On this page you will find resources for enriching your Catholic family life as well as help and support for when family life is challenging. Quick Links:
”Every threat to the family is a threat to society itself. The future of humanity, as Saint John Paul II often said, passes through the family. The future passes through the family. So protect your families! Protect your families! See in them your country’s greatest treasure and nourish them always by prayer and the grace of the sacraments.
-Pope FrancisAddress to families, Manilla, Philippines, January 16th, 2015
Pastoral Letter on Family by Archbishop Samuel Aquila
The Church worldwide has focused on the family for the past year at the Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on the Family (2014) and the Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on the Family (2015) as well as the World Meeting of Families (2015). This pastoral letter written by Archbishop Samuel Aquila addresses issues important in family life including the family’s meaning and mission, challenges to the family, and how to live the family’s mission.
Family Support
Catholic Counseling Services
Catholic based counseling can be found at the following organization for individuals, couples, children, families.
St. Raphael Counseling | Couples Counseling
A branch of Catholic Charities, St. Raphael Counseling Services assists men and women, married couples, children, families and adolescents. They offer counseling and mental health services that are faithful to the Catholic Church, and help to restore and strengthen the family and parish communities. They also provide psychological assessment, pre-marital counseling, and highly confidential porn recovery groups.
Visit the website or call 720.377.1359
Dealing with Grief and Loss of Loved Ones
Precious Lives Burial
The loss of a child in pregnancy or at birth is a very difficult time for families. Often, the child is left at the hospital without knowing that the precious life that died should be placed, reverently in a cemetery. Catholic Funeral and Cemetery Services of Northern Colorado would like to take this precious life into our care for placement in Mt. Olivet Catholic Cemetery at no cost. As a ministry of the Catholic Archdiocese of Denver, we live our vocational call of the Corporal Work of Mercy to Bury the Dead. No matter if families are Catholic, Protestant, another Faith Tradition or of no faith, we serve all families and want to serve you and yours.
For more information, call 303-502-9666
Parish Based Grief Support Groups
Most Precious Blood Life After Loss – Grief Support Group meets every second Tuesday of the month in the Parish Center, Conference Room A, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
The mission of the support group is to allow individuals to share their experiences, feelings, and emotions following the death of loved ones with others who are on the very same journey. In the sharing, we often discover new ways of coping and begin to discover new strength and hope. The group is facilitated by Rosemary Claassen, a MPB parishioner and an experienced grief group facilitator.
For more information, call Rosemary at 303-953-2443.
Special Religious Education
Special Religious Education and Pastoral Care for Persons with Developmental Disabilities
The Office of Special Religious Education and Pastoral Care for Persons with Developmental Disabilities provides parish-based religious education programs, tutoring in parishes not hosting specific programs, home visits, and the provision of resources to families, as needed. Liturgy and Sacraments are celebrated in all programs. “Awareness Masses” are also held in some parishes during the regular Sunday liturgy to celebrate and honor the special education families
Pastoral Care
The Special Religious Education Office also provides a ministry of religious nurture to the residents of the Wheat Ridge Regional Center. Because these residents have severe/profound disabilities they benefit best from a program of religious nurture and supportive Christian presence. End of life care and funerals are provided along with ongoing support to Ridge staff persons. Time spent with these residents includes prayer, singing and gentle presence.
Bridge Community Group Home
Catholic Christian group home for 8 adult women with intellectual and developmental disabilities has an opening for one resident. If interested, please contact Risha Dimas at 303-935-4740.
Contact Information and Local Support
- St. Mary, Littleton
Director: Susan Whittaker - St. Catherine of Siena, Denver
Director: Anita Garcia - Queen of Peace, Aurora
Director: Peggy Pendergust - All Saints, Denver
Director: Greg Hastings - St. Thomas More, Englewood
Director: Sheri Funderburk - St. Jude, Lakewood
Director: Diane Schreiber - Immaculate Heart of Mary, Northglenn
Director: Larry Lindgren - St. Frances Cabrini, Littleton
Director: Kristen Conrad - Light of the World, Littleton
Contact: Barbara Schick
For more information about Special Religious Education or one of the parish programs listed, contact Sister Mary Catherine Widger, SL at 303-934-1999.
