The District team addressed the convention and gave an uplifting talk.  It is no secret that for the past several years EE has seen a decline in the number of couples we see preparing for marriage.  This is a trend throughout the country and not exclusive to the Catholic Church.  Though the numbers are down we are encouraged to focus on what is positive in our ministry.  For instance the quality of the couples we are now seeing are much more positive and serious about getting married in the church.  They are more open and interested in learning more about themselves and their faith.

The district priest, Father Marco from Los Angeles, had this observation.  He has been a priest for 20 years. He said there are three times he gets to meet with couples one on one. The first is when they get married, the second is when they get their child baptized, and the third is when they are in trouble.  With all the couples he has counseled who are in trouble he always asks them what form of marriage preparation did they do.  In all his 20 years of priesthood, he has never had a couple in trouble say they went through Engaged Encounter.  Not one.

John Leonetti was one of the featured presenters who gave a very powerful talk.  His stories are too numerous to write about here. Here are some some valuable tips he offered for us couples.  1) Pray…seven minutes a day, as a couple, as a family, and even alone.  2) Fast… fasting keeps us wanting and reminds us that want we always  is God and that God should always be our primary want in our lives.  3)  Practice the Sacraments regularly…  The Sacraments are our gifts where we have direct encounters with God.  Doing all three regularly will keep God alive in our relationships and will renew our spirits.

Get to know Jon HERE

The purpose of the EE convention is to enrich the couples who work in the ministry.  All members of the EE community, not just the presenting teams are encouraged to attend.  By doing so, we enrich our marriages and learn news ways to make our ministry more effective thus providing the best marriage preparation service we can for the couples we serve.

Next year we travel to Chicago for the National Convention.  Will you join us?