Marriage Encounter returns to the Diocese
26 July, 2023All of us are called to know, love and serve God and through our baptismal priesthood to be witnesses of holiness and charity to the world. For those of us who are in the married vocation, our marriage is the primary context where we receive the grace and opportunities to live out this call. Married life becomes such a normal, daily constant that it is easy to take it for granted. In many workplaces there are regular opportunities for training and development to ensure that we are excelling in our job, but it is rare to be given the opportunity reflect and learn about married life so that we can make sure that our marriages are the best that they can be.
This is where Worldwide Marriage Encounter (WWME) comes in. WWME has offered retreats for married couples for 70 years in 94 countries. WWME is a weekend away, offering married couples, a special kind of “time out”, a different kind of “weekend getaway”. It is an opportunity to recharge your relationship batteries and more deeply explore the precious nature of your relationship. It gives you the tools to keep your passion alive in a gentle, nurturing environment, away from the pressures and distractions of daily living.
The weekends are simply a series of presentation topics given by a specially trained team of three couples and a priest. Most of your time is spent learning and developing a technique of communication called dialogue. After each talk there is time for you to practise your new-found communication skills and share your thoughts and feelings about various aspects of your marriage in private. There is no group discussion.
WWME had been active in our diocese in previous decades but it has been many years since the last weekend occurred. That’s why it’s exciting to have WWME return to our diocese this year with a weekend being held at Chanel College, Gladstone from the 18th to 20th of August. The weekend runs from 7pm Friday to 4pm Sunday. This is a great opportunity for married couples to invest some time in their marriage and discuss with each other about how they can live their vocation with renewed love and focus.
If you or someone you know is interested in attending the weekend then contact Liesha and Joseph at 0481 307 821 for more information or go to wwme.org.au/book and select “18 – 20 Aug 2023 Live-out QLD”.
