|
Marriage Care
Is your marriage superb, satisfying, or in
survival mode? Maintaining marital bliss is
not as easy as it might seem on the wedding
day. Some couples just make it look that
way! Marriage is an art and, as any good
artist will tell you, requires regular
practice.
The Diocese of Scranton—the Catholic people
of northeastern Pennsylvania—care about your
marriage. We firmly believe that marriage is
forever and we do not abandon couples after
their wedding day. The Sacrament of Marriage
impels the entire community to support your
marriage. Our resources can help you
1.
Keep your marriage growing and
improving
2.
Offer hope and help when your
marriage feels strain
3.
Become part of the movement to
support marriage
What have you done for your marriage today?
For resources on all sorts of marital
topics—blending personalities,
disillusionment, infertility, infidelity,
intimacy, and values to name but a few— plus
daily marriage tips, a marriage quiz,
inspirational stories, and more ways to care
for your marriage, explore
For Your Marriage.
This rich resource was developed by the
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
for couples of all faiths.
Diocesan Marriage Initiative
Grass-roots support for marriage is rising
in our diocese. Our goals are to
·
become better informed about the significance of marriage
for Church and society (About
Catholic Marriage)
·
support a marriage amendment to the Pennsylvania
Constitution (Pennsylvania
for Marriage)
·
ensure that couples can avail themselves of resources to
keep their marriages growing (Parish
Marriage Support Resources)
You can become part of this movement by
giving only 5 minutes per week for marriage.
Let us know that you are part of our
diocesan marriage initiative. Please e-mail
your name, address, parish and e-mail
address to
Mary Ann Paulukonis.
You can also call Mary Ann at 570-207-2213.
Spend your next five minutes visiting the
Pennsylvania for
Marriage Website.
Pennsylvania for Marriage
The institution of marriage as we know it is
being challenged and the time has come for
Pennsylvanians to take action. Twenty-seven
states have amended their constitutions to
protect marriage, but Pennsylvania is at
risk. Pennsylvanians need to amend our State
Constitution to protect marriage between one
man and one woman from re-definition or
legalized “civil unions.”
Learn more!
Marriage
Enrichment Programs
|
Forever
Yes
This workshop originates from
C-PREP (Christian Prevention and
Relationship Enhancement Program), a
pre-marital and marital enrichment
program developed at the University
of Denver over thirty years ago.
PREP is based on empirical studies
and emphasizes strategies to lower
risk factors and raise protective
factors to help marriages succeed.
|
|
|
The
Forever Yes workshop includes
these topics:
Four
key danger signs for marriage
Safety
and structure
Speaker-Listener
technique
Ground
rules for handling conflict and
differences
Differences
between issues and events
Working
through hidden issues
Negative
communication and constructive griping
Problem-solving
made easy
Understanding
commitment
Restoring
intimacy through forgiveness
plus practice
with coaching
|
|
Forever
Yes Workshops
Saturday, April 19, 2008 at Wilkes-Barre
9 a.m. - Noon
REGISTER
NOW ONLINE!
Registration
of $35 per couple is due at Office
for Parish Life at least ten days
prior to workshop.
Early
Bird registration of $30 if received
one month before workshop date.
For a registration brochure
call 570-207-2213.
|
|
Marriage Encounter
Marriage enrichment weekend designed to improve
good marriages; presented by a team of two
couples and a priest.
|
 |
|
Weekends:
|
September 19 - 21, 2008,
Shillington (Reading), PA |
To learn more about Marriage Encounter and to find
weekends in other dioceses
or faith expressions
visit:
http://www.wwme.org
or
call 800-787-7679
|
|
Couple Retreats
Fatima
Renewal Center
World Marriage Day
World Marriage Day honors husband and
wife as head of the family, the basic unit
of society. It salutes the beauty of their
faithfulness, sacrifice, and joy in daily
married life.
World Marriage Day is celebrated on the
second Sunday in February.
Prayer
Father, as we prepare for/celebrate
World Marriage Day, we thank you for
your tremendous gift of the Sacrament
of Marriage. Help us to witness to its
glory by a life of growing intimacy.
Teach us the beauty of forgiveness so
we may become more and more one in
heart, mind, and body. Strengthen our
communication and help us become
living signs of your love. Make us
grow more in love with the Church so
we may renew the Body of Christ. Make
us a sign of unity in the name of
Jesus, our Lord and Brother. (Rev
William Dilgen, S.M.M.)
Diocesan Wedding Anniversary
Celebration
Sunday, May 4, 2008Every spring, the diocese
holds a Wedding Anniversary Celebration
for couples celebrating their 25 and 50
years of marriage. Most Reverend Joseph F.
Martino, D.D., Hist.E.D., celebrates an
afternoon Mass in Saint Peter’s
Cathedral where couples will renew their
wedding vows. After Mass the diocese hosts
a reception for the couples at Bishop
Hannan High School.
|
|
|
|
To obtain an invitation to the
Wedding Anniversary Celebration held
during the year of your twenty-fifth
or fiftieth wedding anniversary,
give your name and a February
mailing address to your pastor by
January 10th. Even if you cannot
attend you will receive a
commemorative packet following the
celebration.
|
|
|
Advice from couples married
fifty or more years to those celebrating
twenty-fifth anniversaries:
- Stay close together
in all things you do. Don’t dwell on
problems; remember ‘for better or worse’
is even more important at this time of
your life. (Elaine and Paul)
- Trust and believe in
each other. There will be hard times and
good times, but no matter what, keep up
the struggle. (Catherine and Alu)
|
|
Hurting
Marriages |
|
Retrouvaille
A weekend and follow-up sessions for
stressed marriages put on by trained
priest and married couples who have
survived marital difficulties; not
counseling or group therapy. A
registration deposit is required and a
donation will be requested; finances
should not prevent attendance.
Q: What is Retrouvaille?
A: The word means “rediscovery” for the
program offers a chance to rediscover
yourself, your spouse, and a loving
marriage.
Q: How is this different from Marriage
Encounter?
A: Marriage Encounter is designed to
make a good marriage better while
Retrouvaille is designed to bring a
failing marriage back to life.
Q: What situations can benefit from
Retrouvaille?
A: If you or someone you know is
thinking of separation or divorce, or
are already separated but want to try
again, Retrouvaille might be able to
help. While this is a Catholic program,
we welcome couples of all faiths. Since
Retrouvaille is designed to help
marriages, it is not recommended for
those who are unmarried and living
together.
Q: How does Retrouvaille work?
A: Retrouvaille holds a live-in weekend
for married couples during which a
series of presentations is given to the
group of couples attending. The
presentations address issues that might
be causing marital difficulty and
emphasize a communication technique.
Weekends:
October 17–19, 2008
Fatima Renewal Center
Information and registration:
570-655-1916 toll free from Wilkes-Barre
and Scranton,
otherwise call 800-470-2230
www.retrouvaille.org
Conflict Resolution
“Love is Not Enough” Workshops
help couples learn how to communicate
safely.
Learn how
to dialogue and resolve a conflict with
the help of a Catholic couple who
integrate psychology and spirituality at
the Thriving Families
website
Counseling
Catholic Social Services
822-7118 (Wilkes-Barre)
207-2283 (Scranton)
Additional resources and links
Susan Vogt, a Catholic parent and former
Family Life Director for the Diocese of
Covington, offers a “marriage moment”
subscription, articles, and other
resources at http://www.susanvogt.net
For a tip on making your marriage
thrive, visit the Thriving Families
website
You might find the answer to your
question about marriage or help for
marriage at http://www.usccb.org/laity/marriage/marriagefaqs.shtml
|
|
