2021 marked the first year of operations for Catholic Family Life. It also saw Catholic Family Life operating within the Covid-19 pandemic. Against that backdrop, Catholic Family Life carried on with its business of fully and successfully integrating the operations of both the Family Life Society and the Archdiocesan Commission for the Family and the novation of all of their programmes and services to Catholic Family Life.
During the year, Catholic Family Life continued to provide comprehensive marital and family therapy, child and adolescent therapy, pro-bono counselling, and pregnancy crisis and support services. Further to our mission to empower and form families through our talks and programmes, Catholic Family Life also helmed a series of seminars during the Catholic200SG Festival Talks. In the month of December, our befrienders organised the 9-day Novena and Feast Day devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe. Other highlights of the year included our bespoke Made for More programme that we ran for several parishes and for the public.
Love is shown more in
deeds than in words
~ St. Ignatius of Loyola
The past year also saw Catholic Family Life participating as one of the lead organisations in the Catholic200SG year-long celebrations and the 8-day Festival, such as leading one of the many nation-wide intercessory prayer sessions; organizing the inaugural Family Conference which was conducted over two days in a virtual format; and showcasing our affiliates through family-centric talks during the Catholic200SG Festival Talks, Organisation Meet and the Virtual Organisation Fair held in December 2021.
I am heartened to see the commitment and passion exhibited by our management and staff in delivering these services and programmes to the community whom we serve.
Governance being one of our remits, Catholic Family Life embarked on a BoardPulse review conducted by the Centre for Non-Profit Leadership and the National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre. Designed to boost the leadership and capability of the Board, processes of the Board were fortified and our compliance protocols validated, all of which will help drive the strategic direction of the Board in the coming years.
To our befrienders, donors, volunteers and friends, a very big thank you for your devotion and selfless giving of your time, expertise and donations to support our causes. We also deeply value our associates and affiliates and will continue to support and build on our relationship with each of them. As St Ignatius of Loyola once said, “Love is shown more in deeds than in words”, Catholic Family Life will continue to expand its suite of services and programmes to form, empower and restore individuals, couples and families in every stage of life in order to reflect and amplify the love of God to those around us.
God bless.
Kevin Kwek
Board Chairman 2021