eMatrimony Newsletter
 
Supporting, Encouraging and Challenging the WWME Community
December, 2008
Dear eMatrimony Subscriber,
Feliz Navidad!  Merry Christmas!  It has been a while since we last corresponded, but we hope you enjoy this newsletter as you prepare to celebrate the Nativity of our Lord!  We wish to highlight the introduction of our new Spanish-speaking co-editors (picture and greeting below).  With their help, we hope to better serve you through more complete bilingual translations in the future!  And in the worldwide spirit of WWME, enjoy this international version of Silent Night.   **
Love, Hilary and Jon Olson
eMatrimony editors 
 
Victor & Lourdes
Hola!  Nosotros somos V�ctor & Maria de Lourdes Ceja.  Nos casamos el 24 de noviembre de 1973 en la parroquia de la Inmaculada Concepci�n en Los �ngeles, CA. Tenemos cinco hijos: April de 32 a�os de edad, Chris de 28, Stephanie de 26, Alex de 18 e Isabella de 15 a�os. Hicimos nuestro Fin de Semana en 1986 y desde entonces hemos dicho "Si" con el regalo de muchos apostolados a nuestra familia del EMM.  Esto primordialmente ha beneficiado nuestra relaci�n de pareja, y hoy estamos contentos y agradecidos con Dios y la Sant�sima Virgen de Guadalupe a la cual encomendamos este nuevo servicio como editores en espa�ol de eMatrimony. 
Our Love & Prayers,

Victor & Maria de Lourdes Ceja

eMatrimony co-editors 

 
 [Hi!  We are Victor & Maria de Lourdes Ceja. We were married on November 24, 1973, at Immaculate Conception parish in Los Angeles, CA. We have been blessed with 5 children: April (32 years old), Chris (28), Stephanie (26), Alex (18) and Isabella (15). We attended our Weekend in 1986, and since then we have said "Yes" to the gift of many services of apostolate to our WWME family.  This has helped us build a strong relationship in our marriage.  And now we are very happy and thankful to God and our Holy Virgin of Guadalupe, and through our prayers we begin this new service as eMatrimony Spanish editors.]

French Couple on the Road to Sainthood
  
On October 19, 2008, Louis and Zelie Martin were beatified as a married couple in Lisieux in France.  They are the parents of St. Therese of Lisieux, and had 5 other daughters who also took on a religious vocation.  St. Therese wrote of them, "The good God gave me a father and mother more worthy of Heaven than of earth."  To learn more about this couple's extraordinary life, you can watch a short video on YouTube ** or go to one of the many informational web sites in their name. 

Be a Part of the 2010 Worldwide Marriage Encounter Calendar!!

WE NEED PICTURES, PICTURES, AND MORE PICTURES!
  • Wouldn't it be great to see yourselves on our 2010 Worldwide Marriage Encounter Calendar? 
  • Deadline for submitting pictures -  February 15, 2009
  • We welcome pictures from any and all WWME Communities around the US.  Our 2010 WWME Calendar will have a lot of pictures, and we need to have your pictures to fill it up!  The more pictures we receive, the better!
  • The theme chosen by the Calendar Committee for 2010 is LOVE ONE ANOTHER AS I HAVE LOVED YOU, so try to select pictures of couples and/or priests that reflect on the theme chosen.  Please include a description of the photo, including the name of your local community or area.
  • Photos can be provided as color prints or digital files.  When sending digital files, send no more than 4 attached to each email so that the file doesn't get too large. 
  • Please send your pictures to Jose & Marilyn Garcia, 3834 River Place Blvd., Austin, TX 78730 or email them to us no later than February 15!
  • You are also welcome to send dialogue questions to add to the calendar.  Thank you!
In This Issue
French Couple Beatified
WWME Calendar Plea
Stellar Communities
from Fr. Barbero
Article Headline
Meeting the Bishop
10/10 Dialogue

Convention Logo 2008

How does the Christmas season uplift our relationship?  Describe in loving detail.  More dialogue questions...

Section 6 & 7 Convention at Notre Dame, IN

Sections 6 & 7 will hold their convention July 10-12, 2009.  Register early online.
Online Inviting Video
Dr. Gary Chapman, author of The Five Love Languages, has made a great inviting video for WWME.
Quick Links
 
 
 
Algonquin Community Upholds Stellar Ideals in Northern Illinois and Wisconsin 
 
The latest Stellar Community has been nominated by Jim and Jill Serpe, the Continuing the Journey Pillars of the Rockford/Madison/Milwaukee area.  They have identified the Algonquin Community as "a great example of living the dream and loving their sacrament of marriage with passion".  Their inviting efforts have resulted in several newly encountered couples becoming actively involved by attending meetings and by supporting weekends as greeters or prayer couples or by taking on "joy jobs".  In addition to working hard, they also know how to play and have fun, hosting family potluck dinners, movie nights, a Putt'n on the Ritz Dance and an area-wide family campout.  Every couple is a stellar example of the marriage encounter lifestyle. 