If you have a family member with a developmental disability and you would like to find out if they can receive the sacraments please contact the Office of Special Religious Education at 303-934-1999.
Family Catechesis
To support parental involvement in catechesis, the Office of Evangelization and Family Life Ministries offers two resources for parents of children going through religious education.
First, a lectio divina series on the sacraments of Baptism, Reconciliation, Confirmation, and the Eucharist, called Sacraments through Scripture: A Still Small Voice.
Second, a reflection on how parents support their children by developing their own relationship with God, called Responding to God’s Invitation.
Recommended Computer Filters
Compatible with Windows, MacOS, iOs, Android, Kindle Fire – For computer/iphones/ipad/ipod
Covenant Eyes is a monthly subscription service that gives you a report of the websites your kids visit, the search terms they use, and the YouTube videos they watch. This service protects them online with a filter that’s tailored to your needs and blocks the Internet completely at certain times a day. This service also protects your family by following you and your family on all the computers, smartphones, and tablets you use.
Net Nanny | Allows the Good, Keeps Out the Bad
For computer and android.
Net Nanny is a powerful parental control and internet safety solution that helps parents protect their children and monitor their Internet use.
”We do not cease praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding to live in a manner worthy of the Lord, …for all endurance and patience, with joy giving thanks to the Father, who has made you fit to share in the inheritance of the holy ones in light.
– Colossians 1:9-12
Courage | A Roman Catholic Apostolate
Courage is a support group for men and women who have same-sex attraction and who desire to live a chaste Christian life. The group meets once a week.
Encourage is a support group for their family and friends. The group meets once a month.
Denver Chapter Contacts:
Fr. Dan Norick at 720-434-2638 or Deacon Dennis Morales at 303-333-0878
Overcome Ministry
An outlet of love and hope for adults who struggle with same-sex attraction. Founded by Kim Zember, this website is a go-to resource for those who struggle with same-sex attraction, or their loved ones. Kim’s work as a speaker and author is to share her own conversion story, from living the homosexual lifestyle to discovering Christ’s liberating love for her. This website is created from Kim’s desire that every person would know the merciful love of Jesus and the plans for their life.
The following resources provide ideas to help your family live being Catholic every day: define and live your values, teach your children Theology of the Body, engage in faith-building dinnertime conversations, practice family prayer and more.
This course is a self-taught course for either a group of parents (recommended) or an individual parent or couple. The content engages parents to challenge themselves to learn what human character is and how to better develop it in themselves and in their families. Families of Character encourage that small groups, headed up by a facilitator, meet in the comfort of their homes once a month as a primary means of connecting parents and exploring what it means to have a family of character. Groups usually consist of 2-8 couples/single parents.
Resources on Theology of the Body for Children
Theology of the Body is the topic of a series of 129 lectures given by Pope John Paul II during his Wednesday audiences in St. Peter’s Square and Paul VI Audience Hall between September 5, 1979 and November 28, 1984. There are resources that many parishes use for pre-teens, teens, and adults, and now there are resources for parents to use with younger children. The following resources are designed to be used with children from toddler to age 8.
1. Forever You: A Book About Your Soul and Body by Nicole Lataif
This resource for Christian faith formation introduces children ages 4-8 to what being human is all about. Whether you are a parent, grandparent, or catechist, you will find this resource to be helpful in explaining the concept of a “soul” to your children.
2. Building Blocks of ToB for Tots (3 Volume Set) by Monica Ashour
“Everybody Has a Body: God Made Boys and Girls”
“Every Body Is Smart: God Helps Me Listen and Choose”
“Every Body Is a Gift: God Made Us to Love”
Young children have questions about their bodies, too. When society says that gender is subjective, how can parents uphold traditional values about the beauty and dignity of the human body? The three board books in the series are ideal for children ages 2 to 5. Simple stories cover topics including gender differences, self-respect, and self-giving. Each book includes a parent note at the end.
