FAQ

What is a Marriage Encounter Weekend?

The Marriage Encounter (ME) Weekend is a positive and personal experience offering you and your spouse an opportunity to learn a technique of loving communication that you can use for the rest of your lives. It's a chance to look deeply into your relationship with each other and with God. It's a time to share your feelings, hopes and dreams with each other.

The emphasis of the ME Weekend is on the communication between you and your spouse.  The Weekend provides a conducive environment for couples to spend time together, away from the distractions and tensions of everyday life, while encouraging you to focus on each other and your relationship.

It's not a retreat, marriage clinic, group sensitivity, or a substitute for counseling. It's a unique approach aimed at revitalizing your marriage. While couples listen to a series of presentations as a group, there is no group discussion.
This is a time for you and your spouse to be alone together, to rediscover each other and together focus on your relationship for an entire weekend.  Every marriage deserves that kind of attention!

Who is it for?

The ME Weekend is for every husband and wife who desire a richer, fuller life together.  A marriage can never be too good.  The Weekend is designed to deepen and enrich the joys a couple share together, whether they have been married for only a short time, or for many years.  Priests and other religious are also welcome and encouraged to attend!
 
What the Marriage Encounter Weekend is and is not?
 

ME Weekend is NOT:	ME Weekend is:
A weekend-long counselling session	The team couples and priest who facilitate the Weekend are not counsellors.  Their presentations are based on their own personal experiences and are designed to assist couples in realizing their own feelings about various aspects of their marriage.
Recruiting for the church	Although the Weekends are organised by the Roman Catholic Church, ME is an independent non-profit organization funded by member contributions, for couples of all faiths.
A group sharing experience	The sharing that takes place on a Weekend is a private experience between the individual couples in the privacy of their room.  There is no group sharing among the couples.
A solution to all your problems	The Weekend will not solve a couple's problems.  Rather it teaches a communication technique that will assist a couple in resolving their own problems.

Why would priests or other religious attend?

The Weekend is designed in such a way that both priests and religious can participate fully.  The principles of love, commitment and effective communication translate quite readily to the relationship between a priest and his parish or any group to whom he ministers as well as to a religious community.

Priests who have made a ME Weekend call the experience "life enhancing."

Is there a specific religious orientation to the Weekend?

The underlying premise is that God is a fundamental part of any successful marriage.  The spiritual dimension is an ongoing part of the Weekend as couples and priests work on improving their communications skills and enriching their relationships.
While the Weekends are presented in the Roman Catholic traditions, we are open to married couples with a valid marriage of other faith expressions.  Couples who have no particular faith orientation still find the Weekend a worthwhile and rewarding experience.

What happens at a ME Weekend?

An atmosphere is created on the Weekend in which couples can concentrate exclusively on each other.  A series of presentations is given by a team of married couples and a priest.  Each presentation allows you and your spouse a rare opportunity to look at yourselves as individuals, then to look at your marriage and relationship to one another, and finally to look at your relationship to God and to the world.  The Weekend starts at 8:00 on Friday night and runs until about 6:00 on Sunday afternoon.  This is a stay-in weekend. Lodging and meals are provided.

Does the Weekend respect the couple's privacy?

YES! The Weekend is oriented strictly to each individual couple.  You concentrate on your spouse to such an extent that you are hardly aware of the other couples present.  The presentations are given to the group as a whole.  After each presentation, the husband and wife have time in the privacy of their room for their own personal discussion.

How does a Weekend enhance a marriage?

The 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 introduced on the Weekend, husbands and wives continually grow closer together to live more joyful and purposeful lives. There are enormous pressures in today's society and there are times when we become disenchanted or take each other for granted.  When we improve our communication skills we are better equipped to deal with these challenges.

How much does the Weekend cost?

On the Weekend, you will be asked to make a donation.  This donation will cover the expenses of lodging, food, and materials for the Weekend. It is also an opportunity to invest in the future of Worldwide Marriage Encounter movement which is entirely self-supporting.
A non-refundable registration fee of $50.00 is required to confirm your reservation. There is limited capacity each month, so your EARLY registration is encouraged.

No couple is ever denied the chance to renew their marriage because they are facing financial difficulties.  This concern should not influence your decision to attend a Weekend.

Contributions made on or in connection with the ME Weekend are made confidentially.