National #Marriage Week Free Resources from Catholic #Bishops to SHARE

National Marriage Week 2016 is February 7-14. 

"The upcoming observances of National Marriage Week (Feb. 7-14) and World Marriage Sunday/Valentine's Day (Sunday, Feb. 14) provide an opportunity to celebrate the gift and blessing of marriage and to affirm and support engaged and married couples." - Bishop Richard Malone

The Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth offers the following resources to bishops, priests, deacons, married couples, and lay men and women to help celebrate and live the great gift of married life.

• Letter from Bishop Richard Malone (Buffalo), chairman of the Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth to all bishops, sharing with them the various resources available for National Marriage Week.
• Preaching Resource for World Marriage Sunday (February 14): reflections on the Scriptures of the day to assist bishops, priests, and deacons in preaching about marriage.
• Bulletin insert about the social benefits of marriage: one-page front and back, available in color or in black and white.
• Seven-day virtual marriage retreat, three options: #1) New this year!"Marriage and Mercy" retreat, themed to fit with the year-long Jubilee of Mercy; #2) "A marriage retreat with Pope Francis" based on his advice about marriage and family life; and #3) based on the USCCB pastoral letterMarriage: Love and Life in the Divine Plan. If you are on Facebook, you can join the virtual marriage retreat event by visiting the For Your Marriage Facebook page and clicking on More --> Events *coming soon*.

Looking for more resources to strengthen your marriage, or advice for dating and engaged couples? Visit the For Your Marriage website. En Español: Por Tu Matrimonio.

Resources

"Bishop Cordileone Fights to Save Marriage": a feature article in the National Catholic Register (Feb. 14, 2011). . . 

"The Difference is the Difference: Sexual Difference and the Defense of Marriage"
By Fr. Brian Bransfield

Helpful USCCB Links

• National Pastoral Initiative for Marriage
• Marriage Unique for a Reason
• For Your Marriage
• Evangelization and Catechesis
• Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth
• USCCB Action Center 

Selection of Statements and Initiatives of Local Catholic Bishops and State Catholic Conferences

• Massachusetts Catholic Conference
  • Marriage: Where Love and Life Transform the World. . .
  • Marriage in Massachusetts: Crisis and Challenge (January 2004). . .

• Maryland Bishops, Marriage in Maryland: Securing the Foundation of Family and Society (January 2008). . .
• Virginia Bishops, The Institution of Marriage and the Common Good: A Pastoral Letter of the Virginia Catholic Bishops (September 2006). . .
• Arizona Bishops, Why is Marriage Important to the Catholic Church? (March 1, 2006). . .
• Florida Bishops, Marriage is Between One Man and One Woman (April 14, 2005). . .
• Pennsylvania Bishops, Human Sexuality, Marriage and Same-Sex Unions (October 2004). . .
• California Catholic Conference, For the Protection of Marriage (June 18, 1999). . .

Marriage Law Project at CUA's Columbus School of Law. . .

COLF's Marriage Matters,. . . a question and answer leaflet by The Catholic Organization for Life and Family (COLF), working with the Canadian Catholic Bishops

Videos/Text from USCCB