CV NEWS FEED // In the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, Catholic couples have the opportunity to attend Catholic Engaged Encounter (CEE) weekend retreats as a way to fulfill marriage preparation requirements.
In a May 1 feature piece by Angelus News, two CEE volunteers, John and Amy Sabol said that their experience helping couples at the retreats, and sharing the story of their life together, has led to a strengthening of their own marriage.
“We always talk about how marriage is work,” John told Angelus News, “but we also try to tell them that it’s worth it. Being in a good relationship with your partner is worth more than anything else.”
The Sabols have been married for 50 years, and have volunteered at CEE retreats for the past 28.
Couples who attend the three-day-long CEE retreats spend time reflecting on and listening to talks centered on five major themes, according to the article: “The Family We Grew Up In,” “Sacramental Marriage,” “Communication,” “Intimacy,” and “Values.” The presentations are given by at least one priest and several married couples.
For many couples, CEE retreats prompted renewed efforts “to bring God into their union.”
“The purpose of the weekend is to help the couples dig deeper into their relationship,” John continued: “and make sure that they have discussed issues that are important to the relationship and maybe have been taking a backseat because they’re doing wedding planning.”
At the last retreat the Sabols hosted, there were 38 engaged couples from across the archdiocese in attendance. The volunteers directing the retreat delivered 14 presentations, “on topics ranging from conflict management, fertility, finances, and more.” Many couples reported that the retreat “exceeded their expectations,” and gave them a better understanding of marriage.
As CatholicVote previously reported in March, studies showed that polling revealed the top anxiety expressed by young people regarding matrimony today is the prospect of “staying together.”
According to the study, nearly 64% of younger couples said that the question they would ask couples who have been married for over 40 years would be “what is your secret to staying together?” The majority of older couples simply answered, “commitment.”
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