3. Building Blocks of ToB for Kids (3 Volume Set) by Monica Ashour
“Every Body Has Something to Give”
“Every Body Has Something to Say”
“God Has a Plan for Boys and for Girls”
“Who am I?” is a question everyone asks, even the very young. In a culture of confused and misdirected values, it is difficult to raise children to understand that they are created in the image of God. These books seek to affirm the dignity of the human person — body and soul — according to God’s plan. Simple stories cover topics including gender identity, body language, and self-giving love. Ideal for ages 4-7.
Prayer Resources For Your Family
Praying Together as a Family
Pray a “Collatio” – a lectio divina style prayer around the dinner table.
Praying as a Couple
One of the most important things a husband and wife can do is pray together! Here is how to get started.
A Month of Dinnertime Conversations
Your family is important! And dinnertime is one of the best opportunities to strengthen your family, learn about each other’s days, and to share and grow in your Catholic faith.
Family-Friendly Scriptural Meditations on the Rosary
The following is a series of meditations on each set of Mysteries of the Rosary. For individuals, simply meditate on a single paragraph before praying the corresponding decade of the Rosary. In family settings, parents can use these paragraphs as entry points for teaching the faith within the home.
Ministries for Divorced and Single Parents
St. John the Evangelist (Loveland): Catholic Single Parent Ministry
The Catholic Single Parent Ministry provides a faith-based support group to affirm the dignity of the single parent through their relationship with Christ and the Church. This is a place of connection and community for Catholic single parents. This group meets the second Friday of the month (January – October) at 7 PM in the parish school.
More information: singleparentministry15@gmail.com
St. Thomas More: Single and Raising Saints
A spiritually supportive group that provides fellowship and guidance to single-parent families as well as helps them become disciples of the Catholic faith in our neighborhoods and parish community. Cost is $15.00 for resources.
More information: Melanie Lauer, 303-221-9234 or melaniel@stthomasmore.org
St. Thomas More: Surviving Divorce
Join our 12-week Surviving Divorce program, which covers shock, grief, anger, forgiveness, finances, annulment and remarriage. Cost is $25.00 for resources.
More information: Melanie Lauer, 303-221-9234 or melaniel@stthomasmore.org
St. Mary’s (Littleton): Divorce & Beyond
Join our 10-week program about divorce and beyond for divorced Catholics. Topics include self-image, stress, anger, guilt, loneliness and forgiveness. Cost is $10.00 for resources.
More information: Cheryl Cummins at cacummins@comcast.net or Deacon Mike at mseback@stmarylittleton.org
Spirit of Christ: Divorce Ministry
The mission of this ministry is to provide compassionate Christian education and awareness that helps those dealing with separation or divorce to heal and rebuild their lives. This group meets throughout the year on Thursdays at 7 PM.
More information: Deacon Charlie at deaconcharlie@spiritofchrist.org OR divorceministry@spiritofchrist.org
Ministry resources designed to help adults heal from the trauma of their parents’ divorce or separation
Experiencing and living through a parents’ divorce is traumatic. The negative effects last a lifetime often endured silently. Most people never seek healing or even recognize the many ways in which this damaging experience has affected them. Oftentimes, individuals are only aware of brokenness and loneliness, feeling unable to move forward on a path of healing.
A vocation is a call from God to live our lives a certain way. All Catholic parents are called to make their home a “domestic church” where their children meet Christ, grow in virtue, and are prepared for the vocation God calls them to. In our families, how can we encourage an openness to God’s call? Here are 7 steps from Vianney Vocations to help your family get started.
- Snuggle up and read a saint story
- Watch a movie about a saint or a blessed
- Talk about authentic love and defend the sacrament of marriage when it is depicted incorrectly
- Play dress up: as priests, nuns and saints
- Pray together for more vocations
- Talk about vocations
- Befriend priests and religious
For the complete brochure, go to vianneyvocations.com
For parishes we recommend the book Hundredfold, A guide to Parish Vocation Ministry by Rhonda Gruenewald. Published by Vianney Vocations.
