The Diocese of Charlotte hosted a Family Honor seminar titled “Chastity Education for VIPs – Very Important Parents” on January 12 at the Catholic Conference Center in Hickory, NC. The seminar, attended by 65 ministry leaders from throughout the diocese, was coordinated by the Education Vicariate as an in-service for those leaders and as an opportunity for them to learn more about the family-centered approach to chastity education that Family Honor has been delivering since 1988.
 
During the in-service, Executive Director, Brenda Cerkez and Director of Programs and Training, Vincent Weaver, provided an overview of Family Honor’s mission, vision, parent-child programs, training and developmental approach to curricula development. As part of the seminar, attendees participated in a segment of Family Honor’s Real Love & Real Life program. Participants were also treated to a preview of the first DVD segment of Family Honor’s new Leading & Loving program. In addition, those present had an opportunity to view a video excerpt from Family Honor’s online course and engaged the presenters in a lively question and answer session.
 
Father Richard Arnsparger, Vicar for Education/Faith Formation for the Diocese, closed the in-service by thanking Family Honor for delivering an informative workshop and encouraged those present to find out more about Family Honor programs and online course.
 
For information on bringing a Family Honor workshop for ministry leaders to your parish or diocese, call the Family Honor office in South Carolina: 803.929.0858.

Family Honor programs bring parents and their children together to discuss the true meaning of love, chastity, fertility, friendship, true self-worth, sexuality and much more in an age-appropriate manner. It is always gratifying to hear about the positive impact our programs have on families. Read what three families had to say about their experience with Family Honor!

“We would recommend the Family Honor program to anyone with children. We thought the program was well done and very, very informative. The presentation, including the audience participation, etc., was right on target. The program really made our daughter think about chastity in a different and more complete way. As parents we also completed the program more informed and with a better understanding of this most important virtue. We hope to have our two younger daughters participate in the program when they come of age. Again, thanks for a top notch program!”
–David & Kathy Mikolajczyk

“I recently went to a wonderful program with my 12 year old daughter put on by Family Honor, Inc. called Real Love & Real Life. It was probably the best thing I have ever done with and for her. The program was all about making good decisions as a young person in regards to sexuality and growing as a whole person designed in the image of God. I could have used something like this before I was in high school!”
–Ohio Parent

“We had the wonderful opportunity to attend the Family Honor program with our 14 year old son at St. Andrew Parish. This is a priceless education for families about the value of human life, the virtue of chastity, and the importance of personal respect. The Family Honor program is recommended for all teens and their parents – especially during the most vulnerable time in a teen’s young adult life. As a family, together we learned how to communicate more effectively with each other and in a respectful manner. Our son has learned that communication is the key in all relationships. Our teenage children are now more comfortable in discussing personal issues with us that concern them. As parents, we have learned to listen to them and guide them more effectively.

The Family Honor Team was energetic, informative, and kept all participants involved. We are glad we participated in the Family Honor program and would highly recommend it to any parent with teenage children.”
–Scott & Regina Heddinger
St. Andrew Parishioners

In his homily on January 15, 2012, Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York gave a sermon that got a lot of attention. At the beginning of his homily he said, “I’m going to preach about sex!” Now…hopefully we have your attention!

In a reflection of that Sunday’s second reading from the first Letter of Paul to the Corinthians, Archbishop Dolan told the congregation that “chastity and purity is the virtue by which we integrate God’s wisdom about the joy, the beauty, the responsibility and the nobility of sexual love.” He said that human sexual love should have the same characteristics as divine love – that it should be forever, faithful, and life-giving. “Thus, the Lord intends that sexual love occur ONLY within the life-long, life-giving, faithful loving bond between a man and a woman in marriage.”

The soon-to-be cardinal admitted that he had to force himself to preach on this topic even though it made him uncomfortable, and asked publicly, “why are we reluctant to extol the magnificent virtues of chastity and purity?” Dolan said that those virtues are “hugely ignored” because they are countercultural. Anyone who tries to live out those virtues can expect temptations and ridicule. “The one who, with God’s grace and mercy, tries his or her best to be pure and chaste, is often thought of not as a hero…but as a freak in our culture today.”

The archbishop proposes that we Catholics try to regain the upper ground on chastity and purity; to recapture the true meaning of sexual love and re-present it to ourselves and to a world that has, very sadly, reduced sexual love to the cultures most popular contact sport.

Listen to Archbishop Dolan’s homily here.