Catholic conference empowers parents to understand, discuss sexuality with children

St. John Paul II promoted the teaching of the Theology of the Body. The Office of Family Life Ministry is sponsoring the “Discussing Sexuality with Your Children” conference, set for Jan. 17 to 18, 2025, at St. Jerome Catholic Church. Kathleen Cory, the main speaker, comes from The Ruah Woods Institute and has been a St. John Paul II’s Theology of the Body speaker since 2010. (CNS photo)

HOUSTON — In today’s fast-paced, media-driven world, many parents feel overwhelmed by the challenge of guiding their children through the complexities of human sexuality. Societal pressures, misinformation and shifting cultural norms make these conversations even more difficult.   

The Office of Family Life is helping parents in the Archdiocese navigate these challenges. By offering inspiring resources and practical guidance, the ministry aims to empower families to have meaningful conversations about human sexuality rooted in faith and truth. Ricardo Medina, director of the Office of Family Life, emphasized how today’s culture — shaped by movies, social media and daily interactions — profoundly influences children’s views on sexuality. The ministry’s “Discussing Sexuality with Your Children” conference, set for Jan. 17 to 18, 2025, at St. Jerome Catholic Church, will provide parents with a faith-based framework to rediscover the meaning of life, love and dignity. Through exploring St. John Paul II’s Theology of the Body (TOB), parents will learn to understand humanity in the order of creation, embrace their role as disciples of Jesus and gain practical techniques for meaningful conversations with their children.  

Kathleen Cory, the main speaker, comes from The Ruah Woods Institute and has been a TOB speaker since 2010, teaching to youth, parishioners, Catholic schools, diocesan and international events.  

Cory said she believes the TOB is true, good and beautiful. As she shares the teachings with others, she often finds that they begin to feel the same, sometimes expressing regret: “If I had known this in high school, I could have avoided so much pain,” she’s been told before. This is why Cory feels it is essential for Catholics to embrace TOB as a foundational teaching for their lives.  

“I see TOB as absolutely essential for everyone, especially our young people,” Cory said. “My dream is for every Catholic to learn this teaching as a normal part of their upbringing. It is our responsibility to teach them.”  

Cory’s talk at the conference will explore three key periods to help people understand their purpose according to God’s vision. First, they must recognize who they were created in the beginning. This understanding then shapes how they live in the present to find happiness, ultimately leading to eternal joy in the future.  

“When we understand that we are created in the image and likeness of God to be a gift and are also called to look at every other person as a gift, answers to our questions about our bodies and sexuality become easier to understand and explain,” Cory said. “I hope to convey the concepts of imagining God and the gift of every human person, using practical examples that help parents immediately apply this worldview in their family life.”  

Cory’s perspective is also shaped by her role as a parent and grandparent. These often-overlooked experiences have deepened her understanding of how TOB can impact family life. As she looks ahead to the conference, she is eager to share with parents how they can apply these teachings in their homes and with others.  

Scott Ryan, currently in his sixth year of diaconate formation with the Archdiocesan Office of the Permanent Diaconate, will present alongside his wife, Terri Ryan, director of Adult Formation at St. Mary of the Expectation Catholic Church. Together, they will address an important and often sensitive question in their presentation, “Does My Sexual Story Disqualify Me?” This session explores whether personal struggles and past failures to live up to Christ’s teachings on human sexuality disqualify someone from sharing this message with others.  

“Some parents may fear being hypocritical, and probably more feel unworthy of sharing the message because of their past, likely due to a mistrust in God’s mercy,” said Terri Ryan.   

The Ryans believe that allowing others — especially through social media, TV and books — to teach children about human sexuality harms both family and society. They said for decades, this culture has excluded God’s plan for sex, resulting in generations of wounded and unhappy individuals. They aim to address this in their conference presentation, share a message of God’s tender mercy and gift parents practical tools to bring home to their children.  

The Diocesan Services Fund (DSF) supports the Family Life Ministry, enabling resources like the “Discussing Sexuality with Your Children” conference to assist parents. Medina encourages the faithful in the Archdiocese to support the annual DSF appeal to help the ministry continue making a difference.   

“Few ministries address all four aspects — forming, revealing, enjoying and protecting families — in such a holistic and inspiring way,” Medina said. “With limited resources, we could not offer this high-quality content without the DSF support. The reality is that many parents are hungry for this kind of guidance, and we’re thrilled to offer it.”  

To learn more about the Family Life Ministry’s “Discussing Sexuality with Your Children” conference, visit https://archgh.swoogo.com/TOBTalkJan2025. To donate to the DSF, which supports over 60 ministries, go to archgh.org/DSF. Every dollar donated to the DSF directly supports these ministries, including direct services and education, which rely on this vital funding