Growing in Faith Ministries

Making a Difference One Family at a Time!

The Christian Family Movement (CFM) at St. Lawrence Martyr Parish is an organization of families growing together and helping each other recharge Christian family values.

CFM has touched the lives of a great many of our parishioners over the years, fostered lifelong friendships and a mutual support system for the families here, and its fun! CFM activities consist of monthly small group adult meetings, large group family events and many opportunities for social outreach.

The Christian Family Movement is a national network of parish/neighborhood small groups of families which has been going strong for over 50 years. The SLM chapter is one of the largest in the U.S.

Each year we divide our membership into smaller groups of 10-15 families. Separate groups exist for first time members. Each group has a leader who facilitates meetings and activities. Groups are formed in September and meet through June.

For more information, contact Mary and John Poprac at 310-375-9242, or by email.

Sunday Child Care is available every Sunday during the 9:00am  & 11:00am Masses (except holiday Sundays), located in the St. Lawrence Martyr Hall -Holy Family Room..  We are currently closed due to COVID

This ministry of service is being offered to children ages 12 months to 5 years. There is no registration needed, just a sign-in procedure.

Although children of all ages are encouraged to attend mass with their parents, this service is provided for those little ones that are just not quite ready.

The Child Care Ministry is there to provide ease & comfort during mass for parents & children. Please know that we are here for you.

For more information, contact our parish offices at (310) 540-0329.

Register for Women's Cornerstone Retreat | Register for Men's Cornerstone Retreat

Cornerstone is two separate 26-hour retreats for women and men, 21 and older, which provides you with the opportunity to reflect, renew and strengthen your faith while meeting other women & men in our Christian Community.

The women’s retreat is planned via ZOOM for Friday, February 5, 2021 and Saturday, February 6, 2021.  We will come together at Mass on 9am Sunday February 7, 2021

Due to COVID restrictions the men's retreat is postponed to Friday, June 25 and Saturday, June 26th, 2021.  We are working toward this date and hope to have the retreat in person at our parish.

This year we are preparing to do the retreat differently in order for all retreatants to be safe. We are preparing for a retreat that will follow the recommended guidelines advised by LA County for that time period.

There will be a number of opportunities on the weekend to examine your relationship with God, your family and others in your life. Most of all, it is an opportunity to step out of your daily routine to think and discuss about those things that matter to you most, in an atmosphere that is confidential and lends itself to reflection and renewal.

For more information about Women’s Cornerstone, please call Robin Lomas at 310-748-7443.

For more information about Men’s Cornerstone, please call Deacon Jim Egnatuk at 310-990-7311.

Catholic Engaged Encounter is a weekend devoted to preparing couples to commit themselves to the sacrament of marriage. The weekend, presented by married couples and a priest, takes place at local retreat centers in the Los Angeles Archdiocese. Completion of the weekend retreat fulfills the marriage preparation requirements of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Read more…

For more information, contact the Pastoral Center at 310-540-0329.

The F.A.I.T.H. (Freedom and Intervention for the Trafficking of Humans) ministry supports the victims of human trafficking in the South Bay and in Los Angeles County.

For more resources on Human Trafficking please see this website, or contact us at 310-540-0329 x380 or by email.

Catholics believe that marriage comes as a gift from the hand of God.

The Catholic vision of marriage is rooted in Sacred Scripture and is expressed in the teachings and practices of the Church. It has these main elements:

• Marriage unites a couple in faithful and mutual love
• Marriage opens a couple to giving life
• Marriage is a way to respond to God’s call to holiness
• Marriage calls the couple to be a sign of Christ’s love in the world

If you need resources for your marriage please see below –

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

“For Your Marriage” http://www.foryourmarriage.org/

The Bishops launched the National Pastoral Initiative for Marriage in 2005 to call attention to the meaning and value of married life for the Church and for society. The crowning achievement of the Initiative was the Bishops’ 2009 pastoral letter, Marriage: Love and Life in the Divine Plan.

Examples :Daily Marriage Tips; Blogs; Excerpts from Amoris Laetitia;  Natural Family Planning

“Marriage: Unique for a Reason” http://www.marriageuniqueforareason.org/

Marriage: Unique for a Reason offers resources to assist with the education and catechesis of Catholics on why marriage is unique and why it should be promoted and protected as the union of one man and one woman. 

FAQ’s; Blogs; Pope Francis Corner; Videos

World Wide Marriage Encounter – 

LA West Web Site:   http://www.ilovemyspouse.net/

Local Weekends : ♥ August 4-6, 2017; ♥ November 3-5, 2017

World Wide Marriage Encounter Web Site:   http://www.wwme.org/

The Marriage Encounter Weekend offers married couples a technique of loving communication that they can use for the rest of their lives. It is an opportunity to look deeply into their relationship with each other and with God.

