Through accompaniment and witness, Pope Francis is calling families to be a cornerstone for evangelisation in the world today. How do we help families become an encounter of God’s grace and love? Derek explains what a marriage catechumenate is, and discusses sustainable initiatives for strengthening and equipping couples and families.

Derek is a counsellor and director of the Centre for Life, Marriage and Family, an agency of the Archdiocese of Perth. He is a sessional lecturer for the University of Notre Dame (Fremantle) in the Discipline of Counselling. Derek is a member of the Australian Catholic Life, Marriage, and Family Council an advisory body of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference. He serves on the board of Fertility Education Australia. He is married to Karen and together they have nine children.