Model retreat to help bring marriage enrichment to parishes in diocese

By KATIE LEFEBVRE, Globe staff reporter
Feb. 22, 2007

The Diocese of Sioux City offered a marriage enrichment model to train couples how to provide marriage enrichment for couples in parishes and clusters throughout the diocese.

The first session was held in the St. Francis of Assisi Church Hall in Rockwell City in November. The most recent was held in St. Mary School Cafeteria in Remsen on Feb. 10. Love Never Ends is the program that was used for the marriage enrichment model retreat.

"This is an activity that we did with our Adult and Family Ministries Board," said Bev Hurni, director of the Office of Adult and Family Ministries. "We provided a marriage enrichment experience for people. This is what people seem to be asking for - programs within their parishes that can be done in a couple of hours."

She explained that couples were able to attend for the benefit of their own marriage as well as being a model for them to repeat in their home parish/cluster.

"Some of the people who attended intend to go back to their parishes and lead the event for their parish," said Hurni. "We gave them ideas about different options they could use. We have those resources available in our office if someone was unable to get to one of the events. We are very willing to help assist parishes."

On both days, the couples participating experienced the Love Never Ends program and learned how to implement the program at the parish level.

"We use a dialogue book that gives sentence starters that couples would finish. There are a variety of topics in the book and parishes would be able to choose which topics they want to cover," said Hurni. "It is a very easy, doable program. It is inexpensive."

Hurni mentioned that in the resource the diocese used to create this model retreat, it offers 10 topics which can be addressed such as family of origin issues, sexuality, finance, children, faith, household tasks and more.

She added that marriage is a journey and couples go through seasons.

"One of the things that I talked about is that sometimes in our marriage we are in a winter season where there is not much life. Maybe we have gotten into a routine and boredom or maybe we are just not paying attention," said Hurni. "We need to plant some new seeds and do a little cultivating like we do in the spring, so we can come around to summer and experience the growth. Marriages go through these cycles over and over throughout the years of marriage. We need to do that work so that we can enjoy the fruits of fall."

Norine Harvey, development director at Remsen St. Mary School and member of the Adult and Family Ministries Board, and her husband were one of the couples to witness at the Remsen session.

"I volunteered our site because I think it is really a good thing," said Harvey. "The focus groups indicated that this is what people wanted. They wanted help with their marriage and they wanted it locally."

She added that the hope is to provide Love Never Ends for the parishioners of St. Mary's.

Hurni commented that the sessions went well and the response was favorable - the couples appreciated the resource. It is something that the couples can take home and continue to use.

"We are hoping that parishes might consider this during Lent when people are more willing to take a little time," said Hurni.

One cluster that will be providing Love Never Ends is the cluster of St. Thomas Church in Manson and St. Mary Church in Pomeroy. The program will be offered three Sundays during Lent for the parishioners of the cluster.

Deacon Bob Lenz of the Manson/Pomeroy cluster and his wife Maureen decided to attend because "we felt it would be something good for us to experience personally and also learn how to bring it back to the people in our parish."

"It opened up avenues of communication between Maureen and I. Listening to others share we found out that we are all on this journey together," said Deacon Lenz. "I thought the one we attended was very well done. The other people from our cluster who attended came home very enthused about putting this on for the people of our cluster."

For more information or to request materials, contact the Office of Adult and Family Ministries by calling (712) 233-7530 or e-mailing sandiw@scdiocese.org.