Sex education should provide information while keeping in mind that children and young people have not yet attained full maturity. The information has to come at a proper time and in a way suited to their age.”
– Pope Francis (‘Amoris Laetitia’)
By Derek Boylen
Lifelong learning is a widely accepted part of any worthwhile endeavour and in the rapidly changing situations of 2020, the Centre for Life, Marriage & Family (CLMF) continues to offer support, educate and create resources and help form the lives of others.
CLMF provides, pre-marriage education; natural fertility education and management; relationship counselling; relationship enrichment; and family life education programmes to schools and the broader community.
CLMF also promotes a “Culture of Life” through theologically, ethically and scientifically sound information and resources to communicate the Church’s teachings.
Research consistently demonstrates that couples who put time and effort into their relationships, and who take time away for their busy lives, to reflect on and learn more about themselves and each other, have relationships which are stronger, more resilient, happier, and more fulfilling.
CLMF provides a range of services that can help support couples throughout their lifespan including pre-marriage education, marriage enrichment, and counselling services.
In September, CLMF celebrated marriage milestones. This year, because of COVID-19, the Archdiocese of Perth did not hold an Annual Marriage Mass at the Cathedral. However, the bishops produced special certificates of blessing for married couples celebrating landmark anniversaries (specifically 25, 30, 40, 50+ years.) Last year, more than 120 couples Archdiocese-wide received a special certificate from Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB and Auxiliary Bishop Donald Sproxton.
As with previous years, couples celebrating milestone anniversaries can register for a certificate online at: https://clmf.brushfire.com/2020marriagecertificate
These certificates were distributed to parishes in September, together with a special blessing presented to couples at their local parish Mass.
This year, pre-marriage courses have been conducted in interactive online group sessions and in person. CLMF saw close to 600 couples in 2019 and the feedback from couples, for all the courses provided by the agency, is consistently very positive with over 96 per cent of couples indicating that, if they had future problems in their marriage, they would seek support for their relationship.
Counselling services have continued to grow strongly over the past year beyond that which was anticipated. We’re pleased that all referral sources indicate a continuing high level of community confidence and belief in the counselling services being provided by the agency.
The CLMF Family Life Education team provide education services in variety of contexts including students from Years 4 to 12, parents, teachers, parishes, and community groups. The course covers topics of fertility, growth and development and relationship education. The overall reach of the agency last year was 5338 students.
Through the Catholic Church’s teachings, CLMF also supports life issues, seeking to promote the sanctity and dignity of all human life to build up a Culture of Life and society where each person is valued and loved. Information, education and publications on contraception, sexuality, euthanasia, hope and healing after abortion and immunisations are provided.
In 2020, CLMF has also began the publication, From the Desk. Each issue will take a relevant topic from the areas of Life, Marriage or Family and provide reflections and tips to help integrate faith and daily life. Visit this link view the publication: https://tinyurl.com/y9odf7dc
CLMF is the amalgamation of two Archdiocesan agencies in 2019, formerly known as ‘Catholic Marriage and Fertility Services’ and ‘Respect Life Office’; they work toward building a Culture of Life, respecting the dignity of each person from conception till death, and to support marriages and families as a means of strengthening the Church and society.
From pages 26 to 27 of Issue 27: Adult Faith Formation in the context of Healing’ of The Record Magazine