A new book calling on Catholic parishes to strengthen family life through sustained pastoral accompaniment was launched on October 15 during the National Symposium 2026 in Mumbai, as the Church marks the 10th anniversary of Pope Francis’ apostolic exhortation Amoris Laetitia (The Joy of Love).
Titled Family Care – Accompanying Families in Our Times, the book by Fr. Cajetan D. Menezes, offers practical guidance for family ministry, drawing on Church teaching and addressing challenges confronting families in the digital age.
Fr. Cajetan, a priest of the Archdiocese of Bombay, currently serves as parish priest of St. Anthony’s Church in Malwani, Malad West, and as director and mentor of the Tripta Foundation, an NGO focused on mental wellness and healing. He previously served as director of the Snehalaya Family Service Centre and the Kripa Foundation. In 2014, Pope Francis invited him to serve as a field expert at the Extraordinary Synod of Bishops in Rome
Bishop Barthol Barretto, chairperson of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI) Family Commission, formally released the book at St. Pius X College in Goregaon East, Mumbai. Representatives of the CCBI commissions for Theology and Doctrine, Family, and Laity, along with the director of the Snehalaya Family Service Centre, joined the launch.
The two-day National Symposium 2026, held October 15–16 under the theme “The Family: Humanity’s Greatest Hope in a World of AI,” brought together Church organizations working in family ministry to reflect on the family’s role amid rapid technological and social change.
The book’s release comes in the year marking a decade since Amoris Laetitia, published by Pope Francis on April 8, 2016, following the Synods of Bishops on the family. The apostolic exhortation explored the pastoral challenges facing families and called on the Church to accompany them with compassion, discernment, and practical support.
Fr. Menezes’ publication applies this pastoral concern to parish life, emphasizing that families need intentional formation and accompaniment to grow as communities of faith.
Drawing on the teachings of St. John Paul II, Pope Francis, and Pope Leo XIV, the book combines theological foundations with practical suggestions for reaching out to young couples, accompanying families, and establishing or strengthening parish family apostolates.
It also includes questions for group study and reflection, making it a resource for families, parish family cells, pastoral animators, and others involved in marriage and family ministry.
A publication of Roselight Media House, the book encourages parishes to move beyond occasional family programs toward a sustained commitment to supporting families in their daily lives and faith journeys.
The symposium was organized by the Snehalaya Family Service Centre, the Family Commission of the Archdiocese of Bombay, the CCBI commissions for Family, Theology and Doctrine, and Laity, and Communio India.
By bringing family ministry into conversations about artificial intelligence and the future of humanity, the gathering emphasized the continuing importance of faith, human relationships, and pastoral accompaniment in a rapidly changing world.
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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