Marriage and Family Resources and Events
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The annual Wedding Anniversary Mass is for couples celebrating their 10th, 25th, 50th and over 50-year anniversaries. The Mass is held at the Cathedral of St. Raymond in Joliet, IL and formal invitations are sent out to couples whose names we receive from parishes.
The 2024 Mass will be held on Sunday, August 25, 2024, at 2 p.m. at the Cathedral of St. Raymond Nonnatus in Joliet.
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The Worldwide Marriage Encounter weekend is a positive, private experience for married couples who want to work on revitalizing their marriage. The weekend is designed to enrich and deepen the joys a couple share together and is beneficial to couples of all ages.
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The Catholic Grandparents Association (CGA) is a global association of the faithful, united in a firm belief in the important vocation grandparents have to strengthen the bonds of faith and family life through the generations. The CGA offers practical and spiritual support to nurture the vocation of grandparents, and to affirm, assist, encourage and engage grandparents in the transmission of faith within their families.
An annual Grandparents Mass is held at the Cathedral of St. Raymond Nonnatus. The 2024 Mass will be held on Sunday, September 8, 2024.
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According to the USCCB’s website, Natural Family Planning is an umbrella term for certain methods used to achieve and avoid conception. These methods are based on the observation of the naturally occurring signs and symptoms of the fertile and infertile phases of a woman's menstrual cycle.
No marriage is beyond hope.
The Retrouvaille Program is for married couples facing difficult challenges in their relationship. Those who are considering marriage separation and those who are already separated or divorced are encouraged to consider the Retrouvaille Program. There is always hope of reviving a relationship.
Some couples come to Retrouvaille during the initial signs of a marriage problem. Other couples are in a state of despair and hopelessness when they attend.
The program has three phases: 1.) the Retrouvaile Weekend Experience, 2.) follow-up sessions over the course of six to 12 weeks, and 3.) a monthly small-group support meeting, called CORE (Continuing Our Retrouvaille Experience).
The next weekend retreat is March 1 to 3, 2024, at the Carmelite Spiritual Center in Darien.
Contact
[email protected]
Phone: (815)246-2080-
Mike and Alicia Hernon have created resources to help support and encourage couples in improving their relationship and parenting in this “messy” world.
"We believe that being a good parent starts with being a great spouse. But being a good parent or even a great spouse is hard, messy work. And we're not meant to do it alone! So join Mike and Alicia Hernon on this journey, because we believe that not only is marriage and family life a path to holiness, but it’s an incredible adventure.”
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Diocesan Support Group
St. Helen’s Divorced Faith and Fellowship Club offers ongoing fellowship and peer ministry for any Catholic in the diocese who is divorced or undergoing divorce.
Our club is a welcoming and understanding group of Catholics who accompany one another on our healing journeys. We encourage one another to live a life of faith, remain in Christian community, and grow spiritually as Christians.
Upcoming Events
- Saturday, November 4, 4 to 8 p.m. — Mass at St. Mary of Gostyn followed by dinner. Contact: Lydia Finney, [email protected], (224) 392-4560
- Tuesday, November 7, 7 to 9 p.m.—Divorce Support Group meeting at St. Elizabeth Seton in Naperville (2220 Lisson Road) using the book and video series ‘Living Joy.’ Contact: John Frederick, [email protected], (480) 365-8820
- Tuesday, November 21, 7 to 8:30 p.m. Divorce Support Group social outing. Contact: John Frederick, [email protected], (480) 365-8820
- Saturday, December 2, 4 to 8 p.m. Mass at St. Daniel the Prophet in Wheaton (101 West Loop Road) followed by dinner. Contact: Lydia Finney, [email protected], (224) 392-4560
Parish Support Groups
Our Lady of Mercy in Aurora
Vine & Branches is a Grow Group at Our Lady of Mercy (OLM) that offers support and belonging to individuals of any age or faith who are divorced or separated on the way to divorce.Notre Dame in Clarendon Hills
Light of Life – Surviving Divorce is a support group aimed to share experiences, feelings, and insights in a confidential setting. Growth and healing come from the realization that God and His Church love us unconditionally.- https://notredameparish.org/light-of-life-divorce-ministry/
- (630) 654-3365 or Debbie Macaluso, (630) 601-1762
St. Elizabeth Seton in Naperville
Divorce and Beyond is a group of folks who have “been there, done that” present an opportunity for people who have suffered a divorce to gather socially and to support one another with the issues surrounding divorce.- Please register at [email protected]
- For questions or more information, please contact Deacon Gerard at [email protected]
St. Michael in Wheaton
Divorce and Beyond is a 10-week self-help group meets weekly and is focused on working through the grief and mourning process. The objective is to facilitate the process of healing and growth.- https://www.stmichaelcommunity.org/pastoralcare#divorced
- Contact: Deacon Dan Aderholdt at (630) 234-8704
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The Tribunal is directly responsible for the annulment procedures in the diocese. Through the Annulment Support Day for Petitioners (in the winter) and Annulment Information Day (in the fall), divorced Catholics investigating the possibility of an annulment are offered guidance and support in a safe and caring environment. Informational nights and other workshops are also available periodically.
