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eMatrimony Newsletter
Supporting, Encouraging and Challenging the WWME Community |
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eMatrimony News Advent/Christmas Issue! December 2011
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Greetings!
Hello - this email brings wishes for a Merry, Blessed Christmas holiday and a Joyful New Year! We're hoping you have some extra time this week because there are lots of wonderful articles to read in this edition!
Speaking of the new year, a few people have asked us about 2012 calendars. You should check with your local area leaders, who have received the calendars earlier this year.
The 2012 North American WWME Convention (see bottom of this email for links): "Early Bird Registration" has been extended to February 28, 2012.
As we look to a new year, we would like to challenge you with this question: How are we living signs of Joy in our vocation - either as a married couple or in religious life? How do we evangelize others to the beauty and good news of our calling? Marriage and religious life are at their lowest levels in years, and marriage itself is on the decline. We have our work cut out for us: we must become beacons of hope in this culture - shining the light of our love on others, extolling the joys and wonders of married life (or religious vocation) and living it truthfully in our own relationships. Are we up for the task? As St Catherine of Siena once said: "Be who God meant you to be, and you will set the world on fire!" Let us set the world on fire with our love in 2012.
Have a Blessed Christmas and Happy New Year,
Joe & Linda Oppelt
eMatrimony editors
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Father Charlie Coulter, Our Teammate and Good Friend
 | | Boylans with Fr Charlie |
Bill and Mary Anne Boylan
It all came to be when the Holy Spirit placed Fr. Charlie and the two of us together as the Ecclesial Team to be servant-leaders of Worldwide Marriage Encounter in the United States. It was January 31, 1992 in Forth Worth, Texas.
We lived on opposite sides of the country. Charlie lived in California; Bill and Mary Anne in Pennsylvania, so we did not know each other very well. I like to say it was a blind date that "took".
Slowly, we became fast friends as well as teammates and did our very best to serve our United States Worldwide Marriage Encounter family with all we had.
Then in January of 1995, in Seoul, Korea we were at our last World Council Meeting as United States Secretariat Team. It was at this meeting that we three were discerned to be the new WWME International Team. Our friendship grew some more as we again tried our very best to serve our precious Movement all across our world. Our term ended in 1998.
Since then we have made our relationship a priority by being together for a quality visit each year, either in Fr. Charlie's Ireland or here in the USA. Charlie has joined us in our good times and in our sorrows. Last year our entire family gathered at our dining room table and Fr. Charlie offered Mass for our son, Billy, who had died suddenly at 46.
Good times included enjoying and sharing with Marriage Encounter Communities across the United States and also across the world. It also included trips together to Key West, Disney World, Solvang, California and times spent with Charlie's sisters in Ireland. Any time we had the opportunity to be together was a good time!
This year very definitely was our year to "cross the pond", as Charlie calls it, for our yearly visit. Fr. Charlie is presently in his Columban Community's Infirmary and is in poor health. We had a tender and meaningful series of visits with Charlie, some grand trialogues and shared some grand meals during our eleven day visit to be with him in Ireland this October. As we were preparing for our visit, we asked his many friends around the world to write about a memory of times they shared with Fr. Charlie and to include a picture. The response was wonderful. We put together an album containing all the memories we received. In the front of the album we included quotations from a letter he wrote to a Community he was leaving in Los Angeles.
It read: 'I want to be remembered as 'a couples' priest', who loved couples and called them to be little churches and helped them to heal and be healed. I would want couples to remember that I made them to feel loved and special about themselves. I want couples to remember me as a priest who called them to pray as couples and who shared their joys or sorrows, their tears or laughter; who was crazy, humorous, loving and forgiving. I'd like them to say, "He made a difference in our lives. He convinced us we can live our Sacrament and reflect God's love by being foolishly in love with each other.' I want to be remembered as a priest who celebrated the liturgy in a way that called couples to love and live their Sacrament; who knew their needs as couples and was generous and loyal to them. In the words of the song, 'All I ask of you is forever to remember me as loving you.'"
He absolutely loved the album and beamed as he saw pictures of the many couples and priests whose lives he had touched.
Upon farewell Bill told him once again, "Charlie, you're the best". Mary Anne asked him to forever remember us as loving him.
And so we pray for the well being of our teammate and good friend, Fr. Charlie. We are sure you will pray too because your most endearing quality is how you "love one another".
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 The Power of Joy Doriano and Patricia Baisi
Not too long ago, we gave a pulpit talk at a nearby parish. The Mass we were assigned to was the "children's Mass". All the children were invited up to the front after the opening prayers and then followed their teachers for the Bible readings and teachings that were at their level. One little guy came running after all the others to catch up. Of course, this was cute, but what struck me was the intense happiness on his face; a happiness so great as to be called "Joy". This small child was joyfully going to hear about his Father in heaven.
