ABOUT CatholicHÔM We’re here for you, wherever you are—and with whatever device you’re most comfortable with. Read below to learn more about how to get CatholicHÔM into YOUR home!
CatholicHÔM stands for Catholic Households on Mission. What’s the mission? To help each other love like Christ. CatholicHÔM is the first-ever digital platform dedicated to helping Catholic families encounter Christ more meaningfully at home and draw closer to each other by living the Liturgy of Domestic Church Life.
I’m a [divorced parent, step-parent, single parent, working mom, grandparent, etc.]. Is CatholicHÔM for me?
YES! CatholicHÔM and the Liturgy of Domestic Church Life are for EVERY household that wants to learn how to create a more loving, connected, caring household. CatholicHÔM isn’t just for so-called “perfect families.” It’s for every family that wants to experience a little more of God’s perfect love in their home!
Who developed the Liturgy of Domestic Church Life?
We would say that the Liturgy of Domestic Church Life was not developed by people, but rather, instituted by God at the beginning of time, when he first created families to be healthy and holy. Symposium on Catholic Family Life and Spirituality at the University of Notre Dame in 2019. The Symposium was sponsored by the Our Sunday Visitor Institute, Holy Cross Family Ministries, and the McGrath Institute for Church Life at Notre Dame. Organized and hosted by Dr. Greg and Lisa Popcak, the Symposium was a gathering of more than 50 theologians, social scientists, and Church leaders who were known for their expertise in the fields of family well-being and spirituality. They met to consider questions related to the renewal of Catholic family life. The Popcaks articulated the Liturgy of Domestic Church Life based on the theological, pastoral, and social science research presented at the Symposium.
WHY should I join the CatholicHÔM community?
What will a Membership do for my family?
Being a happy, healthy, holy Catholic family isn’t easy these days. This app will help you learn and live the Liturgy of Domestic Church Life and give you tons more resources and all the ongoing support you need to become the loving, connected, caring family God is calling you to be.
What benefits are included in my CatholicHÔM membership?
Full access to our fun-for-the-whole-family, professionally animated CatholicHÔM Foundations Videos that will show you and your kids how simple it is to live the Liturgy of Domestic Church Life. Access to the exclusive weekly CatholicHÔM Podcast, hosted by CatholicHÔM founders Dr. Greg and Lisa Popcak. Access to our growing HÔM Improvement Library of short Building Your CatholicHÔM Videos that are chock-full of practical tips for creating a loving, connected, caring Catholic home. Full access to regular livestream events giving you the spot training you need to be a more inspired, effective parent and a happier, healthier, holier family. Monthly fun downloadable activities to help your family celebrate your faith at home. Make new friends and get support with full access to our moderated discussion forums. Get personalized support through group and personal coaching with a professional CatholicHÔM coach. (These services are offered for an additional fee.) Deep discounts and exclusive merchandise at our members-only store. Skip to the front of the line! Need answers now? You’ll be placed at the front of the line when you call More2Life Radio with Dr. Greg and Lisa Popcak (weekdays 10-11 AM Eastern on EWTN Radio and SiriusXM130) with your questions about marriage and family life. Need professional counseling for yourself, your marriage, or your family? Your CatholicHÔM membership will put you at the top of the waiting list at CatholicCounselors.com, a founding sponsor of CatholicHOM.com. AND MORE: Tell us what you need! As our community grows, we’re always looking for more ways to help our members become the families God created them to be! ABOUT the Liturgy of Domestic Church Life OK, but what is this " Liturgy of Domestic Church Life"?
When God created families, he programmed certain practices into them that would help them be happy, healthy, and holy. Social science research reveals that every happy, healthy family throughout history and across every culture has employed these practices, at least implicitly. Although every family is different, and the shape of these practices can vary from place to place and home to home, these habits are very much alike at their core. Taken together, we call these God-given, family-building practices the Liturgy of Domestic Church Life .(For more details, see the free Liturgy of Domestic Church Life ebooks available on the free CatholicHÔM app.)
Wait a minute, why is it a “liturgy”?
A liturgy is a “sacred work,” a special kind of worship created by God to heal the damage that sin does to our relationships with God and others. For instance, the Liturgy of the Eucharist is the sacred work created by God to heal the damage sin does to our relationships with Him and others.(For more details, see the free Liturgy of Domestic Church Life ebooks available on the free CatholicHÔM app.)
What is a “domestic church”? Isn’t that just a fancy Catholic word for “family”?
Not really. A domestic church isn’t a “regular old family” any more than the Eucharist is “just bread.” Both are much more than they seem. A domestic church is a family that’s plugged into sacramental grace and committed to both helping each other be like Christ and leading the world to Christ. The more a family consciously commits to this mission, the more God transforms it from a “regular old family” into a dynamic domestic church, an outpost of grace in a hurting world.(For more details, see the free Liturgy of Domestic Church Life ebooks available on the free CatholicHÔM app.)
But isn’t liturgy just something you do at church?
