Day Three Highlights: International Meeting of the Secretariats of the New Families
Jesus Forsaken: The Source of Unity
The third and final day of the International Meeting of the Secretariats of the New Families opened with a moment of deep meditation on Jesus Forsaken, the central light of unity in the spirituality of the Focolare Movement. Participants were invited to recognise God's presence in moments of difficulty and to view suffering not as a punishment, but as a meeting place for love.
From Tanzania, one participant shared:
"Suffering is not evil; it is part of my life journey. It is good to accept challenges because, afterwards, we will meet God."
A couple from the Democratic Republic of Congo echoed this through their own experience, explaining how Jesus Forsaken became their “first friend” in marriage.
“When my husband brought home an injured child, I was angry,” the wife shared. “But then I looked at him through the eyes of Jesus Forsaken and love became possible again.”
These testimonies set the tone for the day, a reminder that within every fragility and difference, love embraced through the light of Jesus Forsaken gives life.
The Family and the Challenges of the Future
Still in the morning session, Dr Gabriella Gambino, Under-Secretary of the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life, offered a profound reflection on “The Family and the Challenges of the Future.”
She invited participants to rediscover the evangelising mission of the family as a vital presence within the Church and society, not simply as a recipient of pastoral care, but as an active subject and protagonist of evangelisation.
Dr Gambino introduced the concept of transversal pastoral care, describing it as a coordinated approach that embraces all stages of family life from childhood to maturity, and from moments of celebration to times of crisis.
This method calls for collaboration between pastoral areas, such as children's catechesis, youth ministry, marriage preparation, and family accompaniment, through regular meetings and shared initiatives. The aim, she emphasized, is to build a unified, continuous path of formation that helps families grow in faith, communion, and responsibility for others.
Her message resonated strongly with the meeting’s theme, “Promoting Family, Cultivating Hope,” inviting all present to support families as living witnesses of unity and as seeds of renewal for the Church.
A Shared Commitment to Serve Humanity
Following her address, members of the New Families expressed their renewed commitment to serve humanity, inspired by Chiara Lubich’s vision of families as builders of unity. They affirmed that family life, when lived in the spirit of communion, becomes a sign of God’s love and a source of hope for the wider community.
Reclaiming the Domestic Church
Later sessions explored how to reclaim the Domestic Church as a concrete reality within everyday family life. Every family with its imperfections, joys, and struggles, is a place where God dwells and acts.
Rooted in baptismal identity and strengthened by the sacrament of matrimony, families reflect the threefold mission of the baptised priests, prophets, and kings, within their homes. Their vocation extends beyond the household: to accompany and support other families and to make their relationships a living witness of the Gospel.
One of the key challenges identified is helping families realize their own strength and mission to become aware that they already possess the grace to evangelize through the love and unity they cultivate daily.
The Mysticism and Liturgy of Daily Life
Participants reflected on the need to rediscover the mysticism of daily life, recognizing God's presence in small, ordinary gestures, such as a prayer before meals, a word of kindness, a shared story, or a helping hand. These simple acts form the “liturgy of the domestic church,” a spirituality of tenderness and gratitude that transforms daily life into a sacred space.
As Pope Leo XIV reminded, authentic relationships that build the Kingdom of God are born in the small acts of faithfulness, forgiveness, and love that families live each day.
Evangelization and Accompaniment
The final discussions centred on evangelization as accompaniment, a pastoral approach that walks with families rather than solving their problems.
Every family, regardless of structure or circumstance, was affirmed as capable of beginning or renewing a journey of faith. Even those in new or wounded situations can rediscover God's presence through care, listening, and patience.
Pope Leo XIV encouraged pastoral workers to reach out to families who have drifted away, to nurture “seeds still waiting to mature” and rekindle faith in “trees that have withered.” This new pastoral outreach, he said, must become a school of life, where families serve one another, especially the poorest and weakest, and become "Fishers of other families."
Continuing the Journey
As the meeting concluded, participants left with a shared conviction: that the family is both the heart of the Church and a mission field of love.
For the Centre of Inculturation, which accompanied the meeting as part of the Mariapolis Piero community, these reflections echo its ongoing work of integrating faith and culture. The Centre remains committed to supporting families in living their faith concretely, nurturing unity, hope, and peace in the heart of everyday life.
The meeting called for New Families to develop creative initiatives guided by the Spirituality of Unity to contribute concretely to face these challenges:
1. Specific strategies for families to implement to reclaim the Domestic Church in their daily lives.
2. Family pastoral teams and movements to collaborate to support families throughout all stages of life.
3. Ways for families to effectively evangelize and accompany other families in their faith journeys.
Related Links: Promoting the Family and Cultivating Hope: Day One Highlights
Reflection on Family Life Continues: Day Two Highlights
Related Publication: Researches & Documents N.9 - The Family in Sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar
By Irene Kirung'e
Communication and Multimedia Specialist
Centre for Inculturation
Mariapolis Piero,
Website created in white label responsive website builder WebWave.