Events in March and April

March 8 - 10, 2013 
Beginning Experience weekend program
This program is for those who have been confronted with
the loss of a spouse through death, separation or divorce.
It is designed to help them through the early stages of
grief and loss when adjustment is very difficult.
Contact Kim for more information (816) 739-4733
www.beginningexperience.org

April 12-14, 2013 
Marriage Encounter Weekend
Worldwide Marriage Encounter is a weekend getaway
that helps married couples rediscover themselves as individuals and as a couple.
The Weekend is God-centered and comes out of the roots of the Christian faith.
Contact Deacon Tony & Barb Zimmerman (816)741-4066
www.wwme.org

April 18, 2013  -  7:00pm-8:30pm   free
The Catholic Center—20 W. 9th St. Kansas City, MO 64105
Making Our Home Safe
Presented by Michael Ciaccio, M.S., P.L.P.C.,
and Dino Durando.  
A workshop for parents and pastors highlighting practical
ways we can make our homes safe by developing an atmosphere of transparency,
trust and accountability in our use of the internet, media and computer devices.
Please RSVP   durando@diocesekcsj.org    (816)714-2371

Married Saint Of The Month: Blessed Giuseppe Tovini

Beatified in 1998, Giuseppe Tovini may not be a name that is familiar to readers. Giuseppe Antonio Tovini was born in 1841 into a devout family in far northern Italy, the eldest of seven children...
He progressed through school to university, where he chose to study the law. But before he finished his studies, his life took a more difficult turn, as first his father and then his mother died, leaving him to support his younger brothers and sisters...
Even though Giuseppe was busy with work and public activities, he and Emilia had a happy domestic life. He
made a point of writing letters to her whenever he had to be away from home. Their family steadily grew and
they welcomed ten children over the 22 years they were married. Emilia and Giuseppe ran a strict but loving household. They particularly believed that it was important to teach their children the faith and to pass on a strong work ethic. Although Giuseppe had high expectations of his children, he was known as patient and gentle father…
Giuseppe’s open involvement in both civic life and Catholic organizations at that time in Italy’s history
took courage. Anti-Catholic sentiment was strong during the period of Italy’s unification…
Describing Tovini at his beatification, Pope John Paul II said, “He was able to combine his vocation as husband and father of a family with his commitment to many Catholic initiatives.” Sometimes saints (rightfully)
stand out to us because the circumstances of their lives have been extraordinary. We might be surprised to
find that Giuseppe Tovini’s life, while very full, resulted in his beatification. Blessed Giuseppe Tovini shows us
that the virtues of integrity and courage can thrive even in the ordinary busyness of work and family life.

Read the rest of the article on Blessed Giuseppe Tovini at www.foryourmarriage.org/married-saint-of-themonth-blessed-giuseppe-tovini/

Healing & Reconciliation: Hallmarks of Retrouvaille Program

Retrouvaille began in 1977 as a French language weekend for hurting marriages in the province of Quebec, Canada. It was adapted to English by the community in Toronto, who also revised and strengthened the contents of the weekend and developed the post-weekend programs. Retrouvaille is Catholic in origin and has spread through the U.S.A., South America and into many other countries around the world. Couples
of all faiths and those with no faith tradition are welcome and encouraged to attend.
No attempt is made to convert anyone to a religion. Saving a marriage is our focus. The ultimate goal of Retrouvaille is solely to help save marriages.
The word Retrouvaille™ (pronounced retro-vi with a long i.) is a French word meaning rediscovery. The program offers tools needed to rediscover a loving marriage relationship. Thousands of couples headed
for cold, unloving relationships or divorce have successfully overcome their marriage problems by attending the program. The next upcoming Retrouvaille weekend is February 22-24, 2013.
The Goals of Retrouvaille 
The primary goal is to provide help for couples who live in the disappointment and pain of a marriage problems. The weekend provides a safe setting encouraging couples to learn communication in marriage in a respectful manner. The post-weekend phase of the Retrouvaille program is as critical to a couple experiencing marital problems as the initial weekend experience. The degree of disappointment, deterioration and despair in hurting marriages cannot be healed in one weekend. Restoration takes time. The post-weekend sessions provide support as couples discuss concepts of the importance of communication in marriage, intimacy, and many other topics. Today's unchallenged acceptance of divorce suggests that
many friends, families, church communities are providing only limited support for marriages. Retrouvaille is a program that is solely dedicated to providing the necessary support to help save marriages.
The Retrouvaille Program consists of a weekend phase combined with a series of 6-12 post-weekend sessions over 3 months. It provides the tools to help put your marriage in order again and gives
couples and opportunity to rediscover each other and examine their lives together in a new and positive way.
Retrouvaille has a vision statement that sums up the work they do. “The unchallenged acceptance of divorce has infected our world with hopelessness, but we believe that every marriage deserves the opportunity to survive, be healed and thrive as a covenant of life and love. Retrouvaille is the place where we, as hurting couples, found hope and so we are passionately committed to dramatically increasing the number of couples served in both new and existing communities worldwide. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we will use our talents and gifts to promote and spread the healing ministry of Retrouvaille.”
How do I find out more? 
Please visit www.retrouvaille.com for registration, events, and more detailed information.
Find out more about what they have to offer in Kansas City by contacting the local coordinators Jerry & Kim Bronder (816) 718-6046  
Email: retrouvaillejerrykim@gmail.com