BEAUTIFUL. MESSY. WORTH IT!
Every couple desires to have a happy and joy-filled marriage. How do our intentions, desires, and hopes for our marriage become a reality? We know that marriage is beautiful and amazing; it is also messy and requires ongoing effort for it to thrive. We believe that the powerful love of man and woman reflects God’s image to each other as well as to the world around us. Thankfully, God does His greatest work in the messiness of our humanity. Our hope is that all marriages will thrive and that you, along with us, will do the necessary work to help your marriage be what God desires it to be.
Your marriage is worth it.
Art of Living offers several programs for engaged couples preparing for marriage or for married couples who desire to grow, need a reboot, or are on the verge of quitting.
THESE PROGRAMS ARE FACILITATED BY PAUL AND GRETCHEN GEORGE
Paul and Gretchen George have been married for 26 years. They have 5 children and a son-in-law: Marie & her husband Matt, Jacob, Sarah, Clare, and Addie. They have found great joy and healing through their marriage and embrace being an imperfect couple and family in pursuit of Christ. Paul is a consultant, author, and speaker. Gretchen is a realtor. They live in Lafayette, LA.
VIRTUAL OPTIONS
[MARRIED] is a one-day virtual retreat that seeks to help couples have marriages that thrive, not just survive. Paul and Gretchen George present engaging sessions throughout the day, using humor and testimonies of their own journey to share the important message of unity. When couples can embrace the beauty and the messiness, marriages become what they are meant to be.
[ENGAGED] is a one-day virtual retreat that seeks to prepare engaged couples for the Sacrament of Matrimony and every day after. Paul and Gretchen George present engaging sessions throughout the day, using humor and parts of their own story to present the importance of properly preparing for marriage. When couples begin the hard work now, marriages will start off with a firm foundation, an understanding of how God intended marriage to be, and how God desires us to live out our vocation.
MARRIED COUPLES RETREAT
Renew is a Catholic ministry that seeks to bring Christ into the world, renew people’s hearts for God, and help rebuild the missionary call of The Church. We provide authentic encounters with Christ, equip people and organizations with effective resources for the journey, and engage in meaningful consultation to assist others in fulfilling their personal and organizational mission. One of the ways we do this is through our Married Couples Retreat model.
Married Couples Retreats are relaxed, enjoyable experiences that help you renew your Sacrament by giving you the opportunity to spend time together, celebrate your relationship’s joys and strengths, and deepen your appreciation of each other while providing you with the time to be together, rest together, and have fun together. Your weekend, set in a beautiful home on scenic property, will include meaningful opportunities to be refreshed both individually and as a couple. Sessions focus on fostering unity with Christ and one another and the weekend incorporates on-going small group sessions and free time.
"The family, which is founded and given life by love, in a community of persons: of husband and wife, of parents and children, of relatives…with love the family is not a community of persons and, in the same way, without love the family cannot love, grow and perfect itself as a community of persons." - JPII