The Extraordinary Synod on the Family concluded this weekend with a vote on the final version of the relatio, a document which will provide the framework for reinvigorating the pastoral efforts to provide formation in family life to the parishes and the wider world. Of course, we already have people in parishes around the world working on formation for young Catholics, and they see the need for more resources and energy more than anyone. Dr. Grazie Pozo Christie is a radiologist from Miami traveling to Rome with The Catholic Association, observing the Synod and of course absorbing the beauty of the Eternal City and of the Vatican.
Yesterday, I had a chance to interview Grazie about her efforts to explain family life and marriage to 5th and 8th graders through sex-education programs in the parishes:
Grazie is more than just a doctor; she's a wife and mother, with five children at home. She works on this program because of her medical background but also because of her faith. It's not easy; as I mention in the video, I just started working as a catechist for 4th graders, and thankfully my wife is partnering with me to help me get used to it. I can't imagine having to teach sex education to middle schoolers, and Grazie admits it's not easy, and that some people just don't last in that ministry.
But it's a critical ministry, and not just because sex education in our culture tends to ignore the values in which Catholics believe. It's an early opportunity, as Grazie tells us, to talk about the nature of sacramental marriage and the role of self-sacrificial love in God's plan. This is what the Church needs, only it needs a lot more Grazie Christies out in our communities, with parish support for this kind of catechesis. The Synod's discussions have highlighted this as a priority to form the next generations of Catholics to be better prepared for marriage and family life.
