Marriage and family life have been a priority for our Conference for decades. Besides the pastoral plan on family ministry first issued in 1978, and reaffirmed in 1990, numerous statements, resources and initiatives have been offered over the years, including our national pastoral initiative on Marriage launched in 2005, and our pastoral letter on marriage in 2009. The recent synods, and Pope Francis’s Evangelii Gaudium and Amoris Laetitia, provide a significant opportunity to present a renewed pastoral plan on marriage and family life, to assist the many good efforts underway now in our dioceses and parishes and to advance the pastoral conversion called for by our Holy Father. First, a USCCB statement would be an important response to Amoris Laetitia, a fitting way to receive the exhortation at the national level and encourage a long-term appropriation and implementation. Second, a pastoral plan would encourage a broader reading of AL and seek to advance more conversation and engagement around strengthening marriage and family life. Third, It has been nearly 40 years since we developed a pastoral plan in this area. It’s time to take a new look...