Ways to Live the Catholic Faith in Your Family

Archdiocese of Dubuque Family Prayer Resources Web Page

Observing the Lenten Season
Lent is an opportunity to share with our children the importance of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Consider how you might help others in need by giving your time, talents, and treasure together as a family.

• Lenten Resources for Families
• Lent At Home - Activities for Busy Catholic Families (Loyola Press)
• 40 Lenten Activities and Printables for Catholic Families
• Fasting, Giving, Praying: Lent Ideas for Kids and Teens 
• Stations of the Cross for Marriages and Families

April 10 - Palm Sunday

• Catholic Activity: Blessed Palms in the Home 
• 9 Things You Need to Know About Palm Sunday

Holy Week

• Daily Reflections for Holy Week
• Holy Week Resources for Families
• Celebrating Holy Week with Kids

The Easter Triduum

• Teaching Children about the Triduum

April 14 – Holy Thursday

• Traditions of Holy Thursday 
• 10 Things You Need to Know about Holy Thursday 
• A Last Supper Craft  

April 15 – Good Friday

• 9 Things You Need to Know About Good Friday
• Family Stations of the Cross 

April 16 – Holy Saturday

• 12 Things You Need to Know about Holy Saturday
• Holy Saturday Prayer

April 17 - Easter Sunday and the Easter Season

• Easter Season Resources
• Creative Ways to Celebrate Easter
• Easter Activities for Kids
• Celebrating Easter in the Catholic Church
• Celebrate Easter's 50 Days with Your Family
• 8 Things You Need to Know About Easter Sunday
   

April 24 - Divine Mercy Sunday

• Celebrating Divine Mercy Sunday as a Family
• Celebrating God's Merciful Love with the Chaplet of Divine Mercy
• Living Out Divine Mercy

April 22 - Earth Day

• Ten Ways to Help the World on Earth Day
• From Laudato Sí – Prayer to Care for Our Common Home
• Care for God's Creation (Video)

April is National Couple Appreciation Month
National Couple Appreciation Month was founded to encourage couples to do something special to reinforce and celebrate their relationship – to let your spouse know he or she is respected and desired. Let your loved one know just how special and appreciated they are and how much you value them this month.

• Check out these weekly dating ideas from For Your Marriage.
• Take time to consider all the joys that marriage brings. Here are some reminders from Sarah’s Blog, “My Catholic Marriage.”

Spring Ideas for Your Family

• April activities for Catholic Families
• Bring out photos of family members' First Communion Day, tell stories and reflect on what this special day means.
• Fun Family Activities to Celebrate Spring
• Springtime Family Activities to Celebrate God's Creation

April 4 - St. Isidore of Seville
Both as a child and as an adult, Isidore was a strong believer in education. He is the patron saint of the Internet.

April 7 – St. John Baptist de la Salle
John spent his life teaching the poor. He trained teachers who soon became the "Brothers of the Christian Schools." He is the patron saint of teachers.

April 16 – St. Bernadette Soubirous
Bernadette was a peasant girl from a poor family in France. When she was only 15 years old, Our Lady appeared to her, asking her to do penance and pray for sinners. 

April 23 – St. George
George professed loudly throughout the town that the Christian God is the only true God. His courage became legendary, and we honor him for that today.

April 25 – St. Mark the Evangelist
St. Mark is the author of the second Gospel. Tradition tells us that St. Mark was requested by the Romans to set down the teachings of St. Peter, which is the record of the life of Jesus seen through Peter’s eyes. 

April 28 – St. Gianna Beretta Molla
St. Gianna Beretta Molla was a faithful Catholic, a successful working woman, a devoted wife, and a loving mother of four. She is the patron saint of mothers, physicians, and unborn children.

April 29 – St. Catherine of Siena
As a child, Catherine had mystical experiences, seeing the guardian angels of others. She continued to have visions of Christ, Mary and the Saints. She was given the stigmata which became visible after her death.

Year of the Amoris Laetitia Family

Pope Francis has declared a Year of the Amoris Laetitia Family from March 19, 2021 through June 26, 2022 when the World Meeting of Families will take place in Rome. Learn more about this year, read a statement by Archbishop Jackels, and find resources for celebrating it, by visiting: https://dbqarch.org/year-of-amoris-laetitia. 

