By Paola Martinez
Over 250 ministry leaders from across California and eight California bishops attended the “Love IRL” (Love In Real Life) Marriage Summitt in Oakland at the Cathedral of Christ the Light on Sept.26, The goal of the gathering was to promote a culture of marriage and family life in today’s Church. This day-long formation event trained and inspired clergy, educators, catechists, diocesan and parish teams, and marriage ministers to share the beauty of marriage and strengthen family ministry. A team of eight participants from the Diocese of San Bernardino attended the summit and were deeply moved and encouraged to continue advocating and celebrating the vocation of marriage in their respective ministries.
Olivia Pranata, parishioner at St. Peter and St. Paul in Alta Loma and member of the Diocesan Office of Marriage & Family Life Advisory Board shared that, “The format of this summit was unique compared to others. A panel of three to five speakers presented on each topic, allowing the audience to gain insight from multiple perspectives. Another highlight was the enthusiasm of the younger generation—their active engagement in the discussions was inspiring and closely connected to Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone’s homily on the Sacrament of Marriage. The table discussions with participants from other dioceses were equally wonderful, offering meaningful exchanges and shared reflections. Overall, it was a truly amazing learning experience.”
Father Thomas Davis, Parochial Vicar at The Holy Name of Jesus Parish in Redlands shared this about his experience, “One impactful visual I witnessed in this event was the invitation from a speaker to have everyone in the audience raise their hands if they were raised in an “intact home” meaning that the family unit was stable. Almost everyone in the room raised their hand. This was impactful for me because it demonstrates that cultivating healthy marriage and family life produces good fruits and a desire to promote God’s will for his people.”
Dan and Lydia Kray, members of the Office of Marriage & Family Life Advisory Board, shared that they “really enjoyed the opportunity to gather with nearly 300 California Catholic Marriage Ministry leader, loved hearing about insights of the Church’s needs in the area of Marriage Prep, Marriage, and Family Life, especially all of their different perspectives.”
Dan and Lydia, along with seven others from the state, were recognized at the summit as “Marriage Champions” for their work and dedication to marriage ministry for over a decade.
There were many highlights during Love IRL, including the opening Mass with Archbishop Cordileone, keynotes by Cristina Barba Whalen, from The Culture Project, on helping our young generation discover their meaning and purpose, Damon Owens, from Joyful Ever After & Communio, about investing in marriage and transforming parishes, and Bishop Oscar Cantú of the Diocese of San Jose on restoring marriage as a sign of God’s love. Bishop Cantú where he shared a personal testimony of a painful season in his own parents’ marriage and how God’s grace healed their hurting marriage. There were dynamic panels with various bishops and leaders in the field, on teaching children and youth about the Sacrament of Marriage and about relationships, including dating and vocational discernment. To conclude the program and before the dinner reception, Bishop Cantú led Adoration and Benediction; a most sacred time spent with Jesus in thanksgiving for the day’s many blessings.
For more information about the Summit and to view photos please visit https://cacatholic.org/loveirl/ or email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for information on Marriage & Family Life events
Paola Martinez is the Director of the Office of Marriage and Family Life Ministries in the Diocese.