Marriage Encounter celebrates 40th anniversary

Bishop John Hine with 40th anniversary couples: Chris & Mary Farrall, Tony &Janet Smith, Andrew & Gemma McKeon

The Marriage Encounter movement which has helped thousands of married couples enrich and strengthen their relationship celebrated its 40th anniversary in England & Wales with a special convention in Daventry last weekend.

Bishop Peter Doyle, the Bishop of Northampton, the diocese in which the convention was held, attended the opening ceremony and welcomed the 70 married couples, nine Catholic priests and the movement’s Episcopal Adviser, Bishop John Hine, who gathered to celebrate to 40 years of work by the organisation, which is part of the Worldwide Marriage Encounter (ME) movement.

Speaking to the convention, Bishop Doyle congratulated the movement on its 40 years of loving service as a community of faith within the Church and its work of nurturing and supporting married couples to grow in love. Also welcoming the delegates with the Bishop was Monsignor Sean Healy VG, parish priest of the local Catholic church in Daventry, Our Lady of Charity & St Augustine.

As part of the celebration the couples and priests all reflected on their first Marriage Encounter weekend, the event which is at the heart of the movement.

Tony and Pam Darroch, the couple who are part of the ME national leadership team organising the anniversary convention said: “We celebrated the wonderful achievement that is 40 years’ worth of commitment and belief in the value of marriage and discussed ways to promote the Movement into the next 40 years.

“Couples at to the convention and many others who have experienced a weekend, often after many years of marriage, speak of having a life changing experience and enjoying the delight of rediscovering each other.”

Father John Naughton, the National Team Priest added: “Marriage continues to be under threat as an institution, especially in these difficult economic times. We hope people will hear about this event and want to know more about how they can enrich their marriage.

There are five Marriage Encounter and Engaged Encounter weekends to come this year For more information, see: www.wwme.org.uk