• United States Council of Catholic Bishops (USCCB): News, events, and resources
• Loyola Press: Prayers, videos, parish resources, and more!
• Catholic Current: Resources for marriage, parenting, family life, NFP, dating, podcasts, and more!
• A Prayer for the Meeting of Families (June 22-26, 2022)

Marriage Matters

Pope Writes to Married Couples in the Year of “Amoris Laetitia Family”

The Holy Father, as part of the celebration of the Feast of the Holy Family, published a letter to married couples. In it, Pope Francis highlights the unique blessings and difficulties of married life and encourages married couples to always invite Jesus into their marriage. He urges engaged couples to move forward in their marriage plans despite the difficulties which have resulted from the pandemic. The Holy Father finally greets the elderly, and reminds everyone of the singular importance of grandparents in the life of the family. The entire letter can be accessed on the Vatican website.

Click the link above for excerpts from the letter on the USCCB's "For Your Marriage" website.

Parenting Pointers
12 Easy Ways to Reset Family Prayer

Whether it's welcoming a new baby, vacations, or just being busy with the tasks of everyday life, family prayer time can get put aside for lots of reasons. As we move from Lent into the Easter season, this is a great time to renew your family's prayer life. These tips from Soren and Ever Johnson include: Set the tone; Keep it simple; Schedule it; Mix it up, and more! There are so many things that are competing for first place in our family life. But we need to put first things first, which means loving God above all else. Demonstrate that love with a renewed commitment to putting God first in your family's life. Consider incorporating these twelve tips for resetting family prayer from For Your Marriage.

  Website Highlight   

Archdiocesan Theology of the Body Webpage
https://dbqarch.org/theology-of-the-body

“Theology of the Body is a study of what it means to be human, in light of scripture’s revelation, as articulated by Pope St. John Paul II ... Theology of the Body helps us to understand how we were created in the image of God, our identity in Christ, along with our gifts and givenness, so that we may see ourselves and others the way God intended. ... Topics within Theology of the Body are vast, and each spills into the next. But it is through this unique theological approach that we find a path to a deeply fulfilled life, where we understand our own innate dignity—and the dignity of others.”

from: https://www.ruahwoodspress.com/what-is-theology-of-the-body

Book of the Month

The Summa Domestica: Order and Wonder in Family Life

When Leila Lawler started out as a young wife and then became a mother, she had no idea how to keep a house, manage laundry, or plan and prepare meals, let alone entertain and inspire toddlers and select a curriculum to pass on the Faith.

She spent decades excavating deeply rooted cultural memories and has now collected them in this comprehensive, three-volume set to help women who desire a proficient and systematic approach to home life.

The Summa Domestica comprises three volumes: Home Culture, which delves into establishing a home and a vision for raising children; Education, which offers a philosophy for the primary vocation of parents to form their children and give them the means to learn on their own; and Housekeeping, which offers practical details for meals, laundry, and a reasonably clean and organized busy and thriving household.

All at once lively, funny, calming, and complete, The Summa Domestica is an indispensable how-to book on making and keeping a home that will serve your family best.

• Purchase this book set here.

Movie Pick
American Underdog

Based on the inspirational true story of Kurt Warner, who went from stocking shelves at a supermarket to becoming a two-time NFL MVP, Super Bowl champion, and Hall of Fame quarterback. The film centers on Warner’s unique story and years of challenges and setbacks that could have derailed his aspirations to become an NFL player. His dreams seemed all but out of reach, but with the support of his wife, Brenda and the encouragement of his family, Warner perseveres and finds the strength to show the world the champion that he already was, inside. American Underdog is an uplifting story that demonstrates that anything is possible when you have faith, family, and determination.
 

• Click here for discussion guides.
• Learn more about the movie by clicking here.
• Watch the movie trailer by clicking here.
• Purchase a DVD of this movie here.
• Rent or purchase the movie for streaming here.

Interest in Pinterest

Check out these April Pinterest topics focused on the family - the Domestic Church!

• Lent for Children, for Youth, and for the Domestic Church
• Holy Week and Easter for Children, for Youth, and for the Domestic Church
• Divine Mercy Sunday
• Earth Day/Creation for Young Children

Upcoming Events

2022 Archdiocesan Men’s Conference
Saturday, March 19, 2022  9:00 AM - 3:30 PM
Xavier High School, Cedar Rapids (with live-stream available)
Mark your calendar for the 26^th Annual Men’s Conference! This conference will be held on the Feast of St. Joseph, and will highlight the example of St. Joseph as a model for all men. The keynote speaker will be Mark Hartfiel, vice-president of Paradisus Dei, a ministry that produces the “That Man is You!” men’s program. The lunch session will be presented by Devin Schadt, the founder of the Fathers of St. Joseph men’s ministry. Mass will be celebrated by Archbishop Michael Jackels. For more information and registration, please visit www.archmensconference.org.