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eMatrimony Newsletter
Supporting, Encouraging and Challenging the WWME Community |
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eMatrimony News
Thanksgiving Issue!
| November 2011 |
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Greetings!
Many of us in the United States are busy preparing for our Thanksgiving holiday on Thursday and the first weekend of Advent which ushers in a new translation of the Mass! At the Oppelt house we will celebrate Thanksgiving with three of our four children, and early Friday morning fly across the country to celebrate Joe's dad's 80th birthday on Saturday (shhh! It's a surprise). So begins a typically hectic season!
Let us all remember to reevaluate our priorities before the world's craziness gets the best of us. We are not required to have a perfectly decorated house, or perfectly wrapped gifts for everyone from our children to the mailman, but we are required to take some time to love each other and keep our home fires and our romance burning in spite of what's going on all around us! Advent season is a wonderful time to focus on and dialogue on our traditions, our expectations, our hopes and disappointments as we anticipate the celebration of Christ's incarnation and his ultimate return in glory. Are we ready to begin?
Below we present to you for your consideration a request from our national leaders. We also include again the press release announcing the longest married couple search - would you consider sending this to your local newspapers (both secular and diocesan) and bulletins, if you have time? This will help ensure the word gets out to as many people as possible.
Finally, regarding the 2012 North American WWME Convention, please note (and pass the word along) that there is going to be a Widow/Widower Track. We are excited to see this and hope that many will take advantage of this unique opportunity. Here is the Widow/Widower webpage for more information.
Have a Blessed Thanksgiving and Advent,
Joe & Linda Oppelt
eMatrimony editors
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Request from our USA Leaders
 Dearest companions on the Journey,
During this month of Thanksgiving, we are grateful for many things. We are grateful for the many ways you continue to give so generously of your time, your talent, and your treasure. We are especially grateful for your passionate response to our Lord's call to "love one another as I have loved you". Our world is a better place because you are responding to that call.
We know that many of you have made financial sacrifices to serve our movement and our Church. As we have traveled around the country these past two years, we have continually found ourselves in awe of the many people who serve our movement so generously. And we are grateful. Yet knowing that many people make additional charitable contributions at this time of the year, we would like to offer you the opportunity to consider Worldwide Marriage Encounter as a recipient of your generosity.
WWME currently has two endowment-type programs in place at the national level: the Stewardship Fund used to fund Weekend Outreach requests from the 90 countries where WWME is active, and our Family Fund used to support financial requests from any of the 18 USA sections and 6 Canadian districts for weekend support or other worthwhile projects. These are the funds that help us to offer this life-giving weekend to all couples who wish to enrich their marriages, not only those who can afford a weekend away at a hotel or retreat center.
In addition to making dollars available in these two funds, Worldwide Marriage Encounter is also maintaining an active presence in our Church and in our world. We are working with our United States Conference of Catholic Bishops at the National level to increase awareness of the importance of enriching sacramental marriages and priesthood in our Church. We are collaborating with the National Association of Family Life Ministers and other pro-marriage organizations in the U.S. to keep marriage ministry at the forefront in our dioceses and local parishes. At the world level, our International Ecclesial team is meeting annually with Vatican officials, working to establish a closer relationship with our larger Church. There have been state and nation-wide programs put into place recognizing the longest married couples in each state and in the entire United States, as well as new programs still being developed, like walking or biking in "Miles for Marriage". All of this is being done to counter today's often negative portrayal of marriage with a positive portrayal of marriage as beautiful and life-long. .
During these difficult economic times, Worldwide Marriage Encounter is experiencing the same budget restraints that are affecting so many throughout our country. And so, dear lovers, we invite you to include WWME as one of the worthy recipients of your generosity.
Worldwide Marriage Encounter - USA Inc. is a non-profit corporation, certified by the Internal Revenue Service as a 501(c)(3) organization. Any donation given to WWME outside the Weekend is tax deductible. The dedicated couples and priests associated with Worldwide Marriage Encounter continue to stand as beacons of light for our troubled society. We introduce couples and priests to the joy of living God's desire for their sacrament and we offer support for faith-filled family life. Please help us to continue our WWME mission to renew the Church and change the world -- one sacrament at a time!
If you would like to make a tax deductible charitable donation, you may do so online by going to the WWME website. Click on "After Your Weekend" and you will find a Donation box on the right side of your screen. You can change the amount printed in the box. Any amount you may wish to contribute toward helping the WWME movement achieve its mission is greatly appreciated!
May you be filled with the peace of Christ this month of Thanksgiving and as throughout the holy season of Advent.
