SALT LAKE CITY —Twenty couples from across the Diocese of Salt Lake City participated in the diocesan marriage enrichment retreat Feb. 23 at St. Vincent de Paul Parish’s Benvegnu Center.
At the daylong spiritual event, they heard from members of the Couples for Christ ministry, who used videos and music to share the rules of a Christian marriage and the roles of husband and wife in the family in presentations titled “To Have & To Hold” and “To Love & To Cherish.”
In “For Better Or Worse,” participants learned that the only competition there should be in marriage is to outdo each other in love and to focus on God’s vision for their marriage.
They also learned techniques and methods to improve their communication with each other. While men and women often communicate differently, when there is true listening and effective communication it can be used as a mean for expressing love, they were told.
The couples also spent time in personal reflection, couple discussion and song, and in setting goals for their marriage and family.
In a final discussion time they were asked to reflect on their marriage vows and, based on the knowledge they received at the retreat, to concentrate on specific things they can do to improve their relationship with their spouse.
They finished with a forgiveness prayer, where each took a turn expressing forgiveness and support of their spouse. Each then prayed over their spouse.
Couples of all ages participated in the retreat. The length of time they were married ranged from four years to 50 years.
“We’ve been in a rut,” said Don Granger afterward as he thanked the presenters. He added that they had given him and his wife, Polly, “a jolt of energy to better our marriage.”
Don and Polly Granger have been married 50 years. They are parishioners at St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Newman Center and also attend Mass at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church.
Among the other participants were Rob and Amy Babcock, who traveled from Duchesne to participate in the retreat. The two attend Holy Spirit Mission, where Rob Babcock will receive the Sacrament of Confirmation next month.
The Babcocks were asked by their pastor, Father Arokia Dass David, to attend the retreat and to then share what they learned with their fellow parishioners.
Also attending the retreat were Carl and Margaret Leuschner, parishioners at Holy Family Church in Ogden, who have been married for 10 years. They attended the retreat to “grow in love for each other and to support the diocese” because they knew Bishop Oscar A. Solis had chosen Couples for Christ to lead the retreat, they said.
“We appreciate the bishop taking such an interest in developing these types of programs,” Carl Leuschner said.
One of the younger couples at the retreat, Jessica and Matthew Pauly, have been married seven years and are the parents of a 2-year-old daughter, Frances. The family attends the Cathedral of the Madeleine. Jessica and Matthew Pauly had made it a goal to attend a marriage retreat early on in their marriage.
“Today has given us a time to focus on each other and not on the world,” Jessica Pauly said.
After the retreat, participants joined the St. Vincent de Paul congregation in a Mass celebrated by Bishop Solis.
At the beginning of the Mass, Bishop Solis recognized those who attended the marriage retreat.
“We salute them and affirm them in joining with us in strengthening the families of this diocese,” he said.
Later in the Mass, Bishop Solis asked all married couples in the congregation to stand, join hands and renew their marriage vows. Then he pronounced upon them a special blessing.
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