When should Goldilocks marry?

By Francine & Byron Pirola | July 30, 2015 |
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Almost everyone has an opinion about the optimum age to marry – usually heavily influenced by their own happy or unfortunate history. But what does the research tell us? A recent study by Nicholas Wolfinger (USA) and reported in the Institute of Family Studies (here) challenges the common perception that divorce incidence decreases with age…

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The Soul Mate Quest

By Francine & Byron Pirola | May 1, 2015 |
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Chasing ‘Happily Ever After’ It sounds so romantic: ‘Destiny’ has each of us perfectly matched with someone with whom we will form an instant rapport. All we need to do is find that special someone and bliss will surely follow. All our heartache, all our problems will be history as we lose ourselves in the…

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Is it time to change our views of adultery and marriage?

By Agi Reefman | February 5, 2015 |

Originally posted in New Hope Talks by Agi Reefman A Huffington Post blog post by Lisa Haisha has sparked some discussion about monogamy and marriage. Lisa writes that seeing as recent studies show that 41 percent of spouses admit to infidelity (either physical or emotional) maybe we should ask, “Are we really supposed to be…

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St Valentine’s Day 2015

By Guest Author | January 22, 2015 |

This post is reposted from The Australian Catholic Marriage & Family Council In 2010, the Bishops Commission for Pastoral Life launched the St Valentine’s Day initiative. We are delighted to offer you our 2015 edition which continues our ongoing desire to use the innate joyfulness of the feast of St Valentine to promote and affirm…

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The Wisdom of a Prenup??!

By Francine & Byron Pirola | January 21, 2015 |

Recently, we’ve been reflecting on prenuptial agreements and we think there’s some merit to them. Gasp! Surely, they can’t be serious you think. Can they really be suggesting something that so conspicuously undermines the sacred meaning of Catholic marriage? Actually we are, but not the stereotypical kind of prenuptial agreement between a wealthy aging male…

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Five Ways To Help A Struggling Marriage

By Francine & Byron Pirola | January 19, 2015 |
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We’ve all been in that situation. A friend or relative confides in us that they are having some marriage trouble. We want to help but knowing what to do that is genuinely helpful is tricky. Here are a few tips to keep in mind. Use your best listening skills: give your full attention, validate the…

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24/7 Connected

By Francine & Byron Pirola | January 12, 2015 |

Our young adult son is in a blue funk. He and his flatmates have been unable to get the internet connected to their new place for over 4 weeks. They’ve all maxed out their mobile phone plans and to hear them talk you would think it was a major offence against their human rights. We…

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