Reconciliation may be possible even if you’re struggling or considering divorce.
Below you will find resources that could be helpful in saving and renewing your marriage.
Saving the Marriage?
Retrouvaille
People can and do change and marriages can change for the better. The many couples that have participated in the Retrouvaille Program over the years decided to make the investment in each other to continue their journey of marriage. It can be a difficult choice, but in making your decision, consider the investment you have already made in each other. Reconciliation and healing are possible if you are willing to put them behind you and look beyond the hurt and the pain in order to rediscover each other in a new and positive way. Retrouvaille can be the fresh start your marriage needs.
Pope Francis held a private audience with worldwide leaders of Retrouvaille in November 2021 to express his gratitude for helping marriages in crisis. To see the video of the Holy Father’s audience, click the video to the right. To read his full remarks, see this link.
See a recent testimony from one of their participating couples.
To our Friends in Retrouvaille,
Because of our participation in a Retrouvaille weekend one year ago, this past year was nothing short of miraculous for us as a couple, and consequently for our family and preschool aged daughter. Before attending our Retrouvaille weekend, both my wife and I had resigned ourselves to the reality that we were likely going to separate and perhaps even divorce.
As the Retrouvaille logo suggests, the Retrouvaille weekend throws a lifesaver to the couple, but it is the follow up work with the program that brings the couple back to shore safely. The weekend actually provided a life raft for us with oars, water, and even some energy bars. (Don’t worry, this is just a metaphor. They feed you much better over the weekend!) And, the follow up program, which boasts a 90% plus success rate for couples who continue to work the program in good faith, gave us the tools we need to navigate the rough waters safely. In fact, we have grown so much as a couple in this past year, committing to apply what we learned on a weekly, if not daily basis, that it is hard for us to recognize our “former” marriage.
In short, Retrouvaille helped us to let God back into the center of our marriage and our family life, and that changed everything. Of course, our growth and progress can feel like two steps forward and a step back, but persevering with process, cooperating with the special graces bestowed by the sacrament of Holy Matrimony, transformed our life together and makes each day a joy, in the midst of, and not in spite of, the challenges we still face.”
Retrouvaille is highly recommended by the Diocese as a resource for struggling marriages.
Upcoming Retreats
Worldwide Marriage Encounter
Worldwide Marriage Encounter (English) and Encuentro Matrimonial Mundial (Spanish) is a weekend for married Christian couples who value their relationship and desire a richer, fuller life together. The emphasis of Worldwide Marriage Encounter is on communication between husband and wife, who spend a weekend together away from the distractions and the tensions of everyday life, to concentrate on each other.
For WWME Retreats in English, apply online or call Nick and Jen Rivette at 760-659-9102. For Encuentro Matrimonial Mundial San Diego, contact Rosalio y Adriana Perez at 619-581-7811 or at rosalio.adriana.perez@wwme.org.
Diocesan Therapist Referral Network
The Diocesan Office for Family Life & Spirituality maintains a referral network of local therapists who are adept at integrating their clients’ Catholic faith and spirituality into their practice. Please contact the Office for Family Life and Spirituality at 858-490-8256 or your local parish for marriage counseling referrals.