The Vatican has appointed alumna Mary Rose Verret (’04) and her husband, Ryan, as consultants to the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life. The Verrets, who are founders of the dynamic “Witness to Love” ministry, will collaborate with other experts and leaders from around the world in this new consultancy role, addressing contemporary challenges facing families, advocating for the sanctity of marriage and promoting the well-being of families within the church and society.
“It is a great honor to be entrusted with this role by Pope Francis,” the Verrets said. “We are committed to serving the church and contributing to the important work of the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life. Witness to Love has been a labor of love for us, and we look forward to extending our efforts to support families and marriages on a broader scale.”
The Verrets founded their marriage prep program in 2012. It pairs engaged couples with married couples in their respective parish communities to provide engaged couples with a model of sacramental marriage, and mentors who help them become involved in parish life. The ministry has spread to more than 500 parishes in four countries.
According to Mary Rose, her experiences at Christendom were integral to her starting the ministry. The formation she received and the community life she was a part of at Christendom shaped her view of marriage and helped her see the importance of being welcomed into a faith community, an integral aspect of Witness to Love.
“At Christendom, I had a really intense, concentrated, really impactful witness of the students and teachers,” said Verret. “I got to experience being in a community where everyone is focused on the same goal of getting to heaven and understanding the faith and learning together.”
In December, the Verrets were informed that they had been nominated for this new consultancy role. Recognizing the Verrets’ commitment to church teaching on family and marriage, Pope Francis invited them to contribute their insights and experiences as dicastery consultants to further the church’s mission of supporting and strengthening families worldwide. The Verrets are the only North American married couple appointed to this dicastery and they will serve a five-year term.
They will follow in the footsteps of Christendom College President Timothy O’Donnell, who was named an adviser to the dicastery, then called the Pontifical Council for the Family, in 2002 by Pope John Paul II. His advisory role was later renewed by Pope Benedict XVI and by Pope Francis.
Find out more
Go to Witnesstolove.org.
