What Couples Say

“We came as individuals, Marriage Enrichment made us a team again.”


“It was a new beginning for us.”


“We came because we thought we needed a new spark, but found we needed a complete overhaul.”


“I was relieved to find out that other couples face the same challenges.”


“We found the love we had misplaced."


”Marriage Enrichment brought us closer to Christ and to each other.”

History


HISTORICAL HIGHLIGHTS

The 1970's

  • Adult Education Series on Marriage (1973, Queen of Heaven Parish, Albuquerque, New Mexico)  -  precursor to the first Weekend.
  • First Marriage Enrichment Weekend (Weekend) was in 1974 at Queen of Heaven Parish.
  • Development of the Weekend marriage formation process, leadership, and teams.
  • Formation of steering committees to provide sustaining program within sponsoring churches.
  • Leadership based on servant-leadership approach.
  • Program expansion throughout the Archdiocese of Santa Fe.
  • Engaged-Couple Enrichment program developed.
  • Recognition as a family life ministry.

The 1980's

  • Development of Weekend follow-up program and activities
  • Workshops developed to support the Weekend and expansion of the program included Weekend formation process, leadership, program organization and coordination, and unity of purpose.
  • Annual conferences (initially called congresses) with  focus on ministry development and network.
  • Program reviewed and endorsed by the Vatican (1983).
  • Expansion of program to other faiths (Lutheran and Methodist congregations).
  • National and international character  - expansion throughout New Mexico, to other states, and to Mexico.
  • Weekends in Spanish.
  • Development of the Married-Couple Support Groups program.

The 1990's

  • New and updated materials to support the programs and ministry  - with copyright and trademark of logo.
  • New videos development and produced.
  • Development of the Marriage Renewal and Education program.
  • Strategic planning for the future.
  • Organizational restructuring to support ministry expansion  -  including the ministry becoming a non-profit corporation in February 1998.
  • First financial grant obtained for a special project.

The New Millennium

  • Infrastructure in place to support ministry expansion.
  • Website developed.
  • New programs developed:  Married-Couple Retreat, Celebrations of Marriage, and Youth Dating and Healthy Relationships.
  • Ministry promotion at the national level.
  • Establishment of an endowment.
  • Articles on the ministry in national magazines.
  • National trademark registration obtained on Marriage Enrichment Journey ® .
  • Ministry transferred to the Archdiocese of Santa Fe in 2012.
  • Ministry celebrates 42th Anniversary in 2016.

 

HISTORY DOCUMENT

A detailed history of this ministry is in the document: "History of the Marrage Enrichment Ministry 1974-2014."  Ir is available via download in the Materials / Purchase Publications Section. 

  

 

 


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