The mission of the Marriage Enrichment ministries of Holy Family parish is to strengthen couples in the sacrament and vocation of marriage, to encourage them to invite God to be the third strand in the cord of their marriage (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12), and to keep our vows to support our baptized children as they are raised in the church. By offering marriage preparation and various marriage enrichment ministries, we acknowledge that the home is the basic cell of the church, and that when we strengthen marriages we are strengthening the church.
Couples Night Out
Night Out is a monthly opportunity to schedule a “date night” with your spouse. We meet at the church on the second Saturday of each month, after the 4:30pm Mass, for a short presentation on marriage, then couples are on their own to go out to dinner. Volunteers are needed to help with ministry leadership, greeting and set-up.
Evening of Romance
Our annual Evening of Romance is held close to St. Valentine’s Day and includes a special couples’ Mass with renewal of vows for married couples, and then a catered dinner and dancing. Committee members are needed to plan and lead this event. We also need Mass coordinators, Eucharistic Ministers and Proclaimers for the Mass.
Marriage Encounter Weekend
Marriage Encounter is an internationally recognized retreat for married couples, focusing on improving communication. This is a great opportunity for couples to enrich their relationship and strengthen their love and appreciation for each other. Team members, support teams, and a liturgy team are a few areas where you can use your gifts. It is recommended that people interested in volunteering for the Marriage Encounter team first attend a Marriage Encounter weekend as a participant.
Marriage Fulfillment Workshop
This workshop is offered annually in the spring, previous topics include “Time, Sex & Money,” and “Making Love Grow.” The workshop provides helpful tools for strengthening marriages, and offers opportunities to become involved in ongoing ministries such as RE-FOCCUS, Ten Great Dates, The Second Half of Marriage, Small Christian Communities, etc. Couples are needed to plan events and workshops.
RE-FOCCUS - RE-FOCCUS is like a check-up for married couples. Couples go through a process similar to Marriage Prep after they’ve been married for a while to see how they’re doing. Couples are needed to help run this program. The program is a short-term commitment, about 6 weeks.
Marriage Preparation/Re-Marriage Preparation
Engaged couples meet with sponsor couples for a series of discussions to help them prepare for their marriage. Sponsor couples are needed; training is provided. Sponsor couples invite 3 to 5 engaged couples into their homes for about 5 sessions to discuss issues related to married life. Couples are also needed to help with hospitality and food for various Marriage Prep events, such as Marriage Preparation Orientation meetings and Engaged Couples’ Reconciliation services.
The Honeymooners
The Honeymooners is a ministry for couples in their 20’s and 30’s, based on the understanding that the first five years of marriage is crucial for building a solid foundation. We meet for brunch quarterly, on Sundays after the 11:00am mass. Mentor couples are needed to join us on our quarterly brunches and share their wisdom and experience with us. Mentor couples should be married at least ten years, and we’re especially looking for couples who are multiple decade veterans of the vocation of married life. Younger couples are needed to participate in planning and growing this ministry. |
