Married couples will be given the opportunity to examine their lives together, and share their feelings, dreams, hopes and joys openly and honestly as the Catholic Archdiocees of Nassau hosts its fifth Marriage Renewal Weekend, November 4-6.  The renewal weekend will give participants the chance at a face-to-face, heart-to-heart encounter with the person they have chosen to live with for the rest of their lives.

The emphasis of marriage renewal is on the communication between husband and wife, who spend a weekend together away from the distractions and the tensions of everyday life to concentrate on each other.

It's not a retreat or a marriage clinic, nor is it a group sensitivity. It's a unique approach aimed at revitalizing the Christian marriage. It is a time for the couples to be alone together, to rediscover each other and together focus on their relationship for an entire weekend.

D'Arcy and Benita Rahming attended the weekend five years ago and will return to share their experiences as a married couple. "Five years ago our three kids were in high school.  My husband and I were working a lot and we were facing sending our first child off to university.  Talk about stress and no time for ourselves!

Our gift to ourselves was to attend the Marriage Renewal Weekend," says Rahming.  "The weekend was fantastic." Her husband said the time away allowed them to remember why they had married in the first place.

"We also had time just for us, no kids, no jobs.  I would highly recommend this weekend to all couples, whether you have been married one year or 50 years."

The renewal weekend teaches a communication technique which permits each couple to explore important areas of their relationship in a spirit of love and understanding.  By continuing the newly-acquired technique begun on the weekend, husbands and wives continually grow closer together to live more joyful and purposeful lives.

The weekend is Catholic in orientation and is expressed in the tradition and understanding of the Catholic Church.  It is open to all, and a limited number of spaces will be reserved each weekend for couples of other faiths.

Marriage Renewal weekends are held annually in November at Emmaus Centre. Additional information is available from the Office of Family Life at 322-8919 or 328-4310/2.

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