What Our Committee Does

The Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life, and Youth (LMFLY) assists the bishops, both collectively and individually, in advancing the vocation and mission of the lay faithful, of married couples and families, lay ecclesial ministers, and of young people. Through an emphasis on the articulation and application of anthropological and theological principles, founded on magisterial teaching, the committee assists the bishops as they promote a culturally diverse Church, the evangelization, faith formation and public witness of these persons, leading them toward a deeper commitment to Christ and his Church so as to transform culture and society.

Committee Mandate

Current Committee members, consultants, and staff

New National Pastoral Framework for Ministries with Youth and Young Adults

The Catholic bishops of the United States approved a National Pastoral Framework for Ministries with Youth and Young Adults entitled Listen, Teach, Send, which was brought to the body of bishops by the Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth in June 2024. This document is the U.S. response to Pope Francis' 2019 exhortation on young people, Christus Vivit, and addresses the concerns of youth, young adults, families, and pastoral ministers across the country.

Read the Listen, Teach, Send document here.

Check out the Listen, Teach, Send resources here.

Read the USCCB press release report here.

Pastoral Framework for Marriage and Family Life

Called to the Joy of Love was developed by the Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life, and Youth of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). It was approved by the USCCB at its June 2021 Plenary Assembly. The framework is intended to assist dioceses as local pastoral planning and implementation continue to take place since the publication of the 2016 apostolic exhortation on the family, Amoris Laetitia.

Read Called to the Joy of Love in English here.

Read Llamados a la Alegría del Amor in Spanish here.

Check out the Called to the Joy of Love resources here.