Diocese Offers Two Marriage-preparation Programs
My wife and I have been married for 22 years, and the journey has definitely had its share of joy and sorrow. People often will equate marriage with a rollercoaster, and I understand the analogy; but true Catholic marriage speaks to something much deeper. It is true that marriage consists of anticipation, excitement, climbing over hills, some gut-wrenching free-falls and no lack of emotion; but true Catholic marriage reaches past this topical plane and connects much deeper to one’s purpose in life. It is through the Sacrament of Marriage that a very large portion of the population connects to God in their vocations. This is not something to be taken lightly.
We have all seen or heard various statistics related to marriage, and we can parse those stats while we shake our heads and lament of some dreamy day gone by. Possibly a better use of our time may be to look at the various aspects of our marriages and families, and do an inventory.
Do we pray together? Do we interact well? Do we speak to one another kindly? Do we have shared goals for the future?
The list goes on, but you get the point. Once we inventory our own marriages, we might find the desire to support other marriages. We might find the desire to support new marriages or certain aspects of marriage such as grief or supporting empty nesters. There are many ways to do this – individually, at the parish level and at the diocesan level.
The Diocese of Evansville helps engaged couples prepare for marriage through two specific programs. One is the Sponsor Couple program. This is when married couples at the parish level are paired up with engaged couples, meeting with them over the course of several weeks to discuss various areas and topics that will be experienced during marriage. The other is the Unveiledweekend retreats. There are three weekend retreats per year, which allows for larger groups of engaged couples to reflect on their upcoming marriages in a retreat format.
Saint Pope John Paul II said in a homily (Perth, Australia 1986) that the “family is the domestic Church.’ He went on to say that the family is the “first and vital cell of society.” Take a moment to think about the meaning of those two quotes, and then think about what happens when those two aspects of our society are missing because we do not have strong, Catholic, vibrant marriages and families.
There is a lot of data to suggest the decrease in Catholic sacramentality over the past several decades. Strong and vibrant Catholic marriages and families are powerful antidotes. Get involved. Make a difference.
Want to get involved with the Sponsor Couple program? Want to get involved with the Unveiled program? Do you have an idea for program or project related to marriage and family? Do you want more information regarding how you can have a positive impact on your marriage and those around you? Please do not hesitate to email me at egirten@evdio.org.
Our next UNVEILED RETREAT is February 16-17. For information on how to register, email me or go to: https://www.ccevansville.org/marriage-preparation.html.
Eric Girten is the Coordinator of Family and Life Programs for the Diocese of Evansville.
