Year of the Catholic Family coming in 2013

    Every year, you have asked Catholics in the Archdiocese of New Orleans to focus on one theme. This year the focus has been on the Mass and the Eucharist as the source and summit of the Christian life. How has that gone?
    It has gone very well because it has provided an opportunity for all of us to evangelize and to understand our faith better. Many parishes have taken advantage of the opportunity to learn more about the history and the foundational importance of the Mass by having their parishioners break into small groups and read the book, “The Mass Explained.” The Office of Worship also has sponsored presentations on the Mass, and we have celebrated liturgies to highlight the celebration of the Eucharist. I am grateful to Msgr. Ken Hedrick and his staff as well as to so many on the parish level who have been a part of this yearlong celebration.
    Have you developed a theme for next year?
    Yes. After meeting with the Presbyteral Council and the Council of Deans, we have agreed that the general theme for next year will be something like the “Year of the Catholic Family.” We haven’t settled on an exact title yet, but we want to make it not just the “family” but the “Catholic family.” The year will run from January through December in 2013. We have talked a lot about the New Battle of New Orleans – the fight against violence, murder and racism – and, in the end, the solution to those social ills is the family. We need to raise up the domestic family and link that with the Catholic parish family. There is a dire need for an improvement in family life in this archdiocese, and that’s where we need to put our prayer and efforts. Deacon Drea Capaci and the archdiocesan Family Life Apostolate will take the lead role in promoting the Year of the Catholic Family, but it will take the efforts of every church, school, office and organization in the archdiocese to make this effective.
    What initiatives are you planning?
    We’ve hired a new associate director in the Family Life Apostolate – Mario Sacasa – who has a degree in marriage and family counseling. Mario will start in July. We’ve already established a counseling center in Metairie and we hope to add counseling centers in Covington and on the West Bank so that people who need affordable marriage and family counseling can do so in the area in which they live. We’re also hoping a psychologist and theologian from Our Sunday Visitor, Dr. Joseph White, will be able to provide workshops that center on strengthening family life. We are reviewing books on the family to decide which one we will offer to every parish to form study groups. Once we decide which book will be used, every parish will use that book to begin discussion groups with parishioners. This is an opportunity for evangelization that we simply cannot afford to let slip away. Deacon Capaci would like to develop the idea of the family altar in all Catholic homes – something that would tie the domestic church to the parish.
    Is the Camp Abbey Retreat Center part of the plans?
    Yes. In fact, in November, the Willwoods Community will host a married couples retreat at the Abbey Christian Life Center at St. Ben’s, but the really exciting thing is that while mom and dad are having their retreat, their children will be a few miles away at Camp Abbey having a retreat of their own sponsored by the CYO/Youth and Young Adult Ministry. We’re still working out the details, but the idea is that the parents and their children would come back together on Sunday for a closing discussion, Mass and lunch. I think this is marvelous idea to bring families together around God’s word and strengthen them.
    What about families that may be on the fringes of the church?
    That’s the real challenge for us. Deacon Capaci often tells me that the real need is to help those who may not be attending church regularly or who don’t have the money or the time to attend a weekend retreat. Catholic Charities is continuing to develop the Isaiah 43 program that will target both at-risk youths and their parents. We’ll have mentors for kids, and the parenting classes will help parents learn the skills they need to rear and discipline their children in a Christian environment. We have the program piloted in three areas already, and we hope to expand it in the coming months.
    You’ve also been a big proponent of a family keeping Sundays free for attending Mass and spending time with each other?
    Yes. I’ve seen far too many instances in which organizations are scheduling meetings on Sundays – which draw families away from the parish and from spending quality time with each other. We’ve even got sports teams practicing on Sundays. Sometimes that might be unavoidable, but I don’t think that should happen regularly. We need to minimize the outside events that are scheduled on Sundays so that Catholics can attend Mass together and spend quality time with each other. Anything that takes away from the parish being the focal point of our faith on a Sunday should not be encouraged. Sunday should be a sacred day for families and prayer.
    Questions for Archbishop Aymond may be sent to [email protected].