CHARLOTTE — Couples can learn about the Church’s vision of marriage and how to incorporate holiness into their relationships and families at an event coming to the Diocese of Charlotte in mid-November.
The 5th annual Together in Holiness marriage conference will take place from 9:30 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. Nov. 18 at two locations to better serve couples and families across the diocese. Couples can register to attend at either St. Barnabas Church in Arden or St. Ann Church in Charlotte. The event is presented by the diocesan Office of Family Life in partnership with the St. John Paul II Foundation.
This year’s theme is “Family, a School of Virtue,” and will feature national speakers Danielle Bean and Mario Sacasa, a licensed marriage and family therapist with a Charlotte practice. The day also includes access to the sacraments, Mass and a marriage blessing.
“I encourage all married and engaged couples to attend this conference so you may learn how to live a life of virtue within your own domestic church,” wrote Bishop Peter J. Jugis in a statement about the conference.
This is the fifth Together in Holiness event in the diocese, and attendance and interest have grown annually, said Ellen Santoro, senior conference coordinator and team leader.
“In the Church we do a lot of marriage prep for couples that are engaged or about to get married, but we don’t see a lot of enrichment past that point,” Santoro said. “What makes
Together in Holiness unique is that it is built for couples at any stage, whether they’re engaged or have been married for more than 30 years. It encourages them to come together and spend intentional time together for the day.”
The 2022 event in Charlotte drew 142 registrants from 29 parishes across the diocese. Surveys showed 96% of participants agreed they had learned something that would help them build or strengthen their marriage or family, and all said they “felt more inspired to grow in holiness with their spouse.”
“This is a must-attend event for married couples,” one participant wrote. “We can sometimes take the Sacrament of Marriage for granted, however, this conference is a great reminder of the fruits of a marriage in the Church when we embrace it for the way God intended it for our lives.”
— Christina Lee Knauss
Make plans to attend
To learn more or to register for the Nov. 18 event, go online to www.forlifeandfamily.org/events/th23-cnc. The cost is $64 per couple or $40 per individual. On-site childcare will be available for $5 per child. Full and partial scholarship opportunities are available.
GREENSBORO — Celebrating “milestones” and “recent wins,” North Carolina Right to Life will hold its 50th Anniversary Gala Saturday, Nov. 18, at the Koury Convention Center in Greensboro.
The Greensboro-based organization promotes a pro-life platform that supports the sanctity of life from conception through natural death. It advocates for pro-life legislation, hosts events for young people, provides speakers for civic and church events, and works to educate voters about pro-life issues.
The theme of this year’s gala is “Forward for Life: From Defense to Offense,” said outreach director Natalie Sonnen.
“We’re celebrating a lot of past milestones and some recent wins,” Sonnen said, noting North Carolina’s recently tightened restrictions on abortion. “Our theme reflects the fact that we have to continue reaching the hearts and minds not only of our youth and the general population, but also of our legislators. Otherwise, we will lose the gains we have made.”
Sonnen said one of the organization’s biggest victories came earlier this year when the North Carolina General Assembly passed the Care for Women, Children and Families Act.
The law bans most abortions after 12 weeks and includes funding for childcare, foster care and children’s homes, maternity and paternity leave for teachers and state employees, and programs to reduce maternal and infant mortality.
The keynote speaker at the anniversary event is Seth Dillon, CEO of the Babylon Bee, a Christian news satire site that adopts the tone of traditional news media while satirizing real-world events and public figures.
Tickets cost $89 and sponsorships are available. Go to www.ncrtl.org/gala50 for details. Discounts are available for students and for NCRTL current and past volunteers.
— Christina Lee Knauss