Catholic Charities of Salina

Foccus is a self diagnostic instrument to help couples learn more about themselves and their unique relationship. It is a tool to help couples name and work through issues before marriage.

SPONSOR COUPLE

The Sponsor Couple Program is a like-to-like ministry that is meeting basic pastoral needs for engaged couples preparing for marriage. A married couple provides the preparation on the practical, lived experience level and gives witness of the sacrament being lived out. There are five sessions which last about two hours each and take place in the home of the married couple.

ENGAGED ENCOUNTER

Engaged Encounter is a weekend in which an atmosphere is created for each couple to concentrate exclusively on one another. It is specifically designed to give a couple planning marriage an opportunity to talk honestly and intensively about their prospective lives together. It encourages the couple to concentrate on building a relationship and to develop communication skills. The weekend is presented by a team of married couples and a priest.


NATURAL FAMILY PLANNING Natural Family Planning provides an opportunity for couples to learn about their natural body signs for the purpose of planning or postponing pregnancy without intrusion of drug or mechanical devices of any kind. It is a way to help couples who have experienced infertility in their attempts to achieve pregnancy or couples who have normal fertility.

MARRIED COUPLES

MARRIAGE ENCOUNTER

Marriage Encounter is for any married couple who desires a richer, fuller life together. Presented by a team of Catholic couples and a Catholic priest, the weekend is a positive and personal experience for married couples. It offers them a technique of loving communication they can use for the rest of their lives. Marriage Encounter provides a couple the opportunity to look deeply into their relationship with each other, their families, their world and their God. It is designed to deepen and enrich the joys a couple share together, whether they have been married for only a short time, or many years.

REFOCCUS

Refoccus is designed to help couples communicate, understand and study their marriage. It has five sections that refocus their attention on the core issues of relationship. These topics touch both the "big picture" and the dailiness of marriage. It can be a sharply focused tool to help couples affirm what is strong in their marriage and help them explore areas ready for growth and/or problem solving.


RESPECT LIFE The life of each person is sacred because God has created us and called us to eternal happiness with him in Heaven. The redemptive acts of Christ touch each of us personally, assuring us of the abiding love of God the Father. Respect Life Sunday is celebrated the first Sunday of every October. Respect Life packets are available through the Family Life Office, featuring articles, a poster, flier, catalogue, and a liturgy guide.


HURTING FAMILIES RETROUVAILLE A retrouvaille weekend is designed to provide the tools to help put a couple's marriage in order again. It consists of a series of presentations or informal talks given by a team of three couples and a priest. The team presents a technique of communication that enables a couple to take a good look at most areas of their relationship. Following the presentation, the husband and wife have time in the privacy of their room to discuss the previous talk as it relates to them. This gives the couple the opportunity to rediscover each other and to examine their lives in a new and positive way. The technique learned on the weekend is further developed and used to explore additional areas of relationship, with six follow-up sessions.

SEPARATED, WIDOWED OR DIVORCED PERSONS Those who have suffered the loss of a loved one through separation, divorce or death can find healing and comfort on a retreat especially designed to help you through the grieving process. The loss can be one of life's most traumatic experiences. It can result in nearly unbearable feelings of loneliness and grief. The retreat offers the opportunity to move forward toward a new beginning in life with renewed hope and energy. The Beginning Experience Retreat is a weekend program to help the grieving, single again person move from the darkness of grief into the light of a new beginning.

RACHEL'S VINEYARD RETREATS

Rachel's Vineyard weekend retreats are a beautiful opportunity for any person who has struggled with the emotional or spiritual pain of an abortion. The retreat is a very specific process designed to help you experience the mercy and compassion of God. It is also an opportunity to surface and release repressed feelings of anger, shame, guilt and grief. There are many exercises to help you grieve the loss of your unborn child and to receive and accept God's forgiveness. The retreat concludes with a Memorial and Resurrection Service. The weekend will help your soul find a voice and transform the pain of the past into love and hope.

Rachel's Vineyard Retreats:
Aug. 8-10, 2008

For more information, please contact Donetta Robben at 1-877-447-4383 or E-mail: rachelsvineyard@salinadiocese.org.

