{"id":164601,"date":"2025-03-06T05:00:41","date_gmt":"2025-03-06T10:00:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.regnumchristi.com\/en\/?p=164601"},"modified":"2025-03-07T13:45:34","modified_gmt":"2025-03-07T18:45:34","slug":"first-fruits-a-brand-new-apostolate-to-guide-new-parents-in-living-gods-plan-for-the-family","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.regnumchristi.com\/en\/first-fruits-a-brand-new-apostolate-to-guide-new-parents-in-living-gods-plan-for-the-family\/","title":{"rendered":"First Fruits: A Brand-New Apostolate to Guide New Parents in Living God\u2019s Plan for the Family"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Kathleen Conklin has always had an apostolic heart, and has always been called to mission. As a new mother raising her own young family with her husband, Don, she began looking for Catholic organizations where she could both give of her time and receive formation, where families like hers could come and receive support. Eventually, with her degree in education, Kathleen started her own preschool and a business called Perfect Playhouse, a place where families could gather and play together, complete with ball pits and giant slides, but still she felt like something was missing.<\/p>\n

Soon after, Kathleen encountered Regnum Christi and the Legionaries of Christ, and heard of a new family initiative being developed in Texas. In response to this personal call to the mission of the family, and in a giant leap of faith, Kathleen and her husband moved their family from Michigan to Texas to work with Catholic Kids Net, and eventually launched K4J (Kids for Jesus), a large apostolate for children and families which ran for 20 years and reached tens of thousands of families across North America.<\/p>\n

Through her work with K4J, Kathleen discovered a deep love for vocations. \u201cLooking back, I realized that in K4J, we helped children discover their own mission while also encouraging parents to embrace their vocation to marriage and family life and to remain open to God\u2019s plan for their child.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As the Advancement Director for Sacred Heart Apostolic School\u2014a pre-seminary high school in Rolling Prairie, Indiana, where young men discern a vocation to the priesthood, and where her son, Fr. Ronald Conklin, LC, serves as rector\u2014Kathleen once again felt a tug at her heart. She sensed a renewed call to continue the mission of the family that had inspired her years ago and to develop a program that would accompany new parents in being open and generous toward God\u2019s plan for their families and their lives.<\/p>\n

Motivated by this call and the needs of the family and the Church today, Kathleen and her team have developed First Fruits<\/span><\/a>, a brand-new Catholic apostolate that offers small-group experience designed for parents in the early stages of parenting. Like-minded parents will gather monthly six times a year for two years in a supporting faith-centered community, exploring the plan God has already written deep within their hearts.<\/p>\n

Following the teachings of the Church, First Fruits compiles 12 Guiding Principles of family life. Participants will enjoy meeting together, forming friendships, and finding the support and community they need during the challenging life stage of early parenthood. In First Fruits, they will find a strong community of families who live a vibrant Catholic family life and embrace the universal call to holiness.<\/p>\n

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\u201cGod created us for love right in the family, and faith begins at home,\u201d says Kathleen. \u201cWhat we do in First Fruits is teach parents the basic principles that they need to allow for God to enter in and become a part of who they are as a family, to really welcome him in, and how that translates into their daily lives.\u201d<\/p>\n

Over two years, parents will discover the 12 Guiding Principles of First Fruits:<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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YEAR 1<\/span><\/h5>\n

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