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After Divorce: A SmartCatholics Online Event

October 10-11 | Divorce is a source of pain and confusion for many Catholics. It shouldn’t be! You’re invited to the After Divorce Online Conference for answers, hope, & community. Together, we’re helping the divorced dream again!
October 10-11, 2020
Range of Catholic Experts
Live & Recorded Video
All Access
$25
- Unlock all the videos to access any time
- Download MP3 audio files of all the talks
- Get bonus replays from live sessions
Questions? Leave a comment! →
You CAN be Catholic, divorced and happy.
On October 10-11, 2020, the After Divorce Online Conference launched a community around a range of expert speakers and guides for you.
It is presented by certified coach and retreat leader, Rose Sweet. Join us to grow your confidence in truth, affirm your faith in God, and revive your belief in a good life.
Let God in – and let the dreams begin!

Welcome Letter from Rose
What does it mean to be Catholic… and divorced?
Divorce is a hard road to travel. Among Catholics, it’s an even trickier topic to discuss. Too often, conversation around divorce is as bitter and acrid as the experience itself.
The After Divorce Online Community is here to change that.
We promise that clarity is possible – without forsaking charity.
We also promise that living by religious principles doesn’t mean we can’t live with hope and joy. Light and love are at the end of the tunnel.
Church teachings and the sacred truth of Scripture will lead the way in the talks and discussions After Divorce presents.
Hurting? Hear inspiring stories of happy and holy saints ‘after divorce’ to renew your hope. Hesitant? Get wisdom and guidance from pastors, counselors, and support group leaders.
You’ll learn about products and programs geared to specific concerns of persons going through divorce.
Discussion groups and coaching sessions will bring opportunities for everyone to be seen, heard, and understood.
All are welcome, whether newly divorced, years past a divorce, or concerned friends and family.
If divorce is affecting you or someone you love, register today for peace, purpose, and a practical path to the abundant life.
Looking forward to seeing you there,
Rose Sweet
Get access to advice and inspiration on a host of topics ranging from the practical to the theoretical, including such questions as:
- How do I trust anyone again?
- What effect will this have on my children?
- How do I bring my children safely through?
- Where is God in this situation?
- What steps do I take to start over?
- How do I pursue legal justice?
- Can I receive the sacraments?
- What do I do with my sexuality?
- How do I keep faith, hope, and charity alive?
- What are the best ways to support the divorced?
- What does forgiveness mean?
“. . .hope does not disappoint us.” (Rom. 5:5)
Welcome friend!
Our Catholic Faith is smart, beautiful, and actually makes life more exciting!
But too few of us know about this smart heritage, or the real-life impact Christ is having on the world today.
Most of all, we need friends on this sacred pilgrimage called ‘life’.
If this is your first time hearing about SmartCatholics, here’s what we believe: when Catholics understand our Faith in the modern world, we experience greater personal joy, and confidence in sharing the good news. Read the About Page to learn more!
We need smart Catholics…
We all work hard to be 100% Catholic. That means we’re a mission Church, united to Pope Francis’ call to bring the joy of the Gospel to every corner of the world – starting with ourselves.
Catholic brands we love:
Dominic de Souza is your founder and host, a young dad with a small family and a smaller corgi, passionate about all things Catholic, watching movies, and reading the mystics.
Why you should join this community:
We need somewhere online that’s ours, where we can
- Uplift and inspire each other, and make new friends
- Swap stories and ideas (not just advice!)
- Be free of toxicity, trolls, and ads. (Bye bye, Facebook. We love you, but…)
When you join, you’ll get to dip in and out of discussions whenever you want.
Each time we host a new event, you’re welcome to join.
Sometimes we’ll host workshops. Or firesides.
But most exciting is this – the veterans and new voices that you meet in the events are sticking around. They’ll host group chats, share tips, and accompany your journey.
Because we need more than just information. We need insights we can trust. We need friendship to help us live lives of hope and meaning.
Who this group is not for:
For any community to mean something and take action, there must be focus. And our community exists for a clear goal: unity, friendship, and formation.
Pope Francis is a source of unity for us. Please don’t enter if you reject Pope Francis and the 2nd Vatican Council, thrive on impending apocalyptic prophecies, polarized politics, and constant argument.
There are plenty of other groups out there for you! Discussion on all topics is welcome, but bad manners aren’t. Ever. Offenders are warned or removed. God love you!
"I wanted to see what [SmartCatholics] was about, as I love being Catholic and all about Catholicism."
“I was actually surprised at the warmth and spirituality of the messages and people on it. It’s keeping me closer to God.
I used to always go on Facebook but now it’s very shallow compared to SC. So I think it’s providence me being on SC! It’s what I’ve been searching for and has brought me home!”
Paula E.
"I have been doing a ton of poking around on Smart Catholics today and this is what I see. "
“We are all united in Christ with many different abilities that make this platform beautiful. We have the recruiters, prayer warriors, counselors, technicians, comforters, teachers, and students.
“Many different branches coming and going back to the main source just like the Celtic symbol… Dominic, you have created something beautiful.”
Melinda K.
"This initiative is really cool
“I am impressed by the quality and range of discussion and the app is quite versatile and user friendly. Keep going; this is a contemporary way to engage Catholics to come forward! Awesome work!” Adam P.
Meet the Speakers
Press a face to learn more.
Meet Your Hosts
Would you like to sponsor this event? Learn more →

