"Marriage is a sacrament of service and love, one that changes and challenges us and turns us into saints. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that marriage, 'helps to overcome self-absorption, egoism, pursuit of one's own pleasure, and to open oneself to the other, to mutual aid and to self-giving.' (CCC 1609) After the fall, and with our own weaknesses and temptations, this kind of growth requires intentional effort and support. I encourage you to seek out marriage enrichment resources to aid you in this journey and to look for opportunities to help and deepen the marriages of those around you."
Promoter of Vocations
Worldwide Marriage Encounter
Worldwide Marriage Encounter is a weekend for married Christian couples who value their relationship and desire a richer, fuller life together. Attend a Marriage Encounter weekend and learn the tools needed to keep your marriage strong. The emphasis of Worldwide Marriage Encounter is on communication between husband and wife, who spend a weekend together away from the distractions and the tensions of everyday life, to concentrate on each other. It's not a retreat, nor a marriage clinic, nor group sensitivity. It's a unique approach aimed at revitalizing Christian Marriage. This is a time for you and your spouse to be alone together. To rediscover each other and together focus on your relationship for an entire weekend. Every marriage deserves that kind of attention!
- Rediscover the spark that was there on your wedding day!
- Rediscover the best friend you had when you were first married!
- Join the millions of couples worldwide who have learned how to keep their marriage vibrant and alive!
For more information about Worldwide Marriage Encounter or to find an upcoming weekend, please visit www.stl-wwme.org.
Building a Eucharistic Marriage
Building a Eucharistic Marriage is a 7-part online video series that connects 7 areas for therapeutically strengthening your marriage with 7 areas of deepening your relationship with Christ through the Eucharist. There are options for couples who want to purchase an individual copy for home use or for parishes who would like to purchase a license for running the video series at their parish. The Parish License comes with a leaders' guide, unlimited participant guides, as well as advertising options and participant discounts on their own copy of the program.
If your parish is interested in learning more about Building a Eucharistic Marriage date nights, please contact Gracie Ortiz, Marriage and Family Life Specialist at 217-321-1124 or gortiz@dio.org to learn more.
To bring Building a Eucharistic Marriage to your parish, just click on the link below:
https://program.eucharisticmarriage.org/courses/BAEM-parish?coupon=SpringfieldIlDiocese1
click on the "Buy Now" button and plug in the discount code SpringfieldILDiocese1
Discovering Our Deepest Desire
Discovering our Deepest Desire is a curriculum designed for all couples, from those with strong marriages to those who are struggling. Designed by marriage therapist, Greg Schutte, LISW-S, it is built off of a therapeutic model for change. Infused with Scripture, Catechism, marriage enrichment skills, as well as concepts from the Theology of the Body, the classes are designed to be interactive, informative, and fun. Written in 2013, the marriage curriculum has been implemented in numerous churches. The program works to build marriage teams in parishes while presenting the enrichment curriculum to couples. The DODD curriculum can be presented over 12 sessions, 7 sessions, or an extended weekend.
For more information, please visit Discovering Our Deepest Desire | Catholic Marriage Enrichment