Algonquin Community
[La nueva Gran Comunidad del EMM ha sido nominada por Jim y Jill Serpe, los pilares de comunidad de la �rea de Rockford/Madison/Milwaukee.  Han identificado la Comunidad de Algonquin como "un Gran ejemplo de VIVIR el SUENO y AMAR su sacramento apasionadamente." A�n que han estado envueltos en el EMM por poco tiempo, ellos han sido testigos de algunas cosas muy buenas que esta comunidad ha hecho para nuestro ministerio.  Tambi�n han sido bendecidos por la gran amistad de las parejas amorosas de esta comunidad. Sus esfuerzos por invitar a otros han sido el resultado que algunas parejas nuevas encontradas.  Se han unido a su comunidad y se han vuelto activos al asistir a las reuniones.  Han apoyados a los fines de semana en la bienvenida y  al ser parejas de oraci�n y participando en los "trabajos de j�bilo". Adem�s de trabajar bien duro, tambi�n saben c�mo divertirse y disfrutar a trav�s de organizar cenas de traer algo para compartir,  as� como noches de cine y asistiendo a los bailes Putt 'n on el Ritz, adem�s de asistir y planear los campamentos familiares del �rea. Cada pareja es un ejemplo estelar de c�mo una pareja encontrada debe de vivir el estilo de vida del encuentro matrimonial.] 

Greetings from Italy from Fr. Mario Barbero, IMC

Father Mario Barbero is a missionary priest now residing in Italy who has long served in Worldwide Marriage Encounter and touched lives in Europe, the USA and Africa.  Charlie and Mary Copeland, now of Austin, Texas, met Fr. Mario when he was studying for his doctorate in Washington, D.C.  In describing his dedication to WWME and his multi-lingual capabilities, they recounted a time in D.C. when a Spanish weekend was going to be cancelled because of lack of a priest.  Fr. Mario volunteered, brought his English talks, and translated them into Spanish as he spoke!  Below is a letter from him describing his current mission.
 
                                                                                 Bedizzole, Italy, November 29, 2008
Dear Friends,Fr. Mario Barbero
Greetings from Italy.  It is a long time since I communicated with you and I have news to share with you.  After my return from South Africa for my home-leave in June, my Superiors assigned me to work in Italy in the area of "mission education," which is sharing with the churches in Italy my experience of missionary life. So after 32 years abroad in various African countries and in the USA, now my mission is in Italy.  One advantage is that I don't have to learn the local language!  My new residence is a Consolata community near the town of BRESCIA (the diocese of birth of Pope Paul VI), somewhere half-way between Milan and Venice (not far from Verona, the town of Romeo and Juliet). I am getting familiar with several missionary groups in this diocese, and when they were told I have been teaching Bible for many years, a few priests asked me to give Biblical courses to many groups of lay people in various parishes.  I am also getting involved with Retrouvaille and WWME groups of this area.  I have already been called to be part of the WWME ecclesial team of Brescia and have been "booked" to present weekends for both Retrouvaille and WWME.
 
Though assigned to Italy, I cannot forget Africa, so this November, on request of the WWME pan-African leaders, I travelled to TOGO (in Western Africa), where WWME is taking its first steps, to present two weekends in French. I was on team with Alphonse and Honorine, a Congolese couple, who travelled from Kinshasa.  We presented the first Deeper weekend in Togo to 16 couples and 2 priests and the original weekend to 31 couples and 3 priests. I was impressed by the courage and commitment of all the participants, who worked hard and committed themselves to spread WWME to many families in Togo without being discouraged by their financial problems.  In fact, though the cost of the weekend is about 25 dollars per couple, this amounts to more than one third of a monthly salary (for those who have a job). All the participants paid their share.  We hope that now WWME Togo will have its own team couples and priests to continue on its own.
 
I am with you in spirit thanking the Lord for all his gifts, and specifically for your friendship and support.  I wish you a blessed Christmas and a grace-filled New Year, and keep you in my heart and prayers.  All of you are welcome to visit me in Italy.
 