Support a Catholic mission
This event is supporting ‘Select to Give’
Select to Give was founded in 2014, by Select International Tours, Inc. as a not-for-profit 501 c (3) Foundation with the intent of helping Christians of the Holy Land and the Middle East stay in their homelands with freedom to worship, be educated and work in a safe and healthy environment.

They are a fabulous group and support Christians in the Holy Land! – Rose Sweet, Presenter
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get audio files?
Yes. Everyone who purchases an access pass will get a folder of audio files to keep.
How can I watch the videos?
The videos will be sent to the email you registered with. You’ll be able to watch them for free during the 7 days before the live event.
I can’t attend the event. Will there be replays?
Yes, all the recordings will be stored in a beautiful, on-demand library that you can watch any time.
Access the replays is $10 a month. Everyone who purchases a full access pass gets a 100% free coupon to the collection.
The replays will be stored on parousiaondemand.com
Can I meet and chat with the speakers?
Yes, we will have live events, workshops, and Q&As during the live part of this event.
Is there a community?
Yes, this event is launching an ongoing group within the SmartCatholics community, here for you for years to come. Get formation, feedback, answers, and new friends!

Join the Community
Watch the videos, and then enter the ‘After Divorce’ community. We look forward to supporting and listening to your journey.
Is the focus on newly divorced or those who’ve been divorced for a number of years, or both? Will you be addressing survivors of abuse and their journey to freedom in Christ? Single parenting? Annulments? How to unite suffering with Christ? How to successfully raise kids in the Faith through and after divorce?
Hi Katherine; based on the comments we receive, we will try to cover as much as possible! There will not be a single focus as there are so many wounds associated with divorce. All that you listed will be included. Blessings!!
Discerning marriage after divorce. Once bitten…
We’re looking to help bring clarity and charity around these concerns. 🙂
Hi P – I am reminded of Professor Harold Hill’s song in The Music Man, “The Smarter But Wiser Girl for Me…” It’s a tough place to be, for sure, and we want to help you and others be in that place, listen to your heart, not check your brains at the door, and not go crazy. Good friends, help…right? xo
Those who are content and happy with being single and enjoying “me”for the first time in my life.
You bring up such a good point! Living alone can help one see where there was previous imbalance. 🙂
Most important for me is receiving holy communion after divorce and what is the process of annulment? Please give us links where we can get the correct traditional pre Vatican II answers. Thank.
Hi Ana. If you are not in the state of any grave unconfessed mortal sin, you may receive Holy Communion. Being civilly divorced, in itself, is not a reason to stay away from Jesus in the sacrament. However, it’s always a good idea to make a thorough examination of conscience, and make a good confession first. If you need further guidance, you can contact me at rosesweet.com.
When our event goes live, we will be providing lots of helpful information on Annulment ( Declaration of Nullity).Bless you!!
I’m a recent convert to the Catholic faith after 40 years of being an Evangelical Christian. Happily married 13 years to my second wife and now practicing celibacy until the annulment of my first marriage goes through and I can be confirmed and have our marriage convalidated. Becoming Catholic is one of the hardest and most complicated processes I’ve ever had to go through in my life. And it pains me that if my annulment doesn’t go through, I will never be able to be confirmed or take part in any sacraments and will need to live my life in… Read more »
