Family Enrichment Centre

The Family Enrichment Centre was officially opened on September 1, 1987.

In 1973 Father Albert Laisnez raised some concerns at the Senate of Priests about the lack of family life programs in the Archdiocese. After several years of discussions, in 1978, an Ad Hoc Committee was established to address these concerns and present them to the Senate of Priests. However, it wasn't until 1982 that an interim Advisory Committee was formed. Father Seifert was appointed to co-ordinate the preparatory steps for a Family and Life Office and a year later, in 1983, the first Advisory Committee was formed comprised by Father Seifert, Sr. Joan Kirk, Marie MacDonald and Jean Forest. The Advisory Council compiled a report for the Council of Priests (previously known as the Senate of Priests). Also in 1984 Fr. Leo Floyd and Father Michael McCaffery joined the Advisory Council.

The following year, in 1985, Jan Moran was hired as the Co-ordinator of Marriage Preparation through the Catholic Information Centre.

A second proposal was submitted to the Council of Priests in 1986 for the establishment of an Office of Family and Life. This too was rejected due to the high costs of operating an office. The Council of Priests initially thought that the office could be run through the Catholic Social Services and Catholic Information Centre. However in 1987, following the commission style of other Archdiocesan initiatives the Family Enrichment Centre was officially created.

The purposes of the Family Enrichment Centre within the Archdiocese of Edmonton were to strengthen and empower families to achieve their mission of revealing inside and outside the home, human love and the covenant which God the Creator established in Jesus.

In 1987 the immediate tasks of the center were to 1) Develop a theology of family and a philosophy of family life and education; 2) Systematically collect and circulate information on available services and resources in the community; 3) Encourage cooperation among existing groups in the Archdiocese concerned with family life; 4) Collaborate with school systems to develop family life programs and parent education in these areas; 5) Continue to develop and improve the effectiveness of the engaged and newlywed programs; 6) Research family needs and to implement appropriate programs and events as a response to these needs; 7) Train volunteers and leaders; 8) Exercise financial and fiscal control necessary to ensure short and long term support of activities of the Centre; 9) Sponsor workshops or conferences with other Archdiocesan agencies; 10) Evaluate the activities of the Centre to ensure efficiency and effectiveness.