LAKE CHARLES — Safe Haven Sunday, the beginning of a year-long initiative to help renew the identity of the human person, will be observed the first weekend of Lent, Feb. 29-March 1, in the Diocese of Lake Charles.
A free resource provided by the Diocese in collaboration with Covenant Eyes, the focus of the initiative is to combat the evil of pornography and to offer pathways for formation, hope and healing.
This comprehensive treatment of the topic of pornography addresses clergy, parents, educators, diocesan and parish leaders, mental health professionals, and those affected by pornography.
The Most Reverend Glen John Provost, Bishop of Lake Charles, has asked all parishes of the Diocese to observe Safe Haven Sunday by providing resources to support individuals, marriages and families in making all homes a safe haven.
A book entitled “Equipped – Smart Catholic Parenting in a Sexualized Culture” provided by Covenant Eyes, in addition to prayer cards and information on support groups, will be available after all Masses.
In a letter to all clergy in announcing the initiative, Bishop Provost pointed out that “pornography is one of the leading causes of addictions, abuse, adultery, divorce, and even human trafficking. The use of pornography creates an unsafe environment for children and confuses others about attitudes towards sex and marriage.”
Bishop Provost continued, “awareness will offer an opportunity to address the harmfulness of pornography in marriages, families, and culture as a whole.” Bishop Provost will address many of these issues in his Lenten Pastoral Letter.
The book uses the image of the home – the domestic church – to guide those in how to teach children to say no to pornography while at the same time forming them in a broader understanding of their God-given identity; the importance of sexual integrity; the difference between sexual impulse and life-giving union; how to understand sexual shame; and how to engage media with discernment.
Additional resources include a website developed for the Diocese of Lake Charles: https://cleanheart.online/diocese-lake-charles-0 providing Catholics with the necessary resources, education and training to encourage the appropriate use of technology. Clean Heart Online was developed by Covenant Eyes, a provider of faith-based resource materials in many dioceses of the Province of New Orleans.
Other efforts in the Diocese of Lake Charles that will be made available to all parishes include resources for a bible study on the Book of Genesis and a book study on “Made This Way: How to Prepare Kids to Face Today’s Tough Moral Issues” by Leila Miller and Trent Horn. The book gives parents, guardians and teachers crucial tools and techniques to form children with the understanding they need – appropriate to their age and maturity level – to meet the worlds’ challenges.
Later in the year, the annual Veritas Conference on Sept. 26 will highlight the theme: Identity and Dignity of the Human Person.
