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Meeting the World Council

Charlie & Mary Copeland

The World Council of WWME will be meeting at Cedarbrake, our diocesan retreat center near Belton from May 14 to 20. The World Council is Marriage Encounter’s governing body, consisting of seven secretariats from different areas of the world: Pan-Africa, Asia, Canada, Europe, Latin America, Pacific and the United States. The World Council is headed by an International Coordinating Team, currently David & Bronny Lea from New Zealand and Fr. John Rate of Australia. Approximately every 8 months, the World Council meets in a different part of the world, and this year it is the United States’ turn to host this meeting. Central Texas has been chosen as the location, and we are honored to host this important event.

During their 5 day session at Cedarbrake, the World Council will be discussing the state of Marriage Encounter in the world – the problems and joys their areas are currently experiencing. One of the highlights of their stay will be a day-long tour to San Antonio to visit the Alamo, the Riverwalk and the Mercado, capped off with an authentic Tex-Mex dinner complete with mariachis.

Their week at Cedarbrake will end with a closing Mass on Saturday May 20 to which all encountered couples and their families are invited. The Mass will be celebrated by Bishop Patrick Zurek, Auxiliary Bishop of San Antonio at 2:30 at Sacred Heart Church in Austin. Mass will be followed by an old-fashioned Texas barbecue around 4:30 (please bring a dessert), introductions of the World Council, some entertainment by the ME community and a country-western band from 7 to 9. This is a whole family experience – bring the kids! It’s a great opportunity to give the World Council couples a big Texas welcome! Y’all come!

The last World Council meeting in the United States was held in July 2001 in Washington, DC. We were living in Maryland at that time and a part of the Washington, DC Area Marriage Encounter and had the privilege of attending the closing Mass and party for the World Council. We felt so excited getting to meet the World Council members from all over the world. At Mass we felt awed to realize that this is truly a worldwide movement and that the Weekend works to empower couples and priests across cultures and languages. Later at the party it was amazing to meet these dedicated couples and priests from so many countries and to know that they represented couples like us – couples in India, in Africa, in South America, in New Zealand, in Korea and more. Worldwide Marriage Encounter’s work is alive in 88 countries around the world, and we all speak the same language, don’t we? – the language of love.

Pictured are Daniel & Nadege Flore and Fr. Gerard Sullivan, Pan-Africa Secretariat. The Austin area has been sending postcards to welcome and support them. Other WWME areas throughout the United States sent postcards, prayers and support to the other members of the World Council.

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