
National Family Week resources
Celebrating Home is a Holy Place (pdf)
Home is a Holy Place Resource Pack
Getting started
A four-page leaflet containing ideas for using the DVD and accompanying materials:
Getting started (pdf)
Introduction
A 24-page background booklet:
Introducing Home is a Holy Place (pdf)
A reflection for group leaders
Group work sheet/handout
What does home mean to you? (pdf)
How do you and your family show love for one another? (pdf)
What are the challenges in your family relationships? (pdf)
When are you most aware of God in your family experiences? (pdf)
A reflection for group leaders
Postcard
Send Bishop John your feedback using this postcard:
Prayer cards