The Diocese of Roseau will   from June 18^th to 24 observe Family Week. The activities for the week will  be at both parish and diocesan level.

  The week begins on Sunday 18^th June , Fathers Day with Eucharistic Celebration in all  churches and chapels  .  The occasion will be used to highlight the role of fathers in the family as the domestic church as well as to recognize the effort of men in stabilizing the family unit and encourage men to be more directly involved in the life of their  family  and the life of the church.

 As part of  the week different days will be designated for Family Prayer ,  Appreciation, Fun  and Service to community.

A main highlight  for the week will be a Diocesan Symposium on Saturday 24^th June at the Goodwill Parish Hall. The event will draw participants from all parishes , representing the varied family  types ( married couples, singles, single parents, widowed, common law couples, divorced/separated and youth).The event will feature a panel discussion on the topic “How is the Church responding to the current issues affecting family life”. This will be followed with small group discussion, where the participants will look at ways in which he church can be more effective in  its ministry to all family types . There will also be a presentation on  the recent suite of Family laws, passed in Dominica Parliament. An understanding of the family legislative environment is also critical to ministering to families.

Brief remarks from  Monsigneur William Jno , Lewis, Delegate of the Diocesan Administrator, Bishop Robert Llanos,  Head of the Family Life Commission of the Antillies Episcopal Conference  and Tricia Symmes, Coordinator of the Antillies Episcopal Conference will also form part of the programme.

Among its many objective the symposium will:

• Inform the Family Units on  new Family  Legislation  recently passed in the Dominica Parliament  and explore implications for family life programmes of the Diocese (  Status of Children , Children  (Care and Adoption)  , Domestic Violence  ,  Maintenance  of Children , Maintenance  of Spouses and Parents,)
• Provide deeper insight into issues affecting  families in the Diocese  from varied family types
• Revisit the major family issues highlighted in  the Diocesan phase of the 2021/24  Synod  
• Offer guidelines to  the commission  to help develop programmes that will be more relevant to the  needs of the different family groups  throughout the various parishes in our Diocese

The  Family Life Commission  in the Diocese of Roseau  was established to improve the quality of family life  by  deepening awareness on teachings  of the church on family issues  . This it seeks to do by  disseminating information on the teachings of the church on issues of family life  and strengthening  support programmes for family life.

 Currently the Commission is working with parishes in strengthening  Family Life Units  which will organize and implement family life progarmmes and  serve as support group for families.

Family life has been identified as a key priority for the Diocese of Roseau as it seeks to make the home   the domestic church , a safer  place for our children  and other family members where love ,joy and care abound  .