Long before the Massachusetts legislature voted on June 14, 2007 to deny the people of the Commonwealth their right to vote on a proposed constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union between one man and one woman, the four dioceses of Massachusetts were working to develop the new marriage initiative. The action of the Massachusetts legislature only energizes the Catholic Church in its efforts to promote the vocation of marriage to better serve families and society in future generations.
According to Cardinal Seán O'Malley, Archbishop of Boston, “the vocation of marriage is in crisis. Over the past twenty years, there has been more than a 60% decline in the number of marriages recorded in the Archdiocese of Boston; down from 12,274 in 1986 to 4,519 in 2006. At the national and local level, the Church has been responding to the many challenges faced by married couples. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops is in the midst of a multi-year National Pastoral Initiative on Marriage.” See http://www.foryourmarriage.org.
The Cardinal noted that more than 18 months ago in the Archdiocese of Boston, he established a Committee on Marriage, which is providing recommendations to respond to the needs of engaged and married couples. The Dioceses of Fall River, Springfield and Worcester are taking similar steps.
Kari Colella, Coordinator for Marriage Ministries for the Boston Archdiocese said, “The Bishops, in collaboration with the Massachusetts Catholic Conference and their Family Life and Pro-Life Sub-Committee, have worked to develop an initiative that seeks to guide parishes, clergy, and lay members in praying for and promoting the vocation of marriage. We have been blessed and privileged to be a part of this important responsibility, which we pray opens hearts and minds to the vocation of marriage as central in our Catholic experience.”
The educational phase of the campaign in support of marriage will be developed during the summer of 2007 and implemented across the Commonwealth as early as the fall of 2007. To implement the prayer phase of the campaign, for example, Cardinal Seán has requested that the following steps be taken:
- Distribute the marriage prayer cards in each parish.
- Pray the prayer each day and encourage parishioners to do so.
- Include the prayer in weekday and Sunday liturgies.
- Incorporate the support of marriage in preaching when suitable.
- Utilize bulletin announcements now and throughout the summer months.
Below is the text of the daily marriage prayer. Versions in other languages will soon be available as well.
In addition, extra copies of the actual printed prayer card can be requested from the Massachusetts Catholic Conference office in Boston (contact 617-367-6060 or staff@macathconf.org):