After Mass and handing out of pamphlets, we talked about that little child on our way home. How often do we go "joyfully" to Mass? I admitted that sometimes going to Church felt more like a chore - something that just had to be done. Even with more convenient times for Mass being offered, it always felt like one more thing to shoehorn into an already busy life. How could we recapture the joyfulness of coming to meet our Lord in Holy Communion?
We realized that we needed a change in attitude. We needed to see that the one hour spent in worship was a gift -- an hour of quietude to pray, but also to ponder and reflect on God's workings in our lives. We can't say that change came immediately or quickly, but even on our most difficult days, it was, at the very least, a chance to catch our breath. Mass has gradually stopped becoming a chore and has become a time for peace.
One little child's joy inspired change. How much could we change the world if our faces shone with Joy? We don't mean a fake, half-hearted attempt as a mask to the world. We mean truly accepting the full hearted truth of Jesus Christ with all His love and compassion and peace. Embracing the full impact of what His love and sacrifice mean in our lives to the point that His joy shines through the pain and sorrows we must endure while on earth. Wow! What a challenge.
Let's start small. Start with finding Joy in your marriage....in your children....even in your pets. Each day take time to focus on the joy. Even on your worst days, especially on those days, you can still find some small spark of joy. Thank God for those moments of grace. As you become comfortable in looking for joy within your family...extend it to friends or your church community. Focusing on the good and grace-filled moments of your life will help to dispel the negative messages constantly foisted upon us by the secular media.
At this holiday season celebrating the joy of our Saviour's birth, we would like to wish each of you a very blessed Christmas and New Year. We will keep you all in prayer.
Doriano and Patricia Baisi
10/10 Questions:
1. The most joyful memory I have of us as a couple is: ____________________. How do I feel about my answer?
2. I judge that the two most important ways we could increase the joy in our marriage is: _____________________. How do I feel about my answer?
3. When I think of joy, I think of: ______________________. How do I feel about my answer?
4. How do I feel when we attend Mass together? How do I feel about my answer?
5. How do I feel when I have to attend Mass alone? How do I feel about my answer?
6. My favorite joyful moment today was: ______________________. How do I feel about my answer?
7. What encourages joyfulness in me? How do I feel sharing this with you?
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WWME Around the World:
Fr Mario, Italy 
Bedizzole, Christmas 2011 We just started the Advent Season, in a few weeks the whole world will celebrate Christmas. Merry Christmas to each one of you. What is the meaning of a "Merry" Christmas in this time of crisis? In many parts of the world the financial crisis is every day. Often times the crisis is not only in the area of finances but it is a crisis of hope and solidarity. For us, Christians, Christmas reminds us that the crisis is already overcome because God has come to us in Jesus Christ, to share our life and to show us the way to God. May His light direct our heart and our steps. I had the opportunity to meditate on the presence of Jesus source of our hope and life a few weeks ago when Pope Benedict XVI travelled to Benin in Western Africa (Nov 18-20). How deeply I was touched as I watched on TV how the people of Benin welcomed the Pope. For two hours, as I watched the Mass in the "Stadium of Friendship" of Cotonou it was like being in Africa again, with those 80,000 people full of joy and devotion praying, singing, dancing. What a joy for me seeing so many African bishops, priests, sisters and that large crowd. Looking at that assembly, I was thinking that a century ago this would have been unthinkable. At that time, in the Sub Sahara Africa there was no "black" bishop, priest or sister. Today in Africa there are 681 bishops; 36,766 priests; 26,172 major seminarians; 64,980 religious sisters and 426,788 catechists (the real "army" of the Church). During the last 30 years Catholics in Africa have gone from 60 to 179 millions. By God's grace I have witnessed this miraculous growth of the Church in Africa, as well as in my missionary family of the Consolatas. When I arrived to Kenya in 1976 we had only one African Consolata seminarian (who was later ordained a priest in 1980 and is now a bishop in Kenya). Today we have 372 African Consolata missionaries serving in our missions all over the world. As Pope Paul VI used to say "Africa is the new home for Christ" and Pope Benedict calls Africa the "continent of hope". I thank the Lord for this "African springtime" and I am grateful for having been part of my Institute plan to start, in the early 70s', the formation program for African Consolata missionaries. At present, I am here in Bedizzole, near Lake of Garda. My mission here is "missionary education" i.e. to help the parishes of this Diocese to be aware of their missionary responsibility and their duty to help the growth of the young Churches (I am a little biased for Africa). Part of my work here is also to help families to live their faith in their home, especially by offering programs of formation for engaged, married couples and "troubled marriages". Here in our Consolata Center we also host Marriage Encounter and Retrouvaille Weekends. I am convinced that there is great need to witness "the gospel of the family" and that every effort must be done to curb the number of divorces that cause so much damage and suffering in families and especially in children. Jesus has come to reveal to us that forgiveness is not only possible but is source of great joy. I see this in the life of so many couples (not only in Italy but in Africa and in USA) who live daily the sacrament of their marriage and experience daily the power of forgiveness.
