FAMILIA is an

apostolate An apostolate is a Christian organization "directed to serving and evangelizing the world", most often associated with the Anglican Communion or the Catholic Church. In more general usage, an apostolate is an association of persons dedicated to the ...

affiliated with the Regnum Christi Federation, founded in

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

, designed to strengthen Christian family life. It stands for ''FAMIly Life In America''. As the director in

Edmonton Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city ancho ...

summarized it to the ''

Western Catholic Reporter The Archdiocese of Edmonton ( la, Archidioecesis Edmontonensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese in the Canadian civil province of Alberta. The archbishop's cathedral see is located in St. Joseph Cathedral, a minor basili ...

'', "Familia was put together from what Pope John Paul II said about family."

History

Familia was founded in 1993 by Paul and Libbie Sellors as a four-year program of catechetical formation. The series moves from encyclical to encyclical, and then through the Universal Catechism in a coherent way that creates the building blocks of faith. In 2009, it co-sponsored the National Marriage Conference with the Diocese of Lexington. In 2012, the former communications director was hired as Family life coordinator for the

Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis The Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis ( la, Archidiœcesis Paulopolitana et Minneapolitana) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or diocese of the Catholic Church in the United States. It is led by an archbishop who administers ...

. In 2012, the Cana Family Institute assumed the apostolate with the intent of relaunching it in conjunction with other marriage and family programs.

Program

The center of FAMILA is a regular meeting that includes a Gospel reflection, catechesis, study of a magisterial document related on family life, and a resolution. The materials are prepared by those with graduate-level ecclesiastical degrees in

theology Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...

and is designed to study the magisterial documents sequentially. Beyond this meeting, FAMILIA trains and equips the leaders and provides different helps to improve family life. FAMILIA usually exists as part of parish or diocesan structures in a variety of parishes throughout Canada, the USA, and the Philippines.

References

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External links

Familia USA Website

Familia Canada Website

The Familia Saga
Regnum Christi Legion of Christ Catholic Church in the United States