Originally published at Orange County Catholic
A longtime Church employee who taught religious studies at Mater Dei High School for 21 years, Carol Koppenheffer was devastated when her husband left her 10 years ago.
“Going from being a ‘we’ couple to a ‘me’ single was very hard,” she said. “I didn’t know where I fit in anymore.”
Catholics who have experienced divorce or marital separation say they not only feel abandoned by their spouse, but often feel abandoned by the Church.
They might ask themselves: Why doesn’t the Church do more for us?
“Remain in My Love,” a one-day conference in May at the Christ Cathedral Cultural Center, is designed to address this need.
“We’re certainly overdue,” said Linda Ji, director of the Diocese’s Office of Family Life. The last time a Diocese conference of this type was held was in 2017, the year before Ji became director of the office.
What’s more, the COVID-19 pandemic put a lot of parish-level marriage ministry and support groups on ice, and few have restarted, Ji said.
“We know the need is there,” Ji said of “Remain in My Love,” which will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on May 4. “Because the family is the basic
