Houston, TX – Statistics released at the recent meeting of the North American Secretariat of Worldwide Marriage Encounter show that 97 percent of the over 2000 respondents to a detailed survey indicate the experience was good to excellent.
The statistical data was collected over the past six months and also showed that 73 percent of the survey participants said the Worldwide Marriage Encounter weekend changed their relationship with the church and they decided to become more active in the church after their weekend.
“This information truly validates what leaders of Worldwide Marriage Encounter have believed for many years. The WWME weekend does change lives and marriages and the relationship couples have with the church,” said Jose & Marilyn Garcia and Fr. Mitch Walters, the North American Secretariat Ecclesial Team.
‘The results of the survey really give each of us so much hope for the Worldwide Marriage Encounter movement’s effectiveness in the church, and for what we are attempting to do in helping couples in good marriages attain better ones,” the ecclesial team members added.
Other statistics show that 90 percent of the survey respondents encouraged family members to attend a WWME weekend and 84 percent said that the program helped to keep their marriage healthy and vibrant.
Worldwide Marriage Encounter has been offering weekend experiences for over 40 years and is considered the original faith-based marriage enrichment program. It is continually updated to keep abreast of changes in society, and now offers evening and half-day programs that are presented at parishes. The weekend program, traditionally presented as an overnight experience at a hotel or retreat center, can also be presented at the parish where the couples return to their homes in the evenings. WWME has a presence in over 90 countries, which makes it the largest pro-marriage movement in the world. In North America, the WWME programs are presented in English, Spanish, French, and Korean languages.
Worldwide Marriage Encounter offers married couples the opportunity to spend time together away from the busyness of the world to focus on each other. It offers tools for building and maintaining a strong, Christian marriage in today’s world. To learn more about the Worldwide Marriage Encounter weekends online, go to www.wwme.org, or you can call 1-800-795-LOVE (English) and 1-800-599-AMOR (Spanish), or contact the WWME Office at (909) 863-9963.
The first combined North American Worldwide Marriage Encounter Convention for the United States and Canada was held Friday, June 25 to Sunday, June 27 in the Convention Center.
The weekend opened on Friday at 6:30 p.m. with a beach party and continued with a banner parade. The opening session was held at 8:45 p.m. with Jesuit Father Chuck Gallagher who began Worldwide Marriage Encounter more than 42 years ago.
Cana's New Wine for a New Age: Worldwide Marriage Encounter
• By Sonja Corbitt
• 6/16/2010
• Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)
NASHVILLE, TN (Catholic Online) - Cana is such a heady experience. The bride and groom step into the future with a new spouse, full of Cana's wine, sparkling with promise and hope, ready to be the happiest they will ever be. Quickly, however, they discover that first flavors and impressions of Cana reveal the vintage chalice of Christ, His special marriage gift decanted into their lives.
As it ages, this new marital wine is meant to expand and breathe within them, to sacramentally preserve and purify, enhancing and maturing them into the fragrance and flavor, the bouquet of Christ. What could be more thrilling, more intimidating, than discovering how to live more deeply in Christ through a sacramental relationship in the service of others?
A Heart for Marriage
In 1952, in an effort to nurture this sacramental richness of Marriage, a young Spanish priest began "presentations" for married couples. Father Gabriel Calvo traveled throughout Spain for ten years, offering what became known as "marriage teams of Pope Pious XII," conferences that taught couples how to dialogue more honestly, lovingly and effectively.
Offering his presentation in weekend retreat format, first in Barcelona, then throughout Spain as the movement grew and spread, Father Calvo and his team addressed the International Confederation of Christian Family Movements in Caracas in 1962, at which point the Weekend spread to Latin America and to Spanish speaking couples in the United States. It grew so rapidly that by the summer of 1968, 50 couples and 29 priests were presenting Weekends in the US, and differences of philosophy and method began to arise among the movement's leaders.
With its strong emphasis on marriage as a Sacrament of the Church and therefore a means of Her renewal, Worldwide Marriage Encounter retained the Catholic expression of Fr. Calvo's vision of such renewal through his Marriage Encounter ministry, while the National Marriage Encounter emerged to focus on non-Catholic or non-religious couples. Both continue today.
