Witness to Love: Civil Marriage Initiative Diocesan Launch
Be part of the renewal of marriage formation in our diocese!
Since 2018, the Diocese of Tyler has used Witness to Love as part of the marriage formation process for engaged couples. Now, we are excited to launch the Witness to Love Civil Marriage Initiative as part of our outreach and formation for couples seeking sacramental unions!
This Civil Marriage Initiative Workshop will be an opportunity for clergy, marriage formation coordinators, DREs, other parish leaders, and lay volunteers to learn why a Civil Marriage Initiative is needed, what we are doing to reach couples in irregular marriage situations, how Witness to Love is assisting us in these efforts, and how we can support this mission at the parish and deanery levels.
What is the “Civil Marriage Initiative?”
Bishop Strickland stated in the Constitution on Teaching that “because Christ desires that we be perfect, our ultimate goal is total marriage regularization in our diocese.” He wants the diocese to “engage each parishioner in an irregular marriage situation by the year 2020, and that each and every one of those situations is brought to canonical resolution by the end of 2025.”
This will be a challenging but worthwhile effort. Our purpose is to not simply establish a “program” that civilly married couples go through, but rather identify the best ways of engaging and evangelizing couples seeking a sacramental union, and how we can continue to accompany them.
Who should attend?
This online workshop is for anyone who will be in contact with these couples, and anyone who wants to be a support for them as they go through the formation process.
We highly encourage the following people from your parish to attend:
- Clergy
- Marriage Formation Coordinators
- DREs
- Faith Formation Leaders
- Couples who have gone through the convalidation process who can serve as a support to couples in your area.
This event will be in English only. We encourage parishes to send bilingual leaders to this event if possible. We will have other opportunities in Spanish when the Spanish version is launched later this year.
Each parish will receive one set of Witness to Love Civil Marriage Initiative materials. After registering, you will receive information on how to access this workshop online.
For more information regarding this online workshop, please click “Register” or contact Deanna Johnston (djohnston@stphilipinstitute.org 903-630-5055 Ext 112).