Participants in the town hall could ask questions and answer several poll questions about how they practice the Catholic faith.
One caller asked Alvare about advice for her situation, where four adults in her home have different political views.
"There's so much information you don't know what to believe," the caller from Whittier, Calif. said.
"This should not be political but it has come political," she said. "We're all over the place with information. It's confusing, it's stressful. We're arguing over what is real, not real, what is true news, what is not true news. It's messed up."
Alvare replied that while one cannot dismiss politics as unimportant without proving further disagreement, you can say something like "there is a lot of misinformation on both sides" and "it would be a shame if politics gets in the way of family." She suggested acknowledging that there are big questions that a family won't be able to solve, but families should realize "we were given to one another in some particular way."
"Our children were given to us. It was not to argue about politics. It was to love and care for one another," she said. "Don't let it divide us."
In her remarks Christina Lamas, executive director of the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry, suggested parents reflect on the question "What kind of faith do you want your children to have 30 years from now?" She also had another question for parents: "Knowing what you know now, thinking 30 years into this future, what would you like to be remembered?"
Lamas' own mother did everything possible to nurture a religious vocation in Lamas and her sister. While her mother's desire was not fulfilled, Lamas said, "I give thanks to my mom for that desire. The seed that she planted in my heart allows me to have a strong relationship with Christ right now."
Holiness is found in the family, a "domestic church," with parents "the first teachers of the faith," through their words, their actions and examples, said Lamas
With many families now forced to communicate remotely, Lamas stressed the importance of reaching out to family members, including those who are not necessarily devout. She herself took a risk and encouraged everyone to gather together to pray and to connect. They all responded positively to the idea, and the family now has a Bible study every Sunday even though they live on different coasts.
"It's a beautiful experience to see each other break open the Scriptures, and to turn to a six-year-old, or a five-year-old, and be catechized by them. They have an entirely different way of looking at things. It moves us to know that this is how we are passing on the faith," said Lamas.
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In addition to Bible study, her family members play games like Simon Says and Bingo over internet video. Technology provides "ways to connect and interact that we haven't done before," she said.
Lamas asked parents to ask how their families continue to embrace their faith and welcome Christ into their families. When epidemic restrictions are lifted, they should think how parishes can support this "domestic church."
According to Lamas, families should "nurture faith in homes so that they can share it outwards, evangelizing so that Christ can be known to others as Christ has been revealed to us."
Archbishop Gomez addressed a question on reopening churches for Mass.
"We want to do it as soon as possible but our main concern is the protection of our brothers and sisters," he said, citing the importance of the advice of public health experts. He counseled patience and the need to pray to God to end the threat.
Those who have time should "really take advantage of this moment" and think how they can be "true disciples" faithful to their vocation, the archbishop said. "What is our call? What is our vocation?" he asked.