CALENDAR AND CONTACTS

SALINA DIOCESE

ENGAGED ENCOUNTER
WHEN:      Feb. 8-10, 2008
                Mar. 7-9, 2008
                Apr. 18-20, 2008
                May 2-4, 2008
WHERE:    Capuchin Center for Spiritual Life, Victoria, KS 67671
CONTACT: Bryan & Mary Jane Bachkora
                785-625-5802, 217 W. 25th., Hays, KS 67601

MARRIAGE ENCOUNTER
COST:      $50.00 Nonrefundable plus donations
WHEN:      Apr. 25-27, 2008-Concordia
                October 24-26, 2008-Colby
CONTACT: Dave & Susan Kisner, 106 East 28th. St., Hays, KS 67601
                785-628-8952

WICHITA DIOCESE

ENGAGED ENCOUNTER
WHEN:      Feb 29-Mar. 2, 2008
WHERE:    Spiritual Life Center, 7100 E. 45th St., N. Wichita, KS 67226
                316-744-0167
CONTACT: Chris & Mary Kay Rott
                316-687-4645

MARRIAGE ENCOUNTER
WHEN:       Feb. 15-17, 2008
                 Feb. 29-Mar. 2, 2008 (Spanish Language)
WHERE:     Spiritual Life Center
                 7100 E. 45th St.
                 N. Wichita, KS 67226
                 316-744-0167
CONTACT: Alex & Mary Ann Krauska
                  316-721-1650

RETROUVAILLE
COST:       $100.00 Nonrefundable plus donations
WHEN:       Feb. 8-10, 2008
                 July 18-20, 2008
                 Oct. 10-12, 2008
WHERE:     Spiritual Life Center, 7100 E. 45th St., N. Wichita, KS 67226
                 316-744-0167
CONTACT: Tim & Betty Stolz, 316-796-0553

SALINA DIOCESE CONTACT:
                    Family Life Office            Rev. Don Zimmerman
                 P.O. Box 1366                2900 Kimball
                 Salina, KS 67402-1366    Manhattan, KS 66502
                 785-827-5135                785-776-5151

BEGINNING EXPERIENCE
COST:       $15.00 nonrefundable registration fee
WHEN:        Feb. 8-10, 2008
CONTACT: The Beginning Experience
                  P.O. Box 3152
                  Wichita, KS 67201
                  316-744-0167
                  Judy Demuth          620-430-0339

YOUNG ADULT BEGINNING EXPERIENCE (Ages 14-25)
COST:        $20.00 nonrefundable registration fee
WHEN:
WHERE:     Spiritual Life Center 7100 E. 45th St., N. Wichita, KS 67226
                 316-744-0167
CONTACT: Marnie Thaete     316-729-4437

KANSAS CITY DIOCESE

ENGAGED ENCOUNTER
WHEN:      Feb. 8-10, 2008
                Mar. 7-9, 2008
                Apr. 18-20, 2008
                June 6-8, 2008
                July 18-20, 2008
                Sept. 19-21, 2008
                Nov. 7-9, 2008
CONTACT: Eric & Debbie Zayas
                 913-782-1603

MARRIAGE ENCOUNTER
WHEN:      Feb. 8-10, 2008
                Apr. 18-20, 2008
                July 25-27, 2008
                Sept. 26-28, 2008
                Nov. 7-9, 2008
CONTACT: John & Dawn Lalumondier
                 913-642-3340

RETROUVAILLE
WHEN:       Feb. 29-Mar. 2, 2008
                 July 11-13, 2008
                 Nov. 14-16, 2008
CONTACT: 816-505-0510

BEGINNING EXPERIENCE
WHEN:      Feb. 22-24, 2008
                June 27-29, 2008
                Sept. 26-28, 2008
CONTACT: Cindy Fieser
                     913-782-1906

MARRIAGE & REMARRIAGE
WHEN:        Mar. 1-2, 2008
                  May 3-4, 2008
                  July 12-13, 2008
                  Sept. 13-14, 2008
                  Nov. 8-9, 2008
CONTACT: Linda Porter
                  913-319-2406

DODGE CITY DIOCESE

ENGAGED ENCOUNTER
CONTACT: Leon & Linda Sobba
                 116 W. 5th., Ellinwood, KS 67526
                 620-564-3095

REVISED�Feb. 8, 2008


LINKS
Retrouvaille http://www.retrouvaille.org National Marriage Encounter http://www.wwme.org/ Catholic Engaged Encounter http://www.engagedencounter.org National Association of Catholic Family Life Ministers http://www.nacflm.org Fertility Care System (Natural Family Planning) http://www.creightonmodel.com