With our love,
Scott & Karen Seaborn and Fr. Thomas Griffith, SVD
United States Ecclesial Team
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 Annual Search Begins For Longest Married Couples In United States San Bernardino, CA - The annual search for the longest married couple in the United States was announced today by the U.S. leaders of Worldwide Marriage Encounter (WWME), the original faith-based marriage enrichment program in this country. This is the second consecutive year for the highly acclaimed project recognizing couples for their long marriages. This past February Marshall and Winnie Kuykendall of New Mexico were honored nationally for their 82 years of marriage. There were also 50 state winners recognized for their longest marriages at the same time. There were over 350 couples nominated for the honors during the last event. Winners were selected from nominations submitted. "Once again we want to honor the longest married couple in the United States as well as in each of the 50 states and territories. The national winners will be recognized during Valentine's Week 2012, which coincides with World Marriage Day, which is the second Sunday of February," explained Scott & Karen Seaborn and Fr, Tom Griffith, SVD, the United States Ecclesial Team for WWME. They added that an Alumni Club has been started for all those couples honored this year and that the Kuykendalls will pass on the U.S. honor to a new couple in 2012. Previous state winners can vie for the national title, but they also are now considered members of the alumni of longest married couples in their individual states. This allows for new couples to be recognized across the country. "It is an appropriate time in our marriage enrichment ministry to recognize a husband and wife who have been married for many, many years," the U.S. ecclesial team explained. Jose and Marilyn Garcia and Fr. Mitch Walters, the North American Ecclesial Team for WWME, added, "We are so pleased that the decision had been made to have this very special activity become an annual project. We believe that this activity will continue to highlight not only the many positive benefits of long term marriages, but also honor those couples that are committed to their marriages." The Kuykendalls, who will celebrate their 83 anniversary on Feb. 14 of next year, were also recognized this year by President Barack Obama as well as the New Mexico governor and the state legislature for their longest marriage. Governors from other states also recognized their state winners. There also was congressional recognition on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives for the project. In addition to the longest married couple for the entire United States, recognition will also be given to a couple from each state and territories who has achieved that distinction. In the case of the United States couple, appropriate gifts will be presented to them at a ceremony to be held at their location during Valentine's week. The state winners will receive personal recognition and a special certificate of achievement from the Worldwide Marriage Encounter movement. Nominations, which are open to all husband and wife couples regardless of religious affiliation, may be submitted by email, regular mail or by calling a special phone number. The process will be overseen by Dick & Diane Baumbach and Fr. Dick Morse, who serve as the North American Weekend Pillar for the WWME movement. The contact information for sending in a nomination, which simply requires the name of the couple, their wedding date and where they currently reside plus a contact phone or email address of the individual nominating the couple, is as follows: email dickanddiane66@bellsouth.net ; regular mail Dick & Diane Baumbach 1430 Scorpious Ct. Merritt Island, FL 32953 and special phone number 321-453-2475. Nominations must be received by January 10th, 2012. Media inquires should be directed to: Dick & Diane Baumbach (321) 544-3440 dickanddiane66@bellsouth.net |
WWME Around the World:
News from Philippines
On November 19 the WWME Community in Philippines hosted a 35th Anniversary Celebration in Taguig City. Their objective was "by remembering our past and enjoying our present...to reminisce the treasures of our past and impart the same to the young members of our community."
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News from Ecuador
When I first arrived in Ecuador in September my intention was to dedicate my first few months in the parish. I needed to focus on my parish, my spiritual spouse. Maybe in January of 2012 I would make contact with the Marriage Encounter community, get involved and maybe present Weekends. I have two parishes and two chapels. The parish, Saint Alphonsus Liguori, is a well organized parish with lay leadership and spiritual maturity. When they had a welcome get together for me, I found out that there were eight groups or eight ministries. One was the group of married couples. I was curious about the group of married couples. Did they ever hear about World Wide Marriage Encounter?
On Friday, September 30th when I met the group of married couples, I was talking to one of the couples, Luis and Maria. Before I had the chance to ask if they heard of WWME, Maria asked me if I heard about it. Well, that started my involvement.
On Monday, October 3rd I went to an information night in another parish to meet other encountered couples who were inviting new couples to make a Weekend. There I met Gonzalo and Lilly Cordova, the section couple. We wanted to meet each other. They asked me if I was interested in presenting and I showed them the Outline and Mentality booklets. After briefly looking them over, they said that my talks will need to be updated. After we exchanged telephone numbers, they left to visit an information night in another parish.
On Friday, October 21st I drove a couple from my parish, Stalin and Marisol, to the retreat house where the Weekend was to be held. There I met Father Arnoldo, the only priest who is presenting Weekends in Guayaquil, a city of 3.5 million people.
There are three Weekends a year and they hope to offer six weekends in 2012. I am not certain but WWME existed in Guayaquil years back and then died. It was resurrected about ten years ago and is on the rebound.
That Friday night Gonzalo and Lilly asked me to present in January. I just received the revised outline and mentality booklets and will start reworking my talks.
There are about four couples in St. Alphonsus Liguori parish that made a Weekend. After talking a bit we decided to have a monthly comunidad meeting (Circle or WEDS group). We will have our meeting in an open but covered space behind the church. Everything is beginning to dovetail.
Father Dennis O'Brien
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| Upcoming Events |
Save the Date!
July 13-15 2012
Sacramento Memorial Auditorium
Sections 12 and 17 will be jointly hosting the 2012 North American Convention in Sacramento, California on July 13-15, 2012 at the Memorial Auditorium, Sacramento Convention Center. Plan on joining us for what is anticipated to be a very exciting convention! Update your calendars now! Convención Norte-Americana del 2012
"Compartiendo El Sueño" Las Secciones 12 y 17 serán, conjuntamente, anfitrionas a la Convención Norte-Americana del 2012 en Sacramento, California los días 13-15 de Julio del 2012 en el Memorial Auditórium del Centro de Convenciones de Sacramento. ¡Planee asistir a lo que se anticipa será una convención muy emocionante! ¡Marque su calendario desde ahora!
Click here for the Convention website.
New feature on the website: Look Who's Coming
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| Contact Information | | eMatrimony Editors
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