Marriage resources on the web

I was reviewing a recent edition of a newsletter put out by the Department for Family Life of the Archdiocese of Montreal, and I came across a series of on-line resources meant to help boost marriage and family life.

• Engaged Encounter

  Engaged Encounter is meant for couples preparing for marriage. It focuses on the marriage itself, deals with marriage as a sacrament, and provides couples with the opportunity to dialogue honestly and to listen to one another lovingly in preparation for life together.

• Billings Ovulation Method

  The Billings Method is a natural (and cost-free) alternative to other methods of family planning (i.e. those based on artificial contraception). It is also in accordance with the teachings of the Catholic Church and acceptable to all cultures and creeds.

• World-Wide Marriage Encounter

  Marriage Encounter is a spirituality movement that is meant for marriage enrichment. It’s philosophy is “making a good marriage even better”.

• Retrouvaille

  This movement began here in Quebec. According to the English website, the word “retrouvaille” is French for “rediscovery”, but as a French speaker I can tell you that the nuance is even richer than that. “Retrouvaille” is what happens when a family has a reunion, or when old friends get together after a long time. It is a happy “picking up where we left off”. Indeed, this is the point of this movement: it is meant for couples whose marriage is presently not going well, but who can nevertheless remember happier times. A Retrouvaille experience is meant to help that couple “pick up where they left off” the spark of their marriage, in the hopes of re-igniting their love — a valuable ministry in our society today.

• Separated and divorced Catholics

  It is sadly true that some marriages do fail, and this can be a bewildering and painful time for Catholics who live this experience. Separated and Divorced Catholics is a spiritual direction movement meant to help those Catholics whose marriages have ended to nevertheless continue their walk with God with the Church at their side.