CHARLOTTE — Emphasizing the importance of families to the life and mission of the Church, Bishop Peter Jugis announced Dec. 26 – the Feast of the Holy Family – that he is establishing an Office of Family Life for the Diocese of Charlotte.
“The family is the fundamental building block of society, and building up and supporting the family is at the heart of the Church's mission,” the bishop wrote in a letter to the faithful on the feast day. The new office will “strengthen and magnify our ministry and outreach to families.”
The office will cover several program areas previously run by Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte, including marriage preparation, Natural Family Planning (NFP) and Respect Life. Some elements of Catholic Charities’ Elder Ministry program also will move to the new office, but the agency will continue to oversee family-related programs requiring technical expertise in social work, such as adoption services and teen parenting support.
“With the challenges so many people face today, it is more important than ever that the Church ‘leans in’ to sustain and encourage families, especially those who are just starting out or are struggling,” the bishop’s letter said. The new office “will enable us to provide focused resources to enrich the spiritual lives of families, and to uphold and celebrate the value of families in contemporary culture.”
Father Peter Ascik will direct the new office and its three staff. Ordained for the diocese in 2017, he will continue serving as pastor of St. Mary, Help of Christians Parish in Shelby and Christ the King Mission in Kings Mountain.
The mission of the Family Life Office is to help strengthen families and promote respect for life at every stage, Father Ascik said.
Families are called to holiness, serving as an example and witness of God’s love, and the Church must do all it can to support them, he said. The Church must also help care for and accompany families in need of healing, and to promote a culture of life in society.
“The health of our diocese will always be linked to the health of the families who are its heart,” Father Ascik said.
As the diocese prepares to launch its yearlong 50th anniversary celebration in 2022, the new office is an acknowledgment that “the growth and flourishing of our diocese is intimately linked to the life of Catholic families in our region,” he said.
The Family Life Office will operate out of the Diocesan Pastoral Center and can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 704-808-4507.
— Patricia L. Guilfoyle, editor
Read Bishop Jugis’ full letter announcing the new Diocese of Charlotte Family Life Office
Keep God’s love at the center of your family, Bishop Jugis encourages families
-
Keep God’s love at the center of your family, Bishop Jugis encourages families
CHARLOTTE — The Holy Family is a model of how to love one another in our own families, Bishop Peter Jugis reflected in his homily for the Feast of the Holy Family Dec. 26.
“Christmas is a time when we think of family,” the bishop said, and the celebration of the Feast of the Holy Family coming within the Christmas season underscores how important family love is in our call to holiness.
The bishop offered Mass for the feast day at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte – the same day he announced the creation of an Office of Family Life to elevate the Diocese of Charlotte’s ministries which serve families and promote respect for life.
“Family is a gift from God, and we receive tremendous support and love in our family,” he said. “In the Holy Family and our own families, we celebrate the love which bonds family members together.”
Keep God – the source of love – at the center of our families just as the Holy Family did, he encouraged people.
“God’s love is at the very heart of the Holy Family, in the person of Jesus. God’s love dwells in the very center of their home,” he said.
He urged families to remain united in love – even when apart from one another and even when faced with challenges.
“Problems and difficulties of the world can sometimes invade into the very heart of our families and homes, and threaten to undermine and weaken God’s love,” he said. “God’s love in the heart of the family needs to be protected and nurtured.”
He prayed, “On this Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, may God bless your family and your home with His love and everything that follows from living in God’s love.
“May God bless your family with kindness, that each member shows towards the other members of the family.
“May God bless your family with gentleness in family relationships.
“May He bless your family with forgiveness of hurts or misunderstandings.
“May He bless your family with reconciliation.
“May He bless your family with unity of purpose in mind and heart.
“May He bless your family with generosity, of giving of self in service of love to other family members.
“May the Lord Jesus whom we celebrate in a special way during this Christmas season occupy the first place in your hearts and in your homes.”
— Catholic News Herald
MEET THE STAFF:
-
MEET THE STAFF:
Three staff experienced in supporting families will move from Catholic Charities to the Family Life Office:
Alecia C. Acquaviva, coordinator, Marriage PreparationAcquaviva has served as Marriage Preparation Coordinator since 2010. She holds an M.A. in Theology of Marriage and Family from The John Paul II Institute at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.
She oversees one-day marriage prep workshops, including developing program content, booking speakers and guiding couples through the overall process. “It is my hope that couples who attend the workshop grow closer to each other, are made aware of God’s love for them and desire to be a partner in their lives together, and know of the Church’s care and support for their upcoming marriages,” she said.
Acquaviva has been married to her husband John since 2009 and they have five children.
Batrice N. Adcock, MSN, director, Natural Family PlanningAdcock has worked as Natural Family Planning (NFP) program director since 2008, overseeing instruction in both English and Spanish about NFP, Church teaching on sexuality, and the benefits of menstrual cycle tracking. She also coordinates mother/daughter mini-retreats and an NFP weekend retreat.
“My goal is to facilitate a deeper knowledge of the beauty and practical goodness of Church teaching on sexuality, and free people to choose a path that pleases God and leads to happiness,” she said.
Adcock notes that in her own life she has struggled with reduced fertility and hormone imbalance, which has motivated her to advocate for NFP. She and her husband Adam have been married since 2008 and they have three children.
Jessica R. Grabowski, director, Respect Life OfficeGrabowski has served as the Respect Life program director for five years. She holds a bachelor’s degree from The Catholic University of America as well as an MBA.
Her work encompasses the Rachel’s Vineyard post-abortive retreat program, pro-life events and speakers, pro-life manuals and booklets, an annual conference, as well as support for local participation in the local and national marches for life each January. “I have been constantly encouraged and uplifted by working alongside the pro-life warriors in this diocese,” she said. “Across the diocese there is a collaborative and unified effort to end abortion and to protect all life.”
Grabowski and her husband Paul have been married since 2013 and they have four children.
Alecia C. Acquaviva, coordinator, Marriage Preparation
Batrice N. Adcock, MSN, director, Natural Family Planning
Jessica R. Grabowski, director, Respect Life Office