Marriage Enrichment

 

Marriage Enrichment

For married couples, second only to our relationship to God, our relationship to our spouse is the most important priority in in our life. It is also the key to our happiness and sense of fulfillment in our vocation to married life. In fact, researchers have shown that on a purely human level, happily married couples have stronger immune systems and live healthier longer lives.

The Domestic Church

There is also an important spiritual dimension to marriages. Families formed through marriage are understood to be the Domestic Church. For married couples, the family is the spiritual center of their lives together. 

Parish Activities

For more information on these parish activities please contact Deacon Scott McKellar

Finding Joy in Your Marriage: Understanding, strengthening, and repairing your relationship.

A Twelve-Week Couple Journey (January - March 2021)
 





Light-Life/Domestic Church Movement

Light+Life Retreat and formation process. (Spring 2021) Return soon to see parish retreat dates and more information.

What is the Light-Life/Domestic Church Movement?

The Light-Life Movement was founded in Poland in 1973 by, Servant of God, Fr. Franciszeck Blachnicki, with the support, and guidance, of his bishop, Karol Wojtyla (later St. John Paul II). This movement was developed for married couples as the Domestic Church Movement, focusing on living vibrant Catholic spirituality in the midst of the world, through marriage and family life.

More information can be found at the Domestic Church website and on our diocesan site. 

Diocesan Resources

KC Worldwide Marriage Encounter

Couples who make Worldwide Marriage Encounter weekends not only rediscover the joy, intimacy & romance in their relationships, but also become more active in their parish. Together, we are making marriages, families and our Church stronger & healthier.

For more information or to register for a weekend please visit wwme4youandme.org.



School of Love

School of Love’s mission is to deepen Catholic marriages and families in faith and in love, through continual formation programs and materials that are spiritual, intellectual, and relational.

School of Love provides ways for couples and their children to grow deeper in the faith while simultaneously growing deeper together in marriage and family. 

School of Love Events

DATE NIGHT: Every first Thursday, we start your date with appetizers, happy hour, and a brief talk on: faith, marriage, family... you finish your date at home or out on the town. (Event is FREE... Babies under 1 are welcome.)

Visit the DATE NIGHT event page for more details!


First 5: A Firm Foundation for Marriage

First 5 is an outreach to support engaged and newly married couples in their first five years of marriage by connecting couples as they grow in their faith and marriage.

First 5 meets on a Thursday evening, once per month, from 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., either at the home of a lead couple or, currently, via Zoom online. To receive an invitation including the link for the meeting, please email wombwellfamily@gmail.com. 

Help for your Marriage

Retrouvaille

Designed to assist couples in re-establishing communication and insights to their marital relationship. Retrouvaille is a process that leads to a healing of relationships for couples either contemplating a divorce or already have divorced and hope to reconcile differences. 

For more information visit the KC page on their national website, or their local website.
To register confidentially, please call (816) 505-0510. 

Catholic Counselors and Therapists

We highly recommend getting a referral from a priest or other trusted source before searching for a Marriage and Family Therapist.

Dcn. Tony Zimmerman at the Archdiocese of Kansas City, KS has compiled a list of trusted counselors on their Archdiocesan website. Catholic Counselors

CatholicTherapists.com provides another a great reference for Catholic marriage counselors including the following people:

Michael Ciaccio MS, LPC, SATP
Chris Ellman, MSW, LCSW, SATP, CSAT
Mark Martinez, MA, LPC
Julia Kovac- Therapist



Center for Healing 

Local Catholic therapist, Michael Ciaccio, is also the Director of the Center for Healing, which includes the Catholic therapists Chris Ellman, Mark Martinez, Julie Nielsen and a number of other trusted counselors such as Abbey Foard. These therapists can be reached through the center’s website. Schedule a Session


Separated, Divorced, Widowed

 


Experiencing Loss

There are many events in our life that can cause us to experience grief and loneliness. Widows and widowers will understandably face loneliness and grief as they are forced to experience life without their spouse.

The loss suffered by separation and divorce is also accompanied by many challenges related to the care of children, legal issues, difficult finances along with spiritual and emotional hardship.

Grief Support Resources

Parish Resources

St. Therese Grief Support Group--more information soon (Spring 2021)

Contact Dcn. Scott McKellar

Other Resources

“Coping with Life Alone” - Peer-To-Peer Grief Support 

"Coping with Life Alone ®" is a Beginning Experience ® grief support program that meets each week for 8 weeks.  The program helps those who have lost a love relationship due to death, divorce or separation, move through the experience of grief and loss into a future with renewed hope. Contact Donna at (816-305-3760), 

or visit the Beginning Experience Ministry website, or locally at Beginning Experience KC 


Divorced and Separated

If you are a Catholic who is undergoing divorce, we understand that this is an extremely difficult process. The Catholic Church, and St Therese parish are here to accompany you. We do not want you to feel to feel isolated or cut off from the Church. Please feel free to reach out to us for the support and ministries you deserve in this difficult time.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has prepared the following information sheet with common misconceptions and questions about divorce which you may find helpful. Divorce FAQ

Domestic Violence

If a spouse is causing grave danger to the other spouse, or to their children, the Catholic Church permits and even encourages physical separation from that spouse. In this case, you should get help right away.

Please view the following video by our Pastor, Fr. Joe Cisetti with Resources for Coping during the Pandemic.

Resources for Coping

Parish Support

Divorce & Separated Support Group

Fall and Spring 5-week series in support of those who are separated or divorced.

Contact: John Henke, or Dcn. Scott McKellar for more information

Other Diocesan Resources

The following programs and ministries are approved and supported by the Diocese of Kansas City - St. Joseph.  

Journey of Hope- Divorce Recovery program

Beginning Experience

Retrouvaille 

The Dangers of Pornography

Although pornography has become ubiquitous in our society, it is extremely harmful to marriages and may even lead to addictive behavior and sexual dysfunction. Mounting scientific evidence indicates that "Pornography poses a serious threat to couple intimacy and relationship harmony." Leading marriage researchers Dr. John and Julie Gottman recently published An Open Letter on Porn in which they summarize modern research on its negative effects.

Diocesan Resources:

My House Initiative 

Safer Families, Happier Marriages, Freedom, and Healing

My House is a diocesan initiative to foster the virtue of chastity and increase awareness of the effects of pornography on society.  If you've been harmed by pornography, there is support and healing.

For Confidential Help Call:
816-808-6544  

Online Resources


Courage & EnCourage

Courage and EnCourage in Kansas City and St. Joseph

The international Courage and EnCourage Apostolates assist the faithful who experience same-sex attraction to live the Gospel in their daily lives.  The priests, deacons, and laity who serve in this work welcome all people of good will to participate in this community of fellowship, even if they are not Catholic. 

Courage helpline 913-428-9893

Courage

Courage Kansas City is the local chapter of the Courage Apostolate.  We offer spiritual support to Christian men and women with same-sex attractions who desire to live chaste lives in accordance with the teachings of Scripture and Catholic moral teaching. Courage Kansas City is a collaborative effort of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas and the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph. We have groups that meet on both sides of the state line in the KC Metro area and in St. Joseph, Missouri on a regular basis.

EnCourage: support for families of those with same-sex attraction

EnCourage KC is a spiritual support group for family members and friends of loved ones with same-sex attraction. Monthly meetings are held at a location convenient for those throughout the KC metro area. Please call the Helpline number if you are interested in this support group. The Courage Apostolate has some great resources on their EnCourage site.

 


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