World Marriage Day

 


World Marriage Day (WMD), sponsored by the Worldwide Marriage Encounter movement, honors husband and wife as the foundation of the family, the basic unit of society, and is celebrated annually throughout the world on the second Sunday of February. It salutes the beauty of faithfulness, sacrifice and joy in daily married life.  In 1993, his Holiness, Pope John Paul II, imparted his Apostolic Blessings on World Marriage Day.

For a complete set of resources from the U.S. Catholic Bishops visit -www.foryourmarriage.org/celebrate-national-marriage-week/

National Marriage Week USA  (every February 7 – 14) - launched in 2010 as part of an international event to strengthen marriage in communities, and promote marriage as a social and cultural benefit leading to greater health, longevity and happiness. nationalmarriageweekusa.org

Marriage-Strengthening Initiative of the Diocese of Trenton  - launched in 2015 to strengthen and sustain marriages through every stage of married life, and to enable all married couples to live out their baptismal call through their vocation of service to others. 
buildingstrongmarriages.org

Peg Hensler, Diocesan Associate Director of Marriage Ministries and NFP, writes about National Marriage Week:

• National Marriage Week: recognizing marriage as a sacrament of service 

During Mass…

• Full Clergy Packet

• Liturgy Helps for Celebration of the Eucharist

• Preaching/homily on marriage

• Blessing of married couples (see clergy packet)

• Re-Affirmation of marriage vows

• Prayer of the Faithful - Petition(s) for marriage

• Presider leads assembly in prayer for marriage

• Three-minute pulpit talk (brief witness by a married couple)

• Coffee and Donut parish reception after Mass – single rose or prayer cards for married couples

• Kick off of Beloved Series – show promotional video at reception      

• Pot luck dinner with playlist for dancing (Saturday evening or Sunday brunch)

• Afternoon or Evening of Reflection for married couples (Speaker list available)

• Novena for Marriage

• Cana Rosary 

• Lawn signs for Marriage Awareness

• Holy Hour for Marriage

• Parish Flash Mob for Marriage (see video below) 
  -- "Happily Married" Sign for Diocese of Trenton (for flash mob)
  -- Instructions for 

• “Beloved” Series (Augustine Institute) 

• “Choice Wine” Series (Paradisus Dei)

•  “Happy Together Six Dates for Catholic Couples” Series series 

• Alpha in the Catholic Context 

• Couple Prayer Series 

• Marriage Encounter Weekends 

• Mini Retreat for Married Couples with Lectio Divina

• Come Lord Jesus 

• Couple Bible Study – Marriage and Salvation History

• Parish Marriage Ministry

• Movie, dessert and discussion – Choose a Christian Movie from Netflix

Help for Troubled Marriage

• Retrouvaille

• Parish Counseling Program 

Resources for Married Couples 

• Bringing Your Marriage into the Church (convalidation) 

• Remarriage in the Church 

• Interfaith Marriage 

• Resource list for marriage and family (books, pamphlets, articles, videos)

• www.foryourmarriage.org (A web resource of the U.S. Catholic Bishops)