Ricardo and Melvern Demeritte were one of 54 couples whose marriages totaled 2,045 years and who were honored with a special evening prayer and benediction held recently by the Catholic Archdiocese of Nassau.
The Demerittes, whose marriage is on year 25, were among couples who were celebrating 25, 35, 45, 50 and even 60 years of marriage who were recognized as they renewed their marriage vows and received certificates from Archbishop Patrick Pinder.
The couple attributed part of achieving their silver anniversary to attending the church's 2010 Marriage Renewal Weekend.
"Marriage retreats are especially important to keeping a Christian marriage working," said Ricardo, who attends St. Anselm's Parish with his wife.
"The enrichment of the weekend helps to focus on areas that may have gotten neglected over the years. And coming back to assist other couples and journey with them was even more enriching for me," said Demeritte, who is also a deacon in the church.
His wife, who agreed, added that she enjoyed the interaction with other couples during the sessions.
"Each session introduces a topic, and the lead couple shares some of their experiences, but the discussion is private between husband and wife," she said.
The Marriage Renewal program is a unique approach aimed at revitalizing the Christian marriage. It is designed to give married couples the opportunity to examine their lives together. It is a time for them to share their feelings, hopes, disappointments, joys and frustrations -- and to do so openly and honestly in a face-to-face, heart-to-heart encounter with the people they have chosen to live with for the rest of their lives.
The emphasis of marriage renewal is on 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 is a time for couples to rediscover each other and together focus on their relationship.
The weekend encompasses a series of presentations made by a team of Catholic couples and a Catholic priest. Each presentation allows spouses the opportunity to look at themselves as individuals, to look at their marriages and their relationship to one another, and to look at the couples' relationship to God, the church and the world.
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Nassau's ninth Marriage Renewal Weekend will be held February 12-14. It is open to married couples of all denominations. Information can be obtained from the Office of Family Life at 322-8919 or 328-4310/2.
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