December 2008
Marriage and Family E-Newsletter
Please share this newsletter with your partners in ministry.
-- PRAY FOR MARRIED COUPLES
-- NOMINATE LONGEST MARRIED
-- RESOURCES AT YOUR FINGERTIPS: WWW.FORYOURMARRIAGE.ORG
-- REVISED FOCCUS APPLICATION FORMS COMING JANUARY 1
-- TRAINING FOR MARRIAGE MINISTRY
-- ENRICHMENT AND SUPPORT OPPORTUNITIES
-- PRAY FOR MARRIED COUPLES – Feb. 8, 2009
Everyone has a stake in marriage – and every marriage needs the support of the community. Each year, parishes offer this prayerful encouragement by observing World Marriage Day. The annual special liturgy will be at 3:00 p.m. at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen, with Archbishop O’Brien. Longest Married Couples in each parish and couples celebrating 50 and 25 years will be recognized. All couples, no matter how long they are married, as well as marriage preparation team couples, are encouraged to attend.
-- NOMINATE LONGEST MARRIED
Parishes should send names of their longest married couples to wmdlongestmarried@gmail.com Couples celebrating 25 and 50 years should register for special recognition at wmdjubilee@gmail.com Sample bulletin announcements have been sent to parishes.
-- RESOURCES AT YOUR FINGERTIPS: WWW.FORYOURMARRIAGE.ORG
Better ministry to marriage is easy! Post a link on your parish website to this bright new website for engaged and married couples from the U.S. Catholic Bishops’ committee on marriage. Fun and thought-provoking couple quizzes, encouraging stories, Church teaching clearly explained, and much more.
--NEW FOCCUS APPLICATION FORMS COMING JANUARY 1
Since the new FOCCUS scoring process requires that our office pre-pay and set up a session on the FOCCUS webpage for each couple, an expanded yellow counselor card* in each packet will ask for additional information on each couple who will take the FOCCUS on-line:
- email addresses for each partner
- a daytime phone number for each partner
- email address to which the FOCCUS report will be sent as a PDF.
o If necessary, sponsor couples may wish to ask their parish office to receive and print the FOCCUS report for them. Indicate any special arrangements on the application form.
*If your parish still has older packets, you can use the old counselor card to register couples to take the FOCCUS online, but please include the above information.
--EXPERIENCE SHOWS COUPLES DON’T “CHEAT” on ON-LINE FOCCUS
The Archdiocese of Chicago has about 80% of couples take FOCCUS online, and they report little evidence of couples matching their answers. FOCCUS’ studies have found that at least one partner is very invested in learning what the other thinks about the topics.
-- TRAINING FOR MARRIAGE MINISTRY AND FOCCUS
- Sponsor Couple Course with FOCCUS at St. Clement, Rosedale, Jan. 24 & 31, 2009, 9:00-12 Noon
- Remarriage Supplement at Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Edgewater on January 31, 2009, 9-1 pm
- $55 includes all materials. Clergy are welcome.
Call 410-547-5420 or visit http://www.archbalt.org/marriage-family/engaged/index.cfm for more information.
-- 11th ANNUAL REMARRIED COUPLES RETREAT WEEKEND
Retreat Master this year is Fr. Thomas Lavin O.F.M. Conv., “Making All Things New in Christ”
February 20-22, 2009, at Holy Trinity Spiritual Center, 8400 Park Heights Ave., Baltimore, Md. 21282
Cost: $314/couple, includes 2 nights’ lodging and 6 meals ($50 Registration fee with balance due January 26, 2009). Send registrations to Kay LaHatte, 612 Oakdean Rd., Baltimore, Md. 21220. Call 410-335-2897.
-- MARRIAGE ENCOUNTER WEEKEND is a time for you as husband & wife to look at your lives together, a time to share your hopes, dreams, disappointments and joys, a time away from the distractions of everyday life when you can focus on improving your communication as a couple, a special time to rediscover the wonder of each other. The weekend is a blessing for married couples who desire a deeper love for each other, who want to explore the dreams they have for their marriage, who have been together for a short time or for a lifetime.
Next Baltimore Area Marriage Encounter Weekends -- November 7-9, 2008 and February 20-22, 2009.
Register on-line at http://wwme.net/registration.html or call: Carolyn and Larry Conway 410 668-0157.
-- LIFELINE FOR TROUBLED MARRIAGES
Retrouvaille (re-tro-vi, means Rediscovery) can help couples experiencing marital difficulty. Call for confidential information or registration 301-468-6764 or 410-647-0350, or email TomNCarol@comcast.net , or visit www.HelpOurMarriage.com Visit www.retrouvaille.org
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Lauri Przybysz, Coordinator of Marriage and Family Enrichment, lprzybysz@archbalt.org 410-547-5420.