For more information, contact Brian & Lindy Wynne at 310-483-1937.

RETROUVAILLE –

A program to Help Couples Heal and Renew their Marriages

http://retrouvaille.org/

CHRISTIAN FAMILY MOVEMENT:                

CFM “Program Books”

St. Lawrence Chapter of Christian Family Movement 

The Christian Family Movement (CFM) at St. Lawrence Martyr Parish is an organization of families growing together and helping each other recharge Christian family values. CFM has touched the lives of a great many of our parishioners over the years, fostered lifelong friendships and a mutual support system for the families here, and its fun! CFM activities consist of monthly small group adult meetings, large group family events and many opportunities for social outreach.

For more information, contact Mary and John Poprac at 310-375-9242,or by email.

Los Angeles Archdiocese Office of Family Life 

Marriage Preparation Engaged Encounter (CEE)
Marriage and Family Enrichment  Natural Family Planning (NFP)
Ministry to the Widowed (NAIM)   Ministry to Separated and Divorced

Other Social Media Resources

The Five Love Languages 
Dr. Gary Chapman:  How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate

Save your Marriage before it starts Drs. Les & Leslie Parrot
Devotions: Videos; On Line educational Materials

Thriving Families  –
Dr. John & Clare Yzaguirre- Marriage and Family Practice

“The Way To Become Catholic”… for Adults, Teens, and Children.

It is our greatest joy as well as our mission to continually welcome new members to our church.

RCIA is an open-ended process of spiritual formation and education. This ministry is for those interested in learning about and personally experiencing the Catholic faith tradition. Individuals who are not baptized, those baptized in other Christian religions, and baptized Catholics who never received the sacraments of Eucharist and Confirmation are welcome to begin our ongoing RCIA Inquiry sessions when they are ready.

A person may begin at any time of the year with no commitment and no obligation. After adequate preparation, and when the Inquirer believes he or she is called to follow the way of Jesus in the Roman Catholic Church, the Inquirer will seek full initiation. At this stage, the RCIA process becomes a faith journey that encourages individuals to broaden and deepen their prayer life, to know God through the scriptures and our Catholic faith traditions, and to actively participate in parish and community activities. We encourage and invite all who may be interested to “come and see” what living life as a committed Catholic Christian can mean for you.

The purpose of the Religious Education Program is to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ.

We believe that “the task of imparting education belongs primarily to the family, and that it is in the Christian family… that children should be taught to know and worship God and to love their neighbor." Read more…

For more information, contact Susan Mills at (310) 316-4460.

Small Communities of Faith or SCF are small communities typically of 8-12 members who meet on a regular schedule, determined by the needs of the group. Some meet weekly, others biweekly, and still others monthly. Some groups may meet year-round, others during the school year while others may choose to come together for four to six-week sessions in the Advent/Christmas season and during the Lenten/Easter season.

Each SCF forms based on schedule and interests. Some may consist of a mixed group of members, others may be moms of young children, others empty nesters, others married couples, and others may consist of 6 or so families who come together to form a small community.

In Summary, Small Communities of Faith are:

Intentional. The members of each SCF gather for a defined purpose and mission. Not just a social group.
Invitational. Within the network, there is a place for all who come and members are respected.
Inclusive. Recognizing the diverse charisms within the Catholic community, the network embraces all who gather to bear authentic witness to Christ and His Church.
Inspirational. Each SCF is not an end unto itself but inspires each member to live out the mission of Christ in the world. This missionary spirit manifests itself in both the individual and collective actions of the Small Community of Faith.

For more information, contact the pastoral center at mailto:info@stlm.org  or (310) 540-0329

Spiritual Direction is an ancient ministry, a unique one-to-one relationship in which a trained person assists another person in the search for an ever closer union of love with God.

Spiritual direction is the process of accompanying people on a spiritual journey that emphasizes growing closer to God.  In reality, spiritual direction is nothing more than a way of leading us to see and obey the real Director, the Holy Spirit, hidden in the depths of our souls.

Spiritual direction explores a deeper relationship with the spiritual aspect of being human. Simply put, spiritual direction is helping people tell their sacred stories.

Finding a spiritual director is a very personal and spiritual quest.  Here at St. Lawrence, we are blessed to have a group of certified spiritual directors who are able to offer their services.

If you are interested in exploring and deepening your relationship with God, please call or e-mail for further information.  The spiritual direction coordinator will match you with a compatible certified director who will keep holy your sacred story.

We look forward to journeying with you!

For more information, contact Didi Egnatuk at 310-540-0329 x540.

The Confirmation process at St. Lawrence Martyr is a two year process. Teens typically begin in their 9th grade and receive the Sacrament at the end of their 10th grade. 

However, any teen in high school may participate in the process. Read more…

For more information, contact Katy Dagampat at 310-316-04660.