How priests can benefit from a Worldwide
Marriage Encounter Weekend
You don't have to be married to let Marriage Encounter enrich your vocation. As a priest, you may well have promoted Worldwide Marriage Encounter among your parishioners, students, friends, family. You may have participated in Marriage Encounter Weekends as part of the ministry team. You're no doubt aware of the overwhelming popularity of the Marriage Encounter movement, its effectiveness in bringing couples closer together and - often - transforming or even saving marriages.
But Marriage Encounter for priests? Yes. The Marriage Encounter weekends are designed in such a way that both priests and religious can participate fully. The principles of love, commitment and effective communication translate quite easily to the relationship between a priest and his parish or any group to whom he ministers.
Priests who have made an Encounter weekend call the experience "life enhancing".
"I am a priest from St. Louis. I made my weekend on December 1-3, 1995. At first I thought, What am I doing here? It didn't take long for me to experience a reawakening of my committment to love God's people, to embrace them and Jesus himself does. The weekend also helped me to see that ministry is really a dialogue between God and His people and He called me to help people encounter God daily. The joy I felt on the weekend was the same joy I felt when I was ordained a priest on May 21, 1983. Today, I continue to meet in my local community. In doing so, the spark of Joy and Love for God and his people are rekindled. I highly recommend a weekend for any priest."
-Father Marty Mulvihill, St. Louis, MO.
"The weekend helped me to be more human and to get closer to my people and they have been the first one to tell me that." - Pastor, Inner City Parish, St. Louis.
"Through the techniques of the weekend, I was better able to get in touch with my feelings which allowed me to minister to my people in a more sensitive way in their struggles and joys. My homilies came more alive as I began to share my own life experiences in a more relatable way." - College Professor, Springfield, Illinios Diocese.
Worldwide Marriage Encounter invites you, the diocesan of religious-order priest, to consider the following questions and answers, perhaps write or call for further information, and plan to join us for a renewing Encounter weekend soon.
What is Marriage Encounter?
Marriage Encounter is a weekend away from the responsibilities and practicalities of one's daily life, in order to expand and deepen that life. An Encounter weekend is not a retreat, a marriage clinic or a sensitivity group. Its aim is to help participants develop very special communication skills. Feelings and thoughts flow more freely, resulting in greater love, renewed (and continuing) dedication, and more joy in living out one's chosen way of life.
Why is it called Marriage Encounter?
The movement began as a way of improving communication between husbands and wives. But as insights grew, is became apparent that the techniques used in the sessions could benefit anyone whose vocation involves close, caring communication with others.
What happens at a Marriage Encounter weekend?
A series of presentations is given by a team of Catholic couples and a priest. Each presentation allows you to look at yourself as an individual, and then to look at your relationship to those with whom you live and work and to whom you minister. Finally, you are led to look at your relationship with God, the Church as a whole, and the world. Married couples view all these relationships in terms of their own vocation, but the principles are freely applicable to the priesthood and religious life as well. The atmosphere is relaxed and non-invasive. Most participants say they are hardly aware of the others in attendance.
But isn't dialogue and important part of an Encounter weekend?
Dialogue between the marriage partners enables them to examine and "test out" the new principles of loving communication they are learning in the course of the weekend. It is a simple matter for a priest who is making the weekend to arrange informal, comfortable dialogues with another priest. We encourage you to make the Encounter weekend with a priest friend. If this is not practical, however, you may find it helpful to dialogue with another priest who is making the weekend, or with the priest on the ministry team.
How will a Marriage Encounter Weekend specifically enhance and enrich my life as a priest?
The Encounter weekend teaches a communication technique that allows each person to explore their relationship to the "significant other(s)" in their lives. For spouses, that means each other. For you as a priest, it means everyone you have dedicated your life to serving. This new way of communication is both specific and adaptable. You will be able to use it in virtually every relationship and situation.
What does the weekend cost?
Contributions made on or in connection with the Marriage Encounter Weekend are made anonymously and you may contribute whatever you can. You will be given a blank envelope for this purpose.
I'm needed in my parish on the weekends. Can Marriage Encounter help me get a replacement so I'll be free to attend a weekend?
We are in the process of building a network of priests, by area, who are willing to fill in for others who wish to make a weekend. If you need such assistance, indicate this when you call or send in your reservation. And plan to spend some time with us soon, to expand and deepen your priestly communication.
To learn more about Marriage Encounter