HOLY FAMILY CATHEDRAL
Marriage Mentors Ministry: Raising up A
Alondra and Phillip Griffith on their wedding day, July 31, 2021
s members of Holy Family Cathedral, we are truly blessed to belong to a parish that realizes the profound value of the Christian family, which is the basic cell of all of society, and the building block upon which Mother Church rests. This past January, our rector Fr. Kastl initiated a beautiful ministry to provide support for the Sacrament of Matrimony — the Marriage Mentors Ministry. “Marriage is the biggest commitment most people will make in a lifetime,” Deacon J. Thomas says. “Holy Family Cathedral feels strongly that we have a duty to assist young couples to be well prepared to live out the commitment to the marital promises they are planning to make. Marriage Mentors are seasoned married couples who offer formation from their lived experience of the sacrament. Not only does this provide the engaged couple with formation that is rooted in reality, but it also allows for true community and care to emerge.” Fr. Kastl founded Marriage Mentors when he sensed that there was a need for uniformity and depth to our parish’s marriage preparation program, which previously only included an Engaged Encounter retreat, a Natural Family Planning course, the FOCCUS Inventory, and meetings with our parish priest. Marriage Mentors meet with engaged parishioners preparing for marriage at least five times prior to their wedding. They help the couples come to a deeper appreciation of God, of themselves, and of their fiancé through topic-driven conversations. It is currently being coordinated by Deacon J. Thomas, who also serves as a continued on page 5
“We hope and pray that the ministry demonstrates our support and love for the young people of the parish as they enter into marriage. We want to build community across generations. We pray we help the couple begin their marriage on a solid foundation of truth and honesty that translates to a long and happy marriage rooted in the Catholic faith. The family is the domestic church and the building block of society. We must do everything we can as Catholics to strengthen and support Catholic marriage and the family.” — Deacon J. Thomas
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