Article Directory
The Church Must Walk With Them
Roundtable: Accompaniment of the Newly Married Experts Call for Deeper Support for Newly Married Couples A gathering of marriage formators has delivered a frank assessment of the challenges facing Catholic newly married couples
Vatican Seminar Addresses Marriage, Faith, and Priestly Formation
Teaching future priests to "lead from darkness to light, from the biological to the heavenly, from the world to God" on the theme of marriage Context A seminar held at
Pastoral Care of the Divorced & Remarried
Meeting Summary The Diocese of Port Louis in Mauritius shared a pastoral initiative they developed in response to Pope Francis's Amoris Laetitia, designed to accompany divorced and remarried Catholics
Homegrown: Prepare adolescents for the sacrament of marriage
Meeting Summary Simon Ashley, a Catholic educator and founder of the Homegrown Initiative, presented a parent-led formation program he spent a decade developing — first as a 30,000-word master's thesis
LMF Network Meeting: Loneliness
Meeting Summary This LMF Network meeting was a facilitated discussion on loneliness, hosted by Francine Pirola ahead of the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly. Rather than a single
Does Marriage Matter Anymore?
A commentary on the decline of Catholic weddings and birth rate in USA In an article published in “The Dialogue” (As marriages in U.S. continue to decline, church leaders
The Holy Shroud through the Lens of the Theology of the Body
Final Paper in the Post-Graduate Certificate Sindonology Ateneo Pontificio Regina Apostolorum | More info AI Summary of Paper The paper, "The Holy Shroud Through the Lens of the Theology
Preparing for the International Eucharistic Congress
Meeting Summary Benjamin Galea, Chief Operating Officer of the 54th International Eucharistic Congress, presented to the LMF Network just days after the public launch of the Congress's identity, vision, and
The Masculine Heart: Energising men for their mission in the Church.
Meeting Summary Ivica Kovac, coordinator of the Maximus Men's Ministry Network in the Archdiocese of Sydney, presented on what he calls the masculine heart — the interior life
Wedding Ceremony Planner (SmartLoving)
SmartLoving Wedding Ceremony walks couples step by step through each stage of the Catholic wedding (with or without Mass). It includes: a) Explanation of the two forms (Nuptial Mass and Wedding Ceremony), b) Discussion of suitable music, dress and common cultural traditions, c) Options for the various prayers, d) Most common scripture readings and links to commentary, e) Printable PDF for recording their chosen readings, prayers and music.
Engaged Group Experience (SmartLoving)
SmartLoving Engaged Group Experience (SLE GX) is a resource for leaders who prefer live interaction with the participants. Based on the same dynamic curriculum of the SLE On Demand course, this 'teach out of the box' resource includes: a) Plug & Play videos with pause points for activities (stream or download for offline play back), b) Comprehensive Leader Guide with step-by-step instructions for each lesson, c) Assets for promotion and tips for hosting, d) Participant resources including print workbooks, access to videos quizzes, extension activities and completion certificate, e) Bonus participant resources include access to SL Fertility, SL Wedding Ceremony Planner, SL Newlywed.
One Flesh, Infinite Depth: Reading Una Caro
The Vatican's new document Una Caro ("One Flesh") offers married couples something rare: not more rules, but a vision of how deep and beautiful your marriage can become. In
Puberty & Consent Education A Catholic Perspective on Healthy Relationships
Meeting Summary The first LMF Network meeting of 2025 focused on one of the most pressing issues facing Catholic schools: the Australian federal government's mandate requiring consent education to
Syndicated SmartLoving Column
Looking for Catholic marriage and family content to publish in your diocesan paper or newsletter? Sign up to receive the Syndicated SmartLoving Column authored by Francine and Byron Pirola every 2 weeks. Content includes: Article in blog format with hyperlinks, pull quotes and tags Article in Print-Ready format Artwork for special offers in 3 formats Link and embed code for Soundcloud audio file Publishing Terms: You under no obligation to publish any SL articles, but if you do wish to publish, the following applies: There is no cost to you or your organisation other than the obligation to credit the authors and provide a back link to the SL website, and whenever possible, include the current SL Offer artwork in your publication (web, print, social etc). If you publish SL content regularly online, please create an author profile so that all SL content is aggregated for readers. Authored by Francine & Byron Pirola, the SmartLoving column features reflections on contemporary relationship science through a Catholic theological lens. original content every two weeks authored b
Pastoral Care of Families Impacted by Gender Dysphoria – Facilitated Discussion
Meeting Summary This LMF Network meeting was a facilitated discussion rather than a formal presentation, led by Francine Pirola. The focus was narrowed deliberately — not on people experiencing gender
Men of Sexual Integrity – Unleashing masculine leadership for mission
Meeting Summary Paul Ninnes, co-founder of Real Talk International, presented on sexual integrity as a centre-point issue for the Church — not just a pornography problem, but a crisis
Communities of Care – Grief Support
Meeting Summary Susanne North, a wellbeing coach and mindfulness practitioner from Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Parish in Randwick, shared how her parish became a pilot site for
Pastoral Care of Couples Experiencing Infertility
Meeting Summary Deborah Vermeer joined the LMF Network to speak from hard-won personal experience about a topic she says the Church still largely leaves unaddressed: the pastoral care
Nurturing Faith – Evangelising parents through Sacramental preparation and Children’s Ministry
Meeting Summary Chantale Wilson, Director of Children and Families at Archdiocesan Ministries in Brisbane, opened by naming a striking reality: approximately 50,000 children make the sacraments of initiation in Australia
The Role of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference
Meeting Summary This LMF Network meeting provided an inside look at how the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference (ACBC) is structured and how it supports the life, marriage, and family
God’s Extravagant Mercy
Reflecting on Pope Francis’ Legacy for Marriage and Family Pope Francis’ pontificate has been a beacon of mercy, calling the Church to reach out to those on the margins,
How to Choose a Therapist
When I worked in marriage and family ministry in one of Australia’s largest metropolitan Archdioceses, the most frequent request we received was for help to find a Catholic psychologist
Chastity and Charity: Building Virtue in the face of Pornography Addiction
Fr Nicholas Pearce Biography Fr Nicholas Pearce is a priest of the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne. Ordained in 2010, he has worked in numerous Parishes
Protected: What about the wives? Supporting Partners of Sex Addicts
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