The Origins of Family and Life Ministry
The Family is the nucleus cell of society, from which all life springs and lives forth (Familiaris Consortio, §42). The Synod of Bishops of the UGCC (2025) focused on the family and its particular need for support amid the effects of the war in Ukraine and growing societal pressures on families worldwide. The family as a “Domestic Church” has a desperate need for integrated accompaniment and support in order to better understand its vocation, and the truth and beauty of God’s Plan for all persons from conception to death.
An eparchial Family and Life Office is a place where family members can find resources and accompaniment related to family and life issues such as:
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- Marriage preparation
- Specialized spiritual support for families affected by the war
- Couples counseling
- Psychological and spiritual inner healing
- Family catechesis
- Parenting skills and care
- Specialized support for families affected by the war
- Pastoral Support for clergy families
- Bereavement support
- Natural Family Planning advice and consulting
- Theology of the Body
- Marriage Canon Law
Our Eparchial Family and Life Office
Our Eparchial Family and Life Office provides resources, coordinates, serves and supports all pro-family and pro-life initiatives and communities in the Eparchy of Toronto and Eastern Canada. It cooperates with other ministries, such as catechesis and youth ministry, to ensure pastoral accompaniment and develop family and life formation at an age-appropriate level. Our Eparchial Family and Life Office supports and promotes family values consistent with the teaching of the Catholic Church while fostering the rich Byzantine traditions and spirituality of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.