Worldwide Marriage Encounter
World Wide Marriage Encounter, however, has since expanded internationally, and Fr. Calvo's Weekend is currently a powerful evangelizing force in 88 countries, nurturing sacramental marital relationships and a lower divorce rate, and refreshing and strengthening the Church through the Sacraments of Marriage and Holy Orders.
WWME provides enrichment and ongoing support for couples and religious who are not in crisis. Through 44 hours of uninterrupted "alone-time" they are inspired and equipped to greater depth and intimacy through group presentations followed by private time for discernment and discussion.
By stripping away the distractions and tensions of everyday life, the WWME Weekend provides a quiet, meditative environment for couples to focus on one other and their relationship. Not a retreat, group therapy, or marriage counseling, WWME is, instead, a unique approach aimed at revitalizing Marriage on the earth, whether one's spouse is human or Divine.
Unique Approach
A Catholic priest is always present on a Worldwide Marriage Encounter experience, lending his own sacramental presence to couples and religious as they strive to live out fully intimate and holy marital relationships within the richness of Catholic experience and community.
Presenting couples are themselves in sacramental marriages and active in their Catholic faith and parishes, many as CCD educators, Eucharistic Ministers and Lectors. Together, they embrace participants wherever they are in their marital covenants and help them move toward more supportive and intimate relationships with their spouses.
An Ecclesial Movement, the Finger of God
As an ecclesial movement, Worldwide Marriage Encounter images God's plan for the the Sacraments of Marriage and Holy Orders as the basis of marriage, family, and society and a means of sanctity. It stresses the profound importance He places on them for renewal in the Church and the world.
Marriage or Holy Orders is a supreme, lifetime work requiring sacramental grace, and the families born through these relationships are the path to sanctity for those who choose them. Like wine, time alters the lifetime covenant, deepening it, softening its youthful bite, and encouraging the development of a more complex flavor, structure, and aroma.
The aromas of aged wines intertwine in a most intimate and complex manner; it is at the interface between wine and air that they are released. Similarly, it is the Holy Spirit's living action that releases His fragrance, intimacy and complexity in a sacramental marriage.
Pope John Paul II said, "I place much of my hope for the future in Worldwide Marriage Encounter." Perhaps he had already discerned that through this ecclesial movement the Holy Spirit was at work pouring out anew the ancient vintage of Cana upon His yearning Church, refreshing her weary palate and teaching her once again to appreciate the chalice of sacrificial love.
My husband Mike worked long hours. He would come home tired and not have any time to talk to me or listen to what I had to say. I felt that the only time he had for me was when he wanted to have sex. I started a new job and one of my supervisors started to flirt with me. One day after work, we had a drink and talked. He listened to me, and I felt understood. We started to talk on the phone daily, and I found myself getting my emotional needs met by this person who was not my husband.
In my selfishness, I allowed things to escalate, and I began to get my sexual needs met outside of the marriage as well. I did not have a relationship with God, but I still knew deep down inside that what I was doing was wrong. But I rationalized that I was destined for hell anyway so it didn’t matter.
Adultery is so destructive to a marriage. It completely breaks all trust and causes a ton of grief. I would look at my kids and cry because I knew it wasn’t just my husband I was hurting. I was also terrified that my secret was going to get out, and I didn’t know how I was going to hide it. Every time the phone would ring and my husband was home, I would panic and run to the phone to answer it. I was constantly on edge, as I would frequently check the answering machine and caller ID to see if my supervisor called. Every time I was intimate with my husband I would cry. I felt a lot of guilt and sadness. I felt sorry for him since he had no idea that I was being unfaithful. I felt dirty.
I confided in my friend who is a Christian. She reminded me often of Luke 12:3:
“What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs.”
Sure enough, the day came when Mike received a phone call from someone who heard that I was having an affair. When he confronted me, I denied it. I felt horrible inside as I tried to cover up one sin with another -- just making matters worse.
Five years after the affair, my friend invited me to a Bible study. It was about loving our husbands. As I sat there, the conviction set in, and it was more than I could handle. I came home and sat down with Mike. I told him I wanted to be a better woman, wife and mother. I looked him in the eye and confessed that I had had an affair five years ago. He was devastated, and my heart was broken for him.
