Worldwide Marriage Encounter
Massachusetts / Rhode Island Area
Frequently Asked Questions
(Note: Clicking on these links will scroll down to the relevent section of this page.)
- What is a Worldwide Marriage Encounter?
- Who is it for?
- Why would priests or other religious attend?
- Do we have to be Catholic?
- What happens at a Worldwide Marriage Encounter weekend?
- Does the Weekend respect a couple's privacy?
- How does a Worldwide Marriage Encounter enhance a marriage?
- Our marriage is under stress, and we're considering separation or divorce. Is Worldwide Marriage Encounter for us?
- How much does a Weekend cost?
- Do you offer a similar experience for engaged couples?
- How do we register for a weekend?
- Can legally married same-sex couple attend a WWME Weekend?
- Is there a difference between Worldwide Marriage Encounter and National Marriage Encounter?
- What happened to Worldwide Marriage Encounter in Boston, Worcester, and Springfield?
- Where can I get more information?
What is a Worldwide Marriage Encounter?
Worldwide Marriage Encounter is designed to give married couples the opportunity
to examine their lives together . . . a time to share their feelings, hopes,
disapointments, joys and frustrations . . . and to do so openly and honestly
in a face-to-face, heart-to-heart encounter with the one person they have
chosen to live with for the rest of their lives.
The emphasis of the Worldwide Marriage Encounter weekend is on communication between husband and wife, who spend a weekend together away from the distractions and tensions of everyday life, to concentrate on each other.
It's not a retreat, nor a marriage clinic, nor group sensitivity. It's a unique approach aimed at revitalizing Christian Marriage.
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?
Any married couple who desires a richer, fuller life together. A marriage
can never be too good. Worldwide Marriage Encounter is designed to deepen
and enrich the joys a couple shares together, whether they have been married
for only a short time, or many years.
Worldwide Marriage Encounter also provides support and encouragement to priests and other religious who are dedicated to their vocation in life. A Marriage Encounter is designed to deepen and enrich the joys a priest shares with his "spouse", the people that he serves.
Why would priests or other religious attend?
The Worldwide Marriage Encounter 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 an Encounter weekend
call the experience "life enhancing." Worldwide Marriage Encounter invites
you to attend. Please take advantage of our networking process by which
we can help you get a replacement for the weekend you choose to attend.
Do we have to be Catholic?
The weekend is Catholic in orientation, and is expressed in the tradition
and understanding of the Catholic Church. It is open to all, and so a certain
number of spaces are reserved each weekend for couples of other faiths.
What happens at a Worldwide Marriage Encounter weekend?
A series of presentations are given by a team of Catholic couples and a
Catholic 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, the Church, and to the world. The weekend starts at 8:00 on Friday
night and runs until about 5:30 on Sunday afternoon.
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 Worldwide Marriage Encounter enhance a marriage?
The encounter 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.
Our marriage is under stress, and we're considering separation or divorce.
Is Worldwide Marriage Encounter for us?
No. Worldwide Marriage Encounter is for couples experiencing the usual ups
and downs of married life, not situations that threaten your relationship.
You should contact an organization like Retrouvaille.
If you're unsure whether a Worldwide Marriage Encounter weekend is appropriate for your situation, call us and we can help discern which program would be right for you. You can call us at 800-710-WWME (or 978-870-5646).
How much does the weekend cost?
A $50 non-refundable registration fee confirms your food and lodging.
At the end of the weekend, each couple is given a blank envelope and asked
to make a free-will donation. No one is ever refused the opportunity to
make a weekend because of lack of funds.
Do you offer a similar experience for engaged couples?
No, but there is a similar experience available, called Engaged
Encounter. These weekends are offered locally within each diocese.
You should contact your local parish for information about this and other
marriage preparation programs that are available. Here are links to Engaged
Encounter sites within Massachusetts:
Boston,
MA
Fall
River, MA
Worcester, MA
Can legally married same-sex couple attend a WWME Weekend?
Unfortunately, no. Worldwide Marriage Encounter is for couples who have a valid marriage recognized by the Roman Catholic Church, i.e., a union of one man and one woman. Couples not meeting that definition are not permitted on a WWME Weekend or Experience.
How do we register for a weekend?
You can fill out an on-line preliminary registration
form.
Is there a difference between Worldwide Marriage Encounter (WWME)
and National Marriage Encounter (NME)?
Yes. NME is not based in any particular faith, and is designed "to promote
and encourage marriage and family life". By contrast, WWME is rooted in
faith; in our case in the Roman Catholic Church. The stated fundamental
mission of WWME is to renew the Church by strengthening the Sacraments of
Matrimony and Holy Orders, and provide ongoing support for couples and priests.
Click here for more information.
What happened to WorldwideMarriage Encounter in Boston, Worcester, and
Springfield?
In the summer of 2002, the leadership of the New England section of Worldwide
Marriage Encounter decided that these areas (and also the Fall River area)
would consolidate and become the Massachusetts area. This consolidation
should reap many benefits for couples and priests who are searching for
a Weekend, who are already Encountered, or who present weekends.
Where can I get more information?
If you have additional questions, email us at <
> or fill out this feedback form. You
can also call us at 800-710-WWME (or 978-870-5646).
More information is also available at the Worldwide Marriage Encounter National organization web site.
eMatrimony.org
Supporting, Encouraging, and Challenging the WWME Community
You may search for other Worldwide Marriage Encounter weekends at the WWME Weekend Database
World Marriage Day and World Priest Day.
Other local Worldwide Marriage Encounter web sites:
New England, Section
1
Connecticut
Maine
New Hampshire
Vermont
The Archdiocese of Boston
The Diocese of
Worcester
The Diocese of
Springfield
The Diocese of
Fall River
The Diocese
of Providence
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Last updated July 12, 2008
Copyright © 2002-2008 by Ralph & Jane Becker < >, All Rights Reserved
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