Whoa, Eric! What a powerful witness you have shared. In an age where most of us want a faith that is easy, you have taken up a manly cross! I know many who have been in your situation; once they were convinced of the abundant graces that would be gained by convalidation–on both of you–they went for it. As a woman, I can attest to the huge growth in trust that will happen in your beloved’s heart when she watches you take the high road (Via Dolorosa), “carry your cross, fall three times, and undergo crucifixion”. That makes every woman… Read more »
Great idea.
Looking to not hurt my divorced and anticipating-divorce friends. I hope to gain empathy as well as point them towards God through the hurt.
Hi Nicole. What a beautiful friend you are. I trust you’ll find some good info when the event goes live. In the meantime, this is some of what I have learned in many years in this ministry, including hearing the “confessions” through the intimate revelations in the annulment process. 1 – Even the person in a marriage may not have known what was in the heart of the other. I’ve learned to never judge or make assumptions even when we THINK we know. 2 – Even when the other spouse seems completely incapable and shut down (and “gone”), encourage your… Read more »
Tell us how to help the children of all ages torn by divorce– littles, first confession kids, Confirmation teens, single adults, parents (and in-law parents) and grandparents.
Great question. Our speakers, Lynn and Anne will be addressing some of these as both are adult children of divorce. The biggest wounds to kids are fear of abandonment, inability to trust, fear they have to navigate their own life now, becoming a caretaker of the parent, and projecting the parental weakness (now exposed) onto God. You can imagine how these, becoming habitual ways of seeing self and others and the world, can impede healthy relationships and future marriages. Some will fear and avoid marriage and commitment. Some will take a neediness and constant fear of abandonment into it with… Read more »
I will be moving the weekend of Oct 10, 11th and want to be able to access the retreat. Which plan would be best for me to access when I am available?
You will be able to watch a selection of the talks in the week ahead of the event. If you wish to have all the replays, you can purchase the $25 – that gets you into the group and all the replays included. If you opt for the $10 plan, you can start a 30 day free trial of the ondemand video library to watch the replays whenever you wish. Hope this helps!
Hello: I am registered for this event. I will be able to attend the live sessions on Oct. 10 but I won’t be available for the live sessions on Oct. 11. Will these live sessions be recorded to watch afterwards? I believe I am registered for the free conference but I am considering joining. Will there be any talks about incest/sexual abuse and the emotional/psychological consequences of that during and after divorce?
Hi Carole, the live talks will be recorded, and available as replays afterwards. The Q&As are group chats, and won’t be recorded. Specific questions like yours are welcome to be shared with the speakers – we don’t have any talks specifically on that issue.
Thank you, Dominic. I have begun watching the presentations. I am glad to know that I will still be able to watch the live replays. Thank you! God bless.
Hi Carole, thanks for joining us! Yes, we’ll add the replays to the library, and you can then start your 30day free trial to watch them. Or, if you purchase the $25 pass, I’ll send you a code to get the whole collection for free.
Hi Carole; yes, as Dominic indicated, you are welcome to bring that up in a group chat or one of the live sessions with Q & A. Sadly, it’s a real issue and more common than most would like to admit. If you need some specific support and direction in that area, you can always contact me: rose@rosesweet.com.
Thank you, Rose. I appreciate being able to contact you personally. I am having a hard time letting go of certain things that happened. I am grateful for this conference and for all the information and support you will all be bringing in these presentations. Thank you and God bless.
((( hug )))