P.S. When I left Congo, I promised to keep helping them as far as I could.  Though I am now in Italy, I can still help, with your support, the Consolata seminary of Kinshasa and WWME in Congo and in Togo. For those who wish to contribute to this, the easiest and safest way is to send your donations to Consolata Missionaries, P. O. Box 5550, Somerset, NJ USA 08875-5550, with this explanation: "For Fr. Mario Barbero". Your donations will reach the needy people in Africa, according to your wish.  Thanks.
Sharing in the Dream- A note from the US Secretariat Team 
Dear Companions on the Journey,
As the end of 2008 approaches, we are filled with excitement about all that is happening in Worldwide Marriage Encounter.  Our hope-filled message is needed more than ever in today's society, but it hasn't reached everyone.  Some of you will be considering end-of-the-year donations to charitable organizations in spite of the difficult economy. We would like to invite you to include WWME as one of the worthy recipients of your generosity.......
 
Click here to read the complete letter from Tony & Cathy Witczak and Fr. Emile Frische.
Click here to download the WWME Year-end Donation form.

Columbus (Ohio) WWME Leaders Meet with Local Bishop

As a ministry serving the Catholic church, WWME teams are given the opportunity to present weekends in American diocese at the permission of local bishops.   Bishops also make it possible for diocesan priests to participate as team members for our ministry.  Consequently, good relations and open communications with bishops is an important part of keeping the WWME mission thriving. Recently, Bruce & Patty Hilwertz and Fr. Pete Gideon (Columbus, Ohio, area leaders in Section 6) met with their local Bishop, The Most Reverend Frederick F. Campbell, D.D., PH.D.  Here is how they described their meeting:
We had a very lovely meeting with Bishop Campbell which lasted for about an hour. He was warm and welcoming!  He listened intently as we shared our love and the love that all of you have for the Church and for this movement. We shared how the weekend touched our married life and in turn, strengthened our family too!  Father Pete joyfully shared his love and commitment to our movement with the Bishop. Bishop Campbell was quite taken aback to hear that Father Pete has been faithfully serving Marriage Encounter for 29 years! It was even more wonderful to hear Father Pete share how the weekend has touched his life and how it has helped him to be more open and loving in his Priesthood. 
 
We talked to Bishop Campbell about the World Priest Day Celebration we are planning this year, and he thought it was wonderful that we will be appreciating Priests in this way!  We spoke of World Marriage Day and the WMD Dance that our community prepares and hosts each year! How beautiful it is to celebrate and rejoice in the blessings of our sacramental love as husband and wife.  We also shared with him some pictures of the International WWME Convention in Ontario, CA. He was quite pleased to see the many faces of Marriage Encounter! Father Pete was very informative telling Bishop Campbell about how many Bishops, Priests and Deacons attended the convention, showing just how Worldwide we really are!   
 
We shared with Bishop Campbell the need for more awareness of what WWME weekends can do for couples and the need for more presenting priests for our Columbus Area.  Bishop Campbell spent some time asking us how we approach the clergy and seemed genuinely concerned for our needs.  As our meeting came to an end, we lovingly extended a warm invitation for him to attend one of our weekends.
 
We are overjoyed that he saw us as not only a worldwide organization, but as local servants of God, tirelessly working to preserve marriages. We rejoice in all of you and the passion you have for this ministry. You must know that we carried that inspiration with us during this meeting. Please continue to give God all the glory and praise and keep believing!
 
We love you, Bruce & Patty and Father Pete
HyperLink Disclaimer 
Disclaimer
You will notice several "hyperlinks" throughout our newsletters (text that is underlined, typically in blue).  Clicking on these will take you to other web sites for content that augments the newsletter.  The web is a wonderful tool for comuunicating to the world at little to no cost, and virtually anyone can make their voice be heard.  However, because of its freedom of expression and the general lack of censorship, the web can host material that is either inappropriate or offensive to some.  We will never knowingly link to material of questionable content or motive, but there are often associated links on sites like YouTube that we cannot control.  So we have chosen to use YouTube and other content providers to enrich the content of the newsletter, but please use caution following associated links that we do not refer to directly from our newsletter.
Mission Statement
As an online publication of Worldwide Marriage Encounter, eMatrimony serves as a resource to support, encourage and challenge couples, priests and religious to live the values of the WWME experience and grow stronger in their efforts to renew the church and change the world.
Contact Information
For comments related to this newsletter, or if you have something to contribute related to WWME, send e-mail to the editors, Hilary and Jon Olson .