Since 2023, the Marriage & Family Evangelization team has been hosting chastity workshops for parents with middle school aged children geared toward facilitating an in-depth conversation between parent and child on the gift of fertility while strengthening their bond. These workshops provide a Catholic context to teach on the changes that occur during puberty through engaging and age-appropriate presentations, fun activities, and time for parents to speak with their children alone. Topics include the dignity and vocation of men and women, the beauty of God’s design of our bodies, and the development of a baby throughout pregnancy.
The Gift of Fertility: Mother & Daughter Workshop will take place on May 10, 2025 in Maria Stein. The deadline to RSVP has been extended to Tuesday May 6th!
In Christ,
Adriana
The Gift of Fertility:
Mother & Daughter Workshop
The Gift of Fertility: Mother & Daughter Workshop is designed to provide a Catholic context for moms and their daughters (ages 10-14) to deepen their bond and learn about God’s beautiful plan for growing up.
Starting with Holy Mass at 8:30 a.m., this workshop will include three presentations highlighting the dignity and vocation of women, the Theology of the Body, chastity, modesty, the biology of the reproductive systems of men and women, and the development of a baby in utero. Mothers will be provided tips on teaching their daughters about the conjugal act, a topic that will not be taught at this event. A fun activity is included, along with time for moms to speak with their daughters privately.
The Journey From Beginning Disciple to Missionary Disciple
Tuesday, May 20, 2025
Good Shepherd Parish
10:00 AM - 3:30 PM
We often lump the thresholds of discipleship into one big bucket. If the journey of discipleship is lifelong, it makes sense that each threshold of that journey will require different levels of formation, accompaniment, and training. Join us as we break open the thresholds of Beginning Disciple, Growing Disciple, and Missionary Disciple. Together we will imagine new ways to accompany people through the thresholds of discipleship and commission them for mission.
When we’re in the midst of work, it can be difficult to step away and invest time in our own growth and development. However, embracing good formation opportunities allows us to grow closer to the Lord, to be renewed in our mission, and to learn how to serve even more effectively.
This summer, we invite you to join us as we seek to continue growing as evangelists. We’ve identified some of the best conferences around the country for personal formation and for learning more about the apostolates that we recommend to our parishes. We truly desire for you to take advantage of these opportunities, so we’re offering automatic $100 scholarships for you to attend.
The CNE will be providing Called & Gifted Team Training on Monday, November 3 and Tuesday, November 4, 2025, from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. at Church of the Ascension (2025 Woodman Dr, Dayton, OH, 45420).
Called & Gifted Team Training will equip you and your key leaders to provide charism discernment for your parishioners so that they can know and live according to the spiritual gifts they received in their Baptism. Mary Martin and Colleen O’Dowd from the Catherina of Siena Institute will lead this two-day training. Both days of the training are required.
You and your team need to have completed the three-step Called & Gifted charism discernment process before attending Team Training. The three steps are:
Called & Gifted Workshop (live or online), which includes completion of the Spiritual Gifts Inventory
Charism Interview (in-person or via Zoom)
Charism Experimentation (personally or via a Discernment-in-Depth Small Group)
Contact Nicholas Hardesty at nhardesty@catholicaoc.org if you or any of your key leaders need to complete the charism discernment process before attending the Team Training.
Registration is $50/person and will be available soon.
Since this is two full days of training, our hope is that, by giving you this much advanced notice, you will be able to reserve both days for the training. Mark your calendar now!
NFP Awareness Week 2025 July 20 - 26
Natural Family Planning Awareness Week is a national educational campaign. The Natural Family Planning Program of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops develops a poster each year with basic supportive materials. Check out the link below to learn more and access both educational and promotional materials.
This retreat is for young adults and adults with divorced or separated parents, and will take place on November 15-16, 2025 at the Jesuit Spiritual Center in Milford, OH. It invites participants to move through the broken image of love that appeared to them in their parents’ relationship to their deepest identity found in God. The retreat gives participants a greater understanding of the wound of divorce and the ways it affects their lives, offers advice about the difficulties concerning love and trust of others, and explains how the Catholic faith, spiritual practices, and the sacraments are essential to self-knowledge and healing.
This retreat has something for any adult child of divorce or separation, no matter how much healing you have already received or need. For more information, and to register please visit https://stxchurch.org/lgw/ or contact Tina Earnst at ternst@stxchurch.org