I started to go to church with the kids in hopes of becoming a better person. I thought if I went to church, I could be strong enough to be faithful to my husband.
One day, Mike agreed to go to church with me. He enjoyed the message and expressed an interest in attending every Sunday. Five months later, Mike got a phone call from his best friend’s wife. She informed him that his best friend and I had been seeing each other for the past two months. My old ways had not changed. I’ve heard Joyce Meyer say that sitting in church doesn’t make a person a Christian anymore than sitting in a garage would make him a car. And it’s true. I was attending church services, but I did not have a real relationship with the Lord. I had broken my husband’s heart again…this time with his best friend. Any shred of trust he had in me was gone. I had to quit my job, remove myself from any tempting situation and concentrate on becoming a better person. Why was I consistently unfaithful to my husband? Why couldn’t I be a better wife?
I started to counsel with the pastor for about a month. I knew I had to stop doing the things that I was doing to ruin my marriage. I discovered that I needed to accept that my husband loved me for who I was. I also learned that I needed to love myself in order to love my husband. I came to the realization that if I wanted to change my life, I couldn’t do it alone. Willpower wasn’t enough to stop this destructive pattern in my marriage. We had been married eight years, and our whole marriage was constant fighting, bickering and no trust. I knew that I needed to acknowledge my sins and accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior.
The pastor came to my house to talk with Mike and ended up leading him to the Lord. Mike said that God had been knocking on the door of his heart for a while, but that he just wasn’t ready to let Him in before. That night, he finally gave his life to the Lord. I noticed the next day that my husband’s demeanor changed. It took a lot more to make him angry. He was calmer and more at peace.
We continued to go to church. Without the distraction of a job, I was able to focus on my marriage and my relationships with my children. Over time things started to get better and better, although there was still unforgiveness that needed to be dealt with. Mike was still holding on to some bitterness, and he didn’t have anyone to confide in and to be mentored by.
I began to pray that the Lord would bring a strong Christian couple into our lives to help Mike truly forgive me, so that we could press forward with our Christian walks. God answered my prayer, and we met a couple that told us about a marriage encounter that they were planning to attend. We had plans for that weekend to go to a body building competition, so we already had child care set up and money saved for it. Oddly, our friend who was going to compete got sick and had to pull out of the competition. I felt like God was opening the door for Mike and I to go to this marriage encounter. There were two spots left. By the time we called to reserve our spot, there was one spot left. That was further confirmation that it was meant to be.
We went on the marriage encounter, and we learned that we needed to leave all the secrets and unforgiveness there at the cross in order to move forward. The pastor talked about the importance of meeting each other’s emotional needs and how vital it is to the marriage not to let anything drive a wedge between us. We learned to quickly deal with issues and pray together to solidify our marriage. A really powerful part of the marriage encounter was when we went forward to a big wooden cross as a couple. We surrendered our marriage and our future to God. We accepted His forgiveness for the wrongs we have committed in the past. I sensed a peace and a safety that no matter what I had to tell Mike that night, it was going to be okay.
We spent hours that night crying and talking about all the things we had kept hidden up to this point in our marriage. We prayed together and asked God to strengthen our hearts and our marriage for our children. Mike asked God to help him truly forgive me for my unfaithfulness. The marriage encounter was the absolute turning point in our marriage. We became friends. And that is something we never were before. The healing and restoration that took place that weekend is supernatural and can ONLY be accomplished by God.
We renewed our vows that weekend. Although we have technically been married about ten years, we say that we have only been married one and a half years because when Christ came into our lives the old passed away and everything became new. I never knew that it was possible to love someone unconditionally the way that Mike and I love each other. I thank God daily for saving our marriage. I thank God for giving Mike the ability to overlook my faults and to love me as God loves me.
If anyone would like to inquire about attending a Marriage Encounter that Mike and I went to, it was held at New Beginnings Christian Church in Salem, Oregon. Their email address is: nbccsalem@qwest.net
Vickie Stemwedel
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Precious Testimonies Staff note: We are so thankful to Mike and Vickie for sharing this testimony. Shame and embarrassment would keep many from allowing a testimony like this to be put on the Internet. It takes great personal courage and a strong devotion to God ... and the things that are near and dear to God's heart - (like restoring "impossible" broken relationships, when the divorce option is so easy) - we believe, to do what they have done ... and although we have not had the privilege of meeting them personally, they certainly have our highest respect.
