Divorce and Annulment

These pages were written by one hand and many hearts ... by separated spouses faithful to the sacrament because they are convinced this total gift of self is not an anachronism imposed by the Church to be accepted with patient resignation, but a path of sanctification lived out in the joyous paradox of the Gospel. This book, besides offering numerous points for reflection on the theme of separation, proposes a true and proper path subdivided into stages for groups of people who, living with the suffering of a spouse's separation, wish to remain faithful to the sacrament of their marriage. Among the many suggested prayers and meditations, one in particular, the renewal of the "I Do", has captured the attention of many churches both at home and abroad. The "Marriage Vows Renewal," included in the last stage, is publicized by the Pontifical Council of the Family. An imprimatur has been given to the book by Biishop Richard G. Lennon. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops published a recommendation for the book on their Marriage Resource Center: "The greatest strength of Campanella's book is her articulation of the vocation of the separated person to live out his or her marriage vows as a particular witness of God's eternal love for fallen humanity, and the practical path she offers to the realization of this call. Although she does not include personal details of her own situation, it is apparent that Campanella has walked this path herself. This imbues a sense of hope and inspiration to the reader."

Pocket-sized prescriptions for symptoms resulting from divorce

Often those who suffer the "heart attack" of divorce fail to follow a plan to recovery. They allow the build-up of bitterness to continue to clog emotional arteries. Just as the cardiologist orders heart medication, divorce recovery needs a prescribed course of action-rest, medication, and changes in routine or daily diet.

Healing the Divorced Heart offers pocket-sized prescriptions for various symptoms that come as a result of divorce. Rose Sweet invites those who have been damage by divorce to take their spiritual temperature and examine emotional x-rays. The book is full of practical advice, encouragement, and hope centered on daily doses of God's Word.

Seventy now-adult children of divorce give their candid and often heart-wrenching answers to eight questions (arranged in eight chapters, by question), including: What were the main effects of your parents' divorce on your life? What do you say to those who claim that "children are resilient" and "children are happy when their parents are happy"? What would you like to tell your parents then and now? What do you want adults in our culture to know about divorce? What role has your faith played in your healing? Their simple and poignant responses are difficult to read and yet not without hope. Most of the contributors--women and men, young and old, single and married--have never spoken of the pain and consequences of their parents' divorce until now. They have often never been asked, and they believe that no one really wants to know. Despite vastly different circumstances and details, the similarities in their testimonies are striking; as the reader will discover, the death of a child's family impacts the human heart in universal ways.