Episcopal Conference holds family s workshops in Uganda

As part of a plan to promote Catholic teaching on marriage and family life, Uganda’s department of Lay Apostolate at the Uganda Episcopal Conference (UEC) is conducting several workshops in the five dioceses of Tororo Ecclesiastical Province.

The two-week workshops which started on 11 August will end on 21 August. The workshops will be held in the dioceses of Kotido, Moroto, Soroti, Tororo and Jinja. The focus is mostly on the two topics of “Education of the Lay Faithful on the Mission and Vocation of the Church” as well as, “Strengthening Marriage and Family Life.” According to the UEC executive secretary of the Lay Apostolate, Fr. Stephen Candia the training will help to bring the teachings of the Church to the people.

“Marriages and families of today are facing numerous challenges,” said Fr. Candia. “Issues of bride price, expensive traditional marriage ceremonies and the influence of Western culture on weddings all have a negative impact on families,” he said. “Once we address all these issues Christians will know what the Church expects of them and as a result they will live a much better life in their families,” he explained.

Fr. Candia went on to say that, “We have also discovered that there are barriers in relationships among the clergy, religious and laity in some parts of the country therefore they too will benefit from this workshop on how to relate with one another,” he added.

The workshops are expected to attract participants such as pastoral coordinators from the five dioceses, lay apostolate coordinators, youth chaplains, head and assistant catechists, people in-charge of marriage and family life in the various dioceses.

(By Jacinta W. Odongo in Uganda)

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