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Worldwide Marriage Encounter Targets Memphis Area

Bill & Kathy Thurnau

Special to The West Tennessee Catholic, January 26, 2006

In the Dec. 1 issue of The West Tennessee Catholic, Bishop J. Terry Steib, S.V.D. shared information about the Second Annual Marriage Summit that he and Pat Perry, Director of Family Ministries, attended last fall. Together they signed the Mid South Community Marriage Policy.

"This formal pledge is to make marriage and family a priority in Memphis. The goal is to reduce the divorce rate in Shelby County by 20 percent by the year 2010," said Bishop Steib.

The Memphis area is also a renewed focus for the Worldwide Marriage Encounter movement in West Tennessee. Worldwide Marriage Encounter (WWME) began in 1968 in New York and has spread throughout the world and is now offered in more than 80 countries and 11 other religious denominations. The West Tennessee Area reaches from Nashville to Memphis to Little Rock, Arkansas and includes Northern Mississippi. Geographically and logistically, this is very large and there is a now an effort to bring Memphis to a self-sustaining area. WWME plans to eventually offer three weekends per year in the Memphis area. There are two currently scheduled for Memphis in 2006.

Since 1968, WWME has continued to strive toward fulfilling its mission to renew the Church by assisting couples and priests, and religious to live fully intimate and responsible relationships by offering a Catholic experience and ongoing community support.

WWME is infinitely more than just another marriage enrichment program. It is a movement within and for our Church. A unique charism of the movement is the ecclesial relationship between the Sacrament of Matrimony and the Sacrament of Holy Orders working together to fulfill the mission. Together they labor in our Father's vineyard to fulfill His commandment to "love one another as I have loved you", which is the vision of WWME.

Marriage is a Sacrament in the Catholic Church. It is the responsibility of people of faith to keep our marriages in the best possible shape to show that the love of a man and woman is a true gift from God. Working on your marriage on a regular basis can alleviate the apathy that can sometimes lead to divorce. This may help the Diocesan Pledge to reduce divorce in our area. Married couples can support the pledge made by Bishop Steib by the way we live our marriages. The way we live our marriages is as important to the Church as the way our priests live their Sacraments.

The question becomes, "How do we live an intimate and responsible marriage in our lives today?" The answer to this question is that married couples need tools to work on their marriages to keep them in good working order. We regularly take our automobiles in for service. Do we give our marriages regular check-ups?

Jim & Debbie Voyles are currently the Local Area Coordinators for Worldwide Marriage Encounter in the Memphis area. They attended two WWME Weekends. The first when they were married for 10 years. That one was such a help for their marriage that they decided to attend again after 30 years of marriage. They said that the Weekend helped them to communicate better, to pray together and do more things as a family. For the Weekend they attended in 2003, they had a difficult time finding information about upcoming Weekends and are working diligently to see that this is no longer the case.

Another of the active couples in WWME in the Memphis area is Bill & Kathy Thurnau of Batesville, MS. They were formerly of Cordova and have returned to the area after 8 years in St. Louis, MO where they continued their work with WWME. They believe that their WWME Weekend was one of the most profound experiences of their married life. They said they learned that the way they live their marriage is a way to serve God. They believe that as they as a couple stay in contact daily through communication, prayer and daily scripture readings that they are keeping God in their lives.

Both of these couples are actively working to bring the June and October Weekends alive in Memphis. They need many couples to register to make this dream come true. The registration fee of $45 confirms your food and lodging. There is a request on the Weekend for an added donation to help with the Weekend costs. No one is ever turned away for lack of funds.

As a kick-off to inviting and filling these Weekends all parishes in the Diocese of Memphis are being invited to participate in World Marriage Day. This is celebrated on the second Sunday in February. Pat Perry, Family Ministry Director has sent packets of information to every parish in the diocese. Each packet includes ideas for the Sunday liturgy as well as ideas on how to celebrate. One of the ideas is for the Parish Priest to bless all married couples at each Mass. If this is going to be part of the celebration it would be nice to announce this the week in advance so that couples may attend Mass together on this particular Sunday. Another idea is for the couples at home. They are encouraged to get out their wedding album and share the pictures and stories with their children. Enjoy World Marriage Day this year by gifting each other by registering for the June WWME Weekend. The Weekend is a special time for couples away from the pressures of families and work.

Marriage itself takes work. Married couples have to work through areas such as finances, health, in-laws, children, jobs, and unlimited other issues. For any relationship effective communication is necessary. Without communication married couples can begin to live like single people within a married household. God wants us to be in unity. We even light a unity candle during our wedding ceremony to symbolize becoming one in Christ.

The future of our Catholic Church depends on us and our families. We can change the world and hopefully decrease divorce by strengthening our own marriages. Our children's attitudes are formed by the way they see us living our marriages. It is up to each couple to show how wonderful marriage can be. Our children one day may be married. Growing up with parents that set a good example of marriage will help them work for their own great marriage.

Pope John Paul II said, "I place much of my hope for the future in Marriage Encounter."

The next Worldwide Marriage Encounter weekend in Memphis will be June 2-4. For more information or to register or for already encountered couples to volunteer to help please call Jim & Debbie Voyles at 901-465-8538, Bill & Kathy Thurnau at 662-561-0726 or Pat Perry at the office of Family Ministries 901-373-1235.

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