AHA! You’ve been paying attention! Your home is a church, a “domestic church”! And a church can only be an actual church if God has given it a specific sacred work (i.e., “liturgy”) to do. For instance, without the Liturgy of the Eucharist, your parish would just be a room with pews. The Liturgy of the Eucharist is what makes your parish church an actual church.not the same kind of liturgy we celebrate at Mass. In fact, it’s dependent upon sharing the sacraments first. But it’s still an important “sacred work” that helps you fill the heart of your home (and the whole world) with God’s love. The Liturgy of Domestic Church Life equips your family to do its sacred work, which is helping each other be like Christ and leading the whole world to Christ. The more you commit to doing that sacred work, the more your family becomes a dynamic domestic church.(For more details, see the free Liturgy of Domestic Church Life ebooks available on the free CatholicHÔM app.)
What are the parts of the Liturgy of Domestic Church Life?
A liturgy is divided into parts called “rites.” The Liturgy of Domestic Church Life has three rites.
The Rite of Christian Relationship The Rite of Family Rituals —helps your family live the prophetic mission of Baptism. Through their words and actions, prophets call people to live godly lives. When families create strong family rituals for working, playing, talking, and praying together, they call each other to develop godly attitudes toward work, fun, relationships, and faith. The Rite of Reaching Out —helps your family live the royal mission of Baptism. By learning to care more generously for each other and the world, we learn to serve like Christ. To serve with Christ is to reign with him! For a more detailed explanation of the rites and practices associated with the Liturgy of Domestic Church Life, download the free family ebook version of the Liturgy of Domestic Church Life. And if you haven’t already, make sure to sign up for a Premium subscription to the app for tons of additional support, resources, coaching, and encouragement.
GENERAL CatholicHÔM Questions
Who are the founders of CatholicHÔM?
Dr. Greg and Lisa Popcak are the founders of CatholicHÔM. They are also the founders and directors of the Pastoral Solutions Institute (CatholicCounselors.com), a group pastoral tele-counseling practice serving Catholic individuals, couples, and families worldwide. .
Is CatholicHÔM an official ministry of the Catholic Church?
Yes. All of the CatholicHÔM partner organizations are listed in the Official Catholic Directory , the official list of Church-sanctioned ministries.
Who is the HÔM Family in the cartoon?
The parents are Joseph and Maria (named after the Blessed Mother and St. Joseph). The children, Marty, Zelie, and Baby Lou are named in honor of the parents of St. Therese of Lisieux (Ss. Louis and Zelie Martin). St. Therese was named a Doctor of the Church for her promotion of the “little way of holiness,” a way of using simple events of daily life as a path to holiness. The little way of holiness stands at the heart of the spirituality promoted by the Liturgy of Domestic Church Life. The Martin family was truly a holy family. We hope their witness will inspire all CatholicHÔM families to become everything God created them to be.
Um, why does the HÔM family have a pet pelican?
Pelicans’ beaks have red tips and they rest their beaks under their wing, against their breast. When they feed their young, these facts make it look like they are feeding their chicks their own flesh and blood. Because of this, in the Middle Ages, the Church began to use pelicans as a symbol of the eucharist. The HÔM family has a pet pelican as a constant reminder of the eucharistic grace that fills their home, helping them be a healthy, holy family in spite of all the struggles normal families face in their everyday lives. The HÔM family’s pet pelican is named “Pascha,” a word that means, “Easter bread.”
Is CatholicHÔM available in languages besides English?
We’re working on it! Currently, CatholicHÔM is only offered in English. That said, both the family and professional versions of the ebook describing the Liturgy of Domestic Church Life are available in English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and Italian. Both are included in the free version of the CatholicHÔM app.
MEET the CatholicHÔM is founded on the teachings and intercession of the following saints.
Pope St. John Paul the Great
Pope St. John Paul dedicated his pontificate to promoting the “universal call to holiness,” Vatican II’s assertion that all people—not just missionaries, martyrs, priests, and religious, but moms, dads, and kids too—were called to be holy.
Named a Doctor of the Church by St. John Paul the Great, St Therese promoted the “little way of holiness,” a way of using simple events of daily life as a path to great holiness. The little way of holiness is a path to sainthood that every person—lay people in particular—can walk. The little way of holiness is the foundation of the spiritual framework promoted by the Liturgy of Domestic Church Life and CatholicHÔM.
Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin
The parents of St. Therese of Lisieux. They are the first married couple to be canonized together. St John Paul the Great canonized them as a reminder that holiness was within the grasp of all couples and families.
The founder of the Salesian Order, an order dedicated to the Christian education of children. Don Bosco developed the Preventive System of child rearing, a model that rejected harsh punishments and instead, encouraged an approach to discipline founded on “reason, religion, and loving-kindness.” His method encouraged fostering mentor-mentee relationships between caregivers and children, rooted in a mutual love of Christ. This approach to discipline is as much a spiritual exercise (for parents and kids) as it is a system of discipline.
St. John Bosco’s student. Known as “the first fruit of the Preventive System.” He died at age 14 and became one of the youngest non-martyrs ever canonized. He was renowned for his deep love of God and the heroic virtue he displayed both at home and with his friends. His life is a witness to the effectiveness of Discipleship Discipline and a testament to the fact that even children can be living saints.
