Declaration aligns with month dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
By Corbin Hubbell
Social media coordinator
Governor Jim Pillen signed a proclamation June 3 designating June 2026 as Marriage and Family Month in the state of Nebraska, calling the family unit “the most important thing that we have” during a ceremony held at the State Capitol in Lincoln.
Surrounded by representatives from the Catholic Diocese of Lincoln, the Nebraska Catholic Conference, the Nebraska Family Alliance, and other faith-based organizations, Pillen read the full text of the proclamation before signing, departing from his usual practice of offering just a summary.
“Usually, I’ll do a proclamation and do a couple paragraphs,” he told those in attendance, “but this one’s really important.”
The proclamation declares that a family consisting of a husband, wife, and their children is “God’s design for the family structure and has been the foundation of every society since the creation of the world.” It also cites research connecting two-parent households with improved physical and emotional outcomes for children, and warns that weakening family structures allow governments to compensate through “costly, inferior policy approaches” such as broadened welfare systems, schools assuming roles that belong to parents, and expanded law enforcement interventions with juveniles.
Pillen tied the proclamation to the nation’s upcoming 250th anniversary, saying that “growing, strengthening, and empowering families is critical to the next 250 years, both for our state and for our incredible country.”
In his remarks, the governor reflected on the importance of fighting for traditional values even when it feels uncomfortable, and recalled the wisdom of the former Nebraska football coach Tom Osborne, who witnessed firsthand how family breakdown affected the young men he recruited over three decades.
“Coach Osborne could write a book on his days of recruiting from the 60s and what evolved through in 30 years.” Some of the things Osborne saw were “very, very discomforting because of the breakup of the family,” Pillen said.
“The basis of raising healthy and productive kids is from our family structure,” Pillen said. “And love conquers all.”
Marion Miner, associate director of pro-life and family policy at the Nebraska Catholic Conference praised the governor for the proclamation.
“The Governor’s proclamation of June 2026 as ‘Marriage and Family Month’ for the state of Nebraska, which celebrates those virtues, is commendable and encouraging. I think it is also fitting that this occurs in the same month always dedicated for Catholics to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, from whom we draw strength and in whom all these virtues and gifts are perfected and brought to fulfillment,” he said.
The governor urged all Nebraska citizens to “take due notice” of the proclamation throughout the month of June.
For Nebraska Catholics, the state’s proclamation offers a civic reflection of the liturgical calendar, said Megan Kruse, communications and outreach specialist for the Nebraska Catholic Conference.
Catholic theology teaches that the family is the “domestic church,” she explained, “meaning the home is meant to be a living sanctuary where the selfless, patient, and unconditional love of Christ’s heart is shown daily.”
“By dedicating June to both the civic celebration of marriage and family and the spiritual devotion to the Sacred Heart, Nebraska families can use the month to renew their domestic church, pray together, and boldly witness to the beauty of God’s design for family life in the public square,” she said.
Bishop James Conley is scheduled to consecrate the Diocese of Lincoln to the Sacred Heart of Jesus Friday, June 12, at 7 p.m. in the Cathedral of the Risen Christ in Lincoln. All are invited to attend.
SNR photos | Corbin Hubbell
