Family Life & Spirituality, San Diego

Meet Ricardo! Ricardo is one of our Associate Directors in the Office for Family Life & Spirituality. He lives here in San Diego with his wife of 39 years, Maria Luz. Ricardo and Maria Luz are the proud parents and grandparents of three adult sons and three grandchildren. A few fun facts about Ricardo: he enjoys playing and singing with his cuatro (A Latin American version of the ukelele). He is a constant learner and seeker, enjoys nature, music, and playing tennis. ... Ricardo has a passion for helping families/couples through spiritual direction, training in parenting, self-care coaching, and facilitating group dynamics. He has master's degrees in theology and social work and a PhD in human development, but as he likes to say, "my most important qualification is being Ricardo Marquez, HB = Human Being." :) We are so very blessed to have Ricardo in our office and in our diocese! See more

Please join us for the Diocese of San Diego's Reproductive Grief Care Training next Thursday from 10am-12pm! The Office for Family Life & Spirituality is collaborating with Life Perspectives on this 2-hour seminar for faith-based leaders who want to bring hope and healing to hurting people who may be suffering alone.

It's been a divisive year, but it's time to start focusing on what unites us rather than what divides us. Join the Dioceses of San Diego, San Bernardino, Orange, and Los Angeles as they co-sponsor a two-part webinar featuring Charles Camosy, award-winning author of Throwaway Culture: How a Consistent Life Ethic Can Unite a Fractured People. Click on our linkin.bio to register for either webinar. The theme of Tuesday, Nov. 10 is Hope for Post-Election Politics: Hospitality and Encounter. The theme for Wednesday, Nov. 18 is Hope After the Pandemic: Building Solidarity, Resisting Throwaway Culture.

Si está divorciado o separado y necesitará apoyo adicional durante la temporada navideña, la Oficina para la Vida Familiar y Espiritualidad de la Diócesis de San Diego lo invita a reunirse con nosotros para el programa, Sobreviviendo las festividades.

Welcome to Advent Nights - an opportunity for families and parish leaders to join together and share the Advent traditions and rituals which inspire hope during this sacred season. LIturgy and Spirituality, Diocese of San Diego

If you or someone you love is grappling with divorce or separation this holiday season, please join us over Zoom.

Join us in conversation to learn more about Santa Sophia's "Year of Marriage and Family"!

Our very own Bishop John Dolan is the co-editor and contributor of a new book to be published in December by Ave Maria Press, 'When a Loved One Dies By Suicide'. 'When a Loved One Dies by Suicide' was written by Catholics who have lost a loved one due to suicide. The contributors share their personal stories of loss, of learning to cope with the crushing grief, of finding comfort in faith and community, and of discovering hope as they began to move forward again. Click on our linkin.bio to pre-order a copy!

Meet Janelle! Janelle is one of our Associate Directors in the Office for Family Life & Spirituality. She lives in Carlsbad with her husband and two sons and attends St. Thomas More Parish. A few fun facts about Janelle: I love baking and aspire to meet any cast member from The Great British Bake Off. Writing has kept me balanced during the upheaval of quarantine. You can see my monthly articles at CatholicMom.com, a division of Holy Cross Family Ministries. My bucket li...st includes hiking the Camino de Santiago. A friend and I have a pact to walk part of it together in fall of 2022. Janelle has a passion for helping families feel beloved by God. Her parents divorced was she was seven. The Church didn’t always embrace my family in the way it should have. That is why I am so committed to the divorced and separated community and all families that may feel marginalized within their parishes. You are loved. See more

At Santa Sophia Parish, this year is the "Year of Marriage and Family Life". All sorts of activities and initiatives were undertaken in the areas of family prayer, marriage formation, parenting, and healing to help families grow their domestic churches. Please join me this Family Friday to learn more the awesome work of Santa Sophia's Family Life Committee and the fruits of their labor! #buildingthedomesticchurch #yearofmarriageandfamily #sdfamilylifesynod #familylivefriday #familyfriday

Our associate director Janelle has recently become a monthly contributor to CatholicMom, a division of Holy Cross Family Ministries. If you haven't previously heard of CatholicMom, their mission is to encourage women in the vocation of Catholic motherhood.

Love is a daily decision, not a spontaneous feeling that comes and goes. To love or to be loved is a conscious decision we make each and every day! "You are in love and you believe that your love can sustain your marriage. But it can’t. However your marriage can sustain your love. -Dietrich Bonhoeffer #worldwidemarriageencounter #marriageencountersd #journeyofyourlove #loveisadecision #continuingtosayido #marriageisasacrament #marriageasasacrament #sacramentofmatrimon...y " See more

"Promises" with Maureen and Joseph Day Palermo. A few awesome snippets: Maureen: I promise to laugh at all your jokes... Joseph: Even the bad ones? Maureen: That’s all there is babe! Joseph: I promise to show you all the ridiculous videos on YouTube so you don’t become cynical and crabby. Maureen: Too late! Maureen: I promise to dance joyfully to Beyonce’s ‘All the Single Ladies’ even while I’m still thrilled that we’re married. Joseph: ‘Cuz let’s remember, I did put a ring on it. Joseph: I promise that when we argue it’s more important to be loving than to be right. Maureen: But it’s best to be both! Joseph and Maureen: Let’s promise to keep laughing loudly, keep growing boldly, keep cleaning bathrooms dutifully, keep supporting warmly, keep loving tenderly, keep dancing joyfully, keep teaching gently, and keep loving wholly and completely and dutifully and powerfully. :) :) :)

San Diego Engaged Encounter is an awesome marriage formation ministry that offers regular retreats for couples preparing for the Sacrament of Marriage. We strongly encourage couples to take advantage of this retreat experience led by other couples right here in San Diego. San Diego Catholic Engaged Encounter has been offering retreats since the 1970s and their couples have over 300 years of marriage combined. Click on linkin.bio to register for their next available virtual retreat! #journeyofyourlove #engagedencountersandiego #engagedencountersd #engagedencounter #marriagepreparation #marriageformation