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To: Priests, Deacons, and Parish Staff
From: Wilton D. Gregory, Archbishop of Atlanta
Our first annual observance of Safe Haven Sunday is quickly approaching on April 7, 2019. I am very pleased with the response we have received from many parishes who will be participating this year.
This awareness day will give us an opportunity as an Archdiocese to address the harmfulness of pornography in marriages, families, and our culture as a whole, while providing helpful resources to both individuals and families. It is an occasion for us to take a proactive approach in equipping parents so they may better protect and safeguard their homes.
Safe Haven Sunday is inspired by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) formal statement “Create in Me a Clean Heart: A Pastoral Response to Pornography.” The statement explains, “The use of pornography by anyone in the home deprives the home of its role as a safe haven and has negative effects throughout a family’s life and across generations.”
It is also available online in Spanish as a flipbook: Crea en mí un corazón puro: Una respuesta pastoral a la pornografía.
If you have not yet decided to participate in this initiative, there is still time. The Office of Formation and Discipleship is giving out extra “Equipped” books for free on a first-come, first-served basis for those parishes that wish to participate.
I encourage all parishes at a minimum to provide the seven-day text-to-join campaign and to present my brief letter (English/Spanish) or video homily as a supplement or in lieu of your homily for that Mass. If another Sunday or distribution method is more convenient, that is fine as well.
The promotional materials for the Sunday can be found here. Additionally, there are two options for a homily video. The first video was created specifically for our archdiocese and can be downloaded or streamed here (see attached texts in English/Spanish that may be read in place of the video.) The second video was created by Covenant Eyes and can be downloaded here. If you have ordered books or prayer cards, they are being delivered this week.
Additional resources for this day and beyond can also be found on the following website: https://cleanheart.online/archdiocese-atlanta.
Please direct any questions or requests for free books to Patrick Metts in the Office of Formation and Discipleship at pmetts@archatl.com or 404-920-7643.
Thank you for your consideration of and participation in this initiative. Please be assured of my continued prayers for a blessed Lent.