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How is the Home is a Holy Pack Resource Pack being used? What's happening now as a result of producing this new resource? How is it being received? Are any particular issues being raised and if so, what do we do with these? On this page we hope to feature some of the answers to these questions.  If you are looking for ideas on how to use your pack you might find something here that will help you. And if you have practical experience of the pack to share we would be very grateful to be able to pass this on. 

What’s Happening Now? Announcing two opportunities to learn more about working with the Pack in schools, homes, pastoral areas and parishes. Are you excited about using the Pack and want to let others know? Or wondering where to start? How best to interest others? What might happen when you do use the materials?  Come along and share your questions and experiences with others. January 29th 2009 : Carrs Lane Church Centre, Birmingham
February 27th 2009: Grimshaw Room, St Chad’s Cathedral, Birmingham

  A flyer and booking form

Good Shepherd, Arnold | St Francis, Maidstone | Flintshire Schools | GCSE studies | St Anne's, Ormskirk | Our Lady and St Teresa, Wirksworth |


Good Shepherd, Arnold

Monica Purdue attended the Nottingham diocesan launch of Home is a Holy Place in May 2008 and has since used the pack in her parish. We are very grateful to Monica for sharing her experience.  You can read more reports on the Diocese of Nottingham Family Matters webpages.

Report on a five week course using the materials, from Good Shepherd, Arnold in the Diocese of Nottingham
A flyer for this parish process (pdf 120kb)

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Parish of St Francis, Maidstone, Kent

Home is Holy Place is a resource provided by the Bishops of England and Wales through their Marriage and Family Life Team. In a very down to earth way, it looks at the difficulties facing families in the modern world. It asks three questions:

  • How do you and your family show love for one another?
  • What are the challenges in your family relationships?
  • When are you most aware of God in you family experiences?

It does not ask how many times you pray or what parish groups you belong to. It does not assume that your family is perfect.

In our parish, we are using this resource as a three week programme during Advent. We hope to run the same programme after Christmas for those who missed it the first time. The team preparing for the Mission in October 2009 hope that this will support those wishing to re-kindle their faith and the living out of their faith in their lives.

Read more of this invitation to take part in a three week Advent course at St Francis Parish, Maidstone in the Diocese of Southwark


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Working through schools in Flintshire - Reports by Sue Copp

Diane Hollis and I did our first presentation  a couple of weeks ago at our 'Parish Post Mission day'. Diane is hosting an evening at the Ursuline Convent in Shotton  on 27 November and I have promoted it at our local Catholic primary school, Venerable Edward Morgan.  I gave a short presentation at a school assembly this week and have invited parents/grandparents to a showing of the DVD next Monday 17 November at 9am when they drop the kids off (complete with tea/coffee and biscuits). Diane and I are also doing the same at our local Catholic High School, St. Richard Gwyn in Flint, during Focus Week in December. One of our Parish members works in the local FE college and will be showing the DVD to Social Science students. She thinks that even though these people may not be Catholic the message is real enough to make sense to them....a wonderful idea, I think. Will keep you posted on our work. 15th November 2008

The presentation of Home is a Holy Place at the junior school (Nov 17) went quite well although only 5 people turned up but it was interesting to see how the DVD stimulated the conversation. The people who attended all contributed their thoughts and feelings, some positive but others not so...just gathering to watch the DVD drew out personal testimonies and confidences which took me aback slightly and made me think that there must be many people who only need an invitation, a word at the right time to open up and share their thoughts, worries, fears and hurt. There were good positive ideas about reaching out to more people and I took the contact details of everyone present so that I can keep in touch.  Because the school serves a wide area 3 of the people were actually from other parishes ..but they had not heard of 'Home is a Holy Place ' before and I suggested that they could promote it themselves in their parishes and invited them to support us in our next parish presentation. I think (and hope) that the knowledge will spread in this way by small groups taking it away to other small groups. We have reported back to our Parish Advisory Council and asked our Parish Priest if we could have 'Home is'... as a theme at a Sunday Mass.  He suggested the Feast of the Holy Family so we look forward to that. Sue Copp. 20th November 2008

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GCSE studies

In Liverpool, Fr Tony Slingo and Veronica Murphy have worked with a 3rd set Year 11 studying Catholic marriage and family life for Edexcel GCSE, using the DVD and reflection around ‘Home’ ‘Family’’ Holy’. They report that it went down really well. Contact Veronica for more information.

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St Anne's Ormskirk

Item from the minutes of the Pastoral Council meeting 2nd November 2008

Discussions on Home is a Holy Place

Peter explained the nature and purpose of the "Home is a Holy Place" initiative and its exposition in a DVD resource pack. A pastoral area launch was taking place on 12th November at 7:30 pm in the Parish Centre. Peter asked if parishes within the pastoral area could launch Home is a Holy Place over Advent or at least hold a copy of the DVD resource. He would also like the DVD to be offered to parish groups. He felt the quality of the initiative would enable it to take on a life of its own. A discussion took place on the initiative and the following points were made:

  • a number of groups would be interested in the DVD

  • it could run for four weeks in Advent and six weeks in Lent

  • the initiative would match the PPC's aim of developing parish spirituality

  • Fr Godric said that the Holy Family chapel in the church was to become a place of prayer and petition as part of Family Ministry

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Our Lady and St Teresa, Wirksworth

Notice from the parish bulletin of November 9th 2008

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