National Marriage Enrichment speakers will address Utah Black Catholic families

Friday, Jan. 23, 2015

SALT LAKE CITY — National Marriage Enrichment speakers Andrew and Terri Lyke will give a workshop, “It Takes a Village,” for Black Catholic families on Feb. 15 at the Chancery offices in Salt Lake City. 

“The institution of marriage among African Americans has collapsed.  Some cite our history of slavery and racism as causal to the conditions that shape family life today,” said Veola Burchett, Marriage and Family Life director for the Diocese of Salt Lake City, who is sponsoring the event.

The Lykes have been involved in the marriage enrichment ministry since 1982, and founded The Arusi Network, Inc., a not-for profit organization established to educate African Americans on the skills and benefits of a Christian marriage. 

After experiencing their own marital issues, the Lykes attended Marriage Encounter, said Andrew Lyke. “That set us on a particular path, and we began to bring that Marriage Encounter message into the African American Community on Chicago’s south side.” 

In 1981, the Lykes became involved in marriage preparation for Black American couples and shaped a program for the Black American community in the Archdiocese of Chicago. 

“We developed marriage enrichment programs and Arusi evolved from there based on the Catholic understanding of what the Marriage Sacrament is,” said Terri Lyke, adding that they ran the marriage preparation program for more than 30 years. 

The Arusi message is distinguished from other Catholic marriage programs in that Arusi focuses on the fact that marriage belongs to the community. 

“It takes a village to sustain a marriage,” said Andrew Lyke. “There are stakeholders in the village who encourage us, support us and remind us of the promises we make. In turn, we are intentional about being accessible and available in the community, which adds strength to the community itself.” 

Marriage is a sacrament of service and each couple has its strengths and gifts. “We all have those things we do, those things God asks us to let shine. That is why we have Church and that is why it is important for the parish to see couples together at Mass, said Andrew.

“The African American community has the lowest marriage rate of all measured groups, and at the same time the highest divorce rate,” he added. “They are on the leading edge of the decline of marriage, so there is a greater urgency for them to hear this message; it is presented within a context of crisis. Not only does it take a village, it takes a Catholic village to sustain a marriage because the Catholic Church has something that other denominations don’t have. We have a resilience that is our legacy as Catholics, our Catholic imagination that makes the invisible God visible, touchable and deep within us because of our understanding of the marriage Sacrament and that is what we will explore. The sacrament empowers, equips, engages and enriches us and families.” 

Every child needs a married couple as a role model, said Terri. “That may not be in the immediate family, but couples who are married can assist single-parent families and be responsible, be visible and let that child see the family happening. The married families need to partner with single-parent families to give single mothers or fathers a break so the child can see how married couples interact so they won’t repeat the same single-parent pattern. The Church wants to see man and woman together raising the children together.” 

 

What: Workshop for Black Catholic families, “It Takes a Catholic Village” 

When: Sunday, Feb. 15, 2-4 p.m. 

Where: Chancery offices, 303 E. South Temple, Salt Lake City 

For information, contact Veola Burchett, veola.burchett@dioslc.org or 801-328-8641.