I wish and pray that the coming Christmas may inspire us a life of simplicity, to be mindful of the many poor, near and far away, and finally to rediscover the beauty and the values of our Christian faith.
With affection and gratitude,
My address : Missioni Consolata, via xx settembre, 56
25081 BEDIZZOLE (BS) - Italy |
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News from Malawi, Africa
Click here for more info:
Marriage Encounter membership in Malawi tops 300
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News from Ecuador: Robbery in the church
There was a thief in the church Sunday morning when we had the Mass with First Communions. It was in a small bamboo church with a tin roof. Because we had First Communions, at the preparation of the gifts we wanted to elaborate on the mystery of bread and wine becoming the Body and Blood of Christ. In addition to having hosts and a bottle of altar wine, we had an attractive loaf of bread and a plate of grapes. Well, at the beginning of Mass a dog came in and ran off with the loaf of bread. From now on, I'll have to keep an eye on the dogs and chickens that enter our churches and chapels. You can't trust them all.
On Saturday at a different place I had Mass at another chapel with a tin roof and bamboo walls. However one fourth of the roof was missing. Apparently a strong gust of wind peeled the roof like the top of a sardine can. I need to buy some wooden 2 by 2's to put on the missing section of the roof.
One disappointing note is that Father Liam Reilly, the 38 year old Irish priest, will be returning to his diocese. His bishop is calling him back. Liam's five year commitment was over 6 months ago. He was good company and I will miss him. I will have to finish building a chapel that he started. I will be finishing the walls and will put on a roof. I will have to wait for more funds before putting in a cement floor.
It is getting hotter these days. It was 92°F in my room. Tonight it should cool down to 83°F.
Father Dennis O'Brien
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Annual Report to the Vatican 2011
Tony & Cathy Witczak and Fr. Emile Frische
International Ecclesial Team, Worldwide Marriage Encounter
 | | WWME Leadership with Cardinal Antonelli in Italy |
Once again we had the privilege of representing Worldwide Marriage Encounter at the Vatican. When we are in the presence of the Cardinals in Rome, it seems surreal for us to be conversing with such learned and renowned men. How did we get here? What have we to offer? But in God's wisdom, it isn't about us. We lean heavily on your faith, and on the wonderful good news of our Weekend. As we presented our report and spoke about what you are doing around the world, we felt very proud of the huge army of lovers that serve so selflessly in our movement.
The process of getting appointments with two different Cardinals for the same week was rather stressful with many emails back and forth in the months before we left. We rely on the Italians to guide us on protocol and to help us communicate. Roberto & Maria Frangione and Fr. Giuseppe Greco, the new Ecclesial team for Italy, drove up from Salerno to join us −
twice. The first time, they got stuck in a traffic jam getting to the Mill Hill House. Lucky for us, our translators were already there. Mauro & Silvana Zambonelli had driven down from Bologna the day before, so they were able to get us to the Vatican offices. Finding our way through the maze of one-way streets to get to the Piazza San Calisto was challenging − even with their GPS, but we all arrived with time to spare − even Roberto & Maria.
There was great excitement as our party gathered in the courtyard and headed up to see Cardinal Antonelli in the offices of the Pontifical Council for the Family...
Read the rest of the 4-page report, HERE
Report on the Pan African Conference 2011
Tony & Cathy Witczak and Fr. Emile Frische
International Ecclesial Team, Worldwide Marriage Encounter
Nairobi, Kenya - September 12-18, 2011 After nearly twenty-four hours of travel, we landed in Nairobi on Thursday before the meeting. George & Salome Mwangi welcomed us at the airport and revived us with their enthusiastic greeting. We were impressed that prayer was the very first thing George & Salome thought of as we got into the car. After experiencing the Nairobi traffic, we decided that prayer was very appropriate! Vehicles, pedestrians and even animals seemed to come from all directions. George & Salome's home has plenty of space for company. There was room for us plus Michael & Françoise Njefi and Fr. Joe Ateh, the Pan Af Ecclesial Team, who arrived the next evening. Fr. Peter Gichure, their ecclesial team priest, dropped in to join us for dinner. George's mother was staying with them, but she only spoke the Kikuyu dialect, so we communicated with smiles. Three Mwangi children still live at home also: Tony, Sera and Sam. We saw them frequently during our stay, although Tony & Sera had jobs and Sam was in school most of the day. On Saturday, the three of us presented Love & Respect, the enrichment given to us by Pacific earlier this year.
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WWME group photo taken in Kenya
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Read the rest of this 7-page report, HERE.
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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 |
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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! Dear Friends and Lovers, We are happy to report that planning for Convention 2012 has been an exciting and life giving experience for all of us in Section 12 and Section 17. We look to coming together on July 13-15, 2012, in Sacramento, California.
At the request of many of you, the Early Bird registration deadline has been extended to February 28, 2012. The first 100 slots have been taken as of November 30, 2011.
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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