The Archdiocese of Montreal announces the creation of a new organization to strengthen family life: the Diocesan Centre for Marriage, Life and Family, located at diocesan headquarters, 2000 Sherbrooke St. West.

Two organizations have merged to create the new centre, which will continue the work of the Office de la famille and of its recently retired directors, Serge and Sylvie Vallée, as well as of its English-language counterpart, the Family Life Office.

The Diocesan Centre for Marriage, Life and Family will address needs identified during the past two years, arising from the rich cultural fabric that comprises Montreal. The centre is under the direction of Katerine Perrault and Ellen Roderick, PhD, both graduates of the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and the Family, based in Rome with an affiliated branch in Washington, D.C.

The centre's mission is to revitalize diocesan evangelization efforts regarding marriage, life and family through formation, accompaniment and dialogue with contemporary culture. Based on the pastoral approach of Saint John Paul II and on his teaching on the "theology of the body," the centre will seek concrete ways to apply the Apostolic Exhortation of Pope Francis on the family, The Joy of Love. The Diocesan Centre for Marriage, Life and Family thus fulfills the desire of the Catholic Church of Montreal to share with all people of goodwill the wealth and promises of happiness included in God's plan for human love.

The Archbishop of Montreal, Most Reverend Christian Lépine, maintains that:

The family is the fundamental social unit. As "a sign and image of the communion of the Father and the Son in the Holy Spirit" (Catechism of the Catholic Church, No. 2205), the family is a sacred source in which human life is conceived and through which it is fully developed mentally, physically and spiritually.

To this end, the Diocesan Centre will provide various programs for marriage preparation and to support the family and its development of a way of life reflective of its convictions.

Learn more about the Diocesan Centre for Marriage, Life and Family