Having sexual and emotional intimacy outside of marriage with another is biblical grounds for divorce. Yet God never divorces us when we divorce Him. He's always willing to forgive and let the "marriage" be restored between us and Him.
If you happen to be in a marriage relationship right now that seems "impossible" to ever repair ... please know that NO marriage is impossible for God to restore ... if both people are willing to forgive each other, and look for God to rebuild trust, and reignite a Godly love for each other that only God can give. It may be a love of entirely different dimensions than what you've ever known ... but that makes no difference. Love is from God, and what God gives, is only good and healthy.
No condemnation meant here if you aren't able to get hold of God's grace in your troubled marriage. All we want to do is challenge you, and double challenge you ... to give God every chance to do a miracle in your marriage like Mike and Vickie allowed God to do in theirs. It is no more difficult for Jesus to heal a broken marriage than it is for Him to walk on water ... if both couples will reach out for the hand of Jesus to rescue them if they are drowning in pain in their marriage. Giving our personal rights ... our pain ... our mistrust of our spouse ... our weakness(s) of our spouse ... to Jesus -- are the ingredients He uses to effect the miracle.
KANSAS CITY — OK, so St. Valentine’s Day is another Catholic feast co-opted by secular society.
But to some 200 couples, it was more than cards, candy and flowers. They came to the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception Feb. 14, many of them with their children small and grown, to renew their vows at a World Marriage Day Mass concelebrated by Kansas City-St. Joseph Bishop Robert Finn and Kansas City, Kan., Archbishop Joseph Naumann.
The Mass also celebrated the 40th anniversary of Worldwide Marriage Encounter, a Catholic movement to strengthen marriages that offers four weekend retreats for couples a year in the Kansas City area....
Seven years into their marriage, Cathy and Jim Nielsen realized they had hit a plateau.
“We did not have a bad marriage, but we thought we could do a little better,” said Jim.
“Our marriage was a little stale,” Cathy agreed, adding that they were involved with their children, work, school and everything else at the expense of their marriage.
The tears in some couples' eyes reflected the emotion of the moment. Facing each other while holding hands, about 70 couples renewed their vows to love and honour each other all the days of their lives.
This was one of the concluding actions of World Marriage Day Feb. 14 - a day spent celebrating marriage and learning how to make it even better.
Worldwide Marriage Encounter, a ministry for married couples, and the archdiocesan Office of Marriage and Family Life sponsored the celebration, which is held around the world on the second Sunday of February each year to honour the lifetime commitment of husbands and wives. Organizers said the fact the event fell on St. Valentine's Day this year, made it all the more special.
Mary Ann and Michael Paul Swisher stood with about 200 other couples and marked Valentine’s Day by renewing their vows, an act meant to be both romantic and spiritual.
He said: “We see it as a way to show …”
Then she finished: “… our love.”
The Mass celebrated at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception on Sunday afternoon was intended to mark the 40th anniversary of the Catholic Church’s Worldwide Marriage Encounter program and World Marriage Day, an event that began in 1981 in Baton Rouge, La.
Read more: About 200 couples renew marriage vows at Mass on Valentine’s Day - KansasCity.com
(this article has been archived and is now only available for pay)
They decided to try something new through World Wide Marriage Encounter of Vermont, a weekend away to work on their marriage. “I didn’t want any part of that touchy-feely stuff,” Bob said, “but I went and what we found out was how much we really did love each other. It was pretty special.”
(this article is now archived and only available for pay)
In honor of the annual Catholic event honoring the sacrament of marriage and family, Worldwide Marriage Encounter and the Family Life/Respect Life Office of the Archdiocese of New York are putting the spotlight on spouses who have been married for 65 years or more.
Ten couples from New York are being honored this morning at a mass in St. Patrick's Cathedral, followed by a special reception.
George and Phyllis Timm fell in love in 1941 while playing opposite each other in a grade-school play. Bob and Marilyn Yawberg met in the church orchestra when she was 11 and he was 13. Valorie and Warren Colglazier made eye contact in Dr. Narramore's psychology class at Ball State in 1956, initiating a whirlwind courtship that ended in marriage later that year.