Be a part of the pre-eminent marriage and relationship education and formation conference across the Australian Catholic Church. Bringing together leaders and innovators, the Renaissance of Marriage Conference is a unique gathering of teachers, marriage educators, clergy and counsellors who are involved in and passionate about Catholic marriage. Join us in building a dynamic marriage culture in our communities.

From the Convenors

The Renaissance of Marriage Conference is Australia’s preeminent national gathering of Catholic leadership working directly and indirectly in the areas of marriage and relationship formation; be it within our schools and parishes, diocesan agencies or lay organisations and international movements.

The building on the past four of these highly successful national events, the 2019 conference promises to be the biggest of these gatherings to date and comes at a challenging but exciting time in the life of the Church. Running three parallel topic streams, focusing on youth formation (relevant to schools, youth ministry and campus ministry), pre-marriage formation (relevant to marriage preparation, fertility awareness and family planning) and marriage enrichment/support (relevant to lay movements, counsellors and therapists), the conference is a unique opportunity to hear about some of the effective and innovative initiatives, and to connect and network with other leaders across the country.

With its distinctive format of TED-like “Impact Keynotes” and follow-on “Deep Dive Workshops”, delegates will be exposed to some of the nation’s best Catholic thinkers and practitioners on the broad topic of Catholic Marriage formation at all its stages, along with the opportunity to go more deeply into your primary interest area with real experts and innovators.

Continuing in the tradition of St John Paul II, Pope Francis calls us to turn our attention to the practical applications of the magnificent theology of Catholic Matrimony in today’s world. This is a serious challenge and ROM19 is a means to share our ideas and insights, and to assist us to go forth nourished, resourced and with confidence in a world that to often fractured by broken relationships and widespread disillusionment.

Join us as we collectively discern and discuss how we, as the people of God and leaders in his Church, can continue to build a vibrant Catholic marriage culture in our many communities. Don’t miss this opportunity to be part of this exciting national dialogue.

BF Pirola signature

Dr Byron & Francine Pirola
Directors, Marriage Resource Centre

As Bishop Delegate to the Australian Catholic Marriage and Family Council, and co-convenor, I encourage all leadership to attend the Renaissance of Marriage conference.  These conferences, with their focus of marriage formation across the spectrum – including youth relationship formation, pre-marriage education and post-marriage enrichment – have something that is relevant to all stages of parish life.  Now is perhaps an especially important time for our parish communities to be alive to supporting the sacrament of marriage in new ways and the Renaissance of Marriage Conference is a showcase for some of the most exciting innovations available in the Church in Australia.