On February 6, the Academic Seminar on Marriage Catechumenate was held at Centro Universitário Católica SC, headquartered in Joinville (SC, Brazil). The event marked the conclusion of the first cohort of the Postgraduate Program in Marriage Catechumenate.
The event was organized by Centro Universitário Católica SC, in collaboration with the publishing house and Pius Institute for Life and Family, as well as the Archdiocesan Pastoral Care for Families of the Archdiocese of Joinville.
The gathering brought together specialists, pastoral agents, and representatives of the Pastoral Care for Families to reflect on the contemporary challenges of preparation for the Sacrament of Matrimony and the accompaniment of families in the life of the Church.
Broadcast live on the university’s institutional channel, the seminar brought together theologians, canon lawyers, pastoral agents, and formators committed to an understanding of preparation for Marriage in harmony with the Magisterium and dedicated to deepening their knowledge of its teachings on this subject. The full recording of the event, lasting more than six hours, is available on Católica SC’s YouTube channel.
Among the speakers and themes of the event were:
Fr. Edwin Casadiego, Ph.D., Dean of the Brazilian Section of the Pontifical John Paul II Institute and professor in the Master’s and Doctoral Program in Family in Contemporary Society at the Catholic University of Salvador.
Marlon Derosa, M.Sc., professor in the Postgraduate Program in Marriage Catechumenate at Centro Universitário Católica SC, as well as professor in the postgraduate program in bioethics and director of the Pius Institute.
Ana Derosa, Ph.D., professor in the Postgraduate Program in Marriage Catechumenate at Centro Universitário Católica SC and also professor in the postgraduate program in bioethics at the Pius Institute.
André Parreira, Ph.D., professor and coordinator of the Postgraduate Program in Marriage Catechumenate at Centro Universitário Católica SC and author of several books on marriage and family.
In addition to the lectures, the event featured a roundtable entitled “Challenges of the Marriage Catechumenate in Diocesan Life,” moderated by Prof. Dr. André Parreira. The discussion included: Fr. Nilo Agostini, ecclesiastical advisor to the Pastoral Care for Families of the Southern Region 4 (State of Santa Catarina); the married couple Mauricio García and Daniela, coordinators of the Southern Region 4 commission (Santa Catarina); and the married couple José Carlos and Bernadete, coordinators of the Pastoral Care for Families of the Archdiocese of Joinville, who represented the Archdiocese at the event.
The Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Joinville, Archbishop Francisco Carlos Bach, was present throughout the event and delivered remarks highlighting the relevance of the seminar for the local Church. The event also included the participation of various agents of the Pastoral Care for Families and members of the Archdiocesan coordination team, including Marlon and Ana (Services to Life), Marcelino and Zaira (Pre-Marriage), and Katia (Communications and Secretariat).
The seminar was marked by both academic and practical reflections on formation in the Marriage Catechumenate, the Church’s call for a true marriage catechumenate, the Theology of the Body as a key to understanding human sexuality, and the contemporary challenges posed by materialism, individualism, and the fragmentation of relationships, among other topics.
The content of the presentations from this first seminar will soon be published in written form for wider dissemination as the proceedings of the 1st Seminar on Marriage Catechumenate.
The seminar concluded with the presentation of pastoral intervention projects developed by the postgraduate graduates. Among the works presented were the results of documentary research and academic studies, as well as research involving original data collection from pastoral realities both in Brazil and abroad. These projects demonstrate the dedication of the team of professors and students, uniting pastoral experience and academic study in response to the call for a true catechumenate in preparation for Marriage.
Watch the full recording of the event (the seminar was held in Portuguese):
