Priesthood and marriage are lifelong journeys we walk together.
Just as married couples give their lives to each other, a priest shares his life in service to the church, finding ups and downs in his own journey.
In Worldwide Marriage Encounter, married couples and priests enrich, support, and learn from each other at all stages of life.
Whether you are recently ordained or have been a priest for decades, our experience can enrich your priesthood with new insights about loving relationships and how God manifests himself in your relationship with others.
Our Worldwide Marriage Encounter experience offers priests a rare opportunity to be aware of their own needs in a relaxed and private environment.
You can gain self-confidence and be more comfortable in ministry and with the people around you.
Priests who attend a Marriage Encounter learn communication tools to grow in love with their “spouse” the Church. After the experience, their feelings and thoughts often flow more freely, resulting in a deeper love, renewed and continuing dedication, and more joy in their priesthood and the relationships they have with their flock.
Reclaim the initial spark of your ordination day and live your priesthood in love, every day. Apply below!
what priests say
“What a rich experience Marriage Encounter has been for me these past 43 years. Invaluable! Worldwide Marriage Encounter has helped me become a better priest and bishop, as well as appreciate this powerful ministry in the Church.”
“It was the first time I ever felt vulnerable, and I didn’t care because my feelings aren’t right or wrong. In the past, I was so reserved, I felt so repressed. This weekend helped me to be more free. Now I can share more easily. I wish I would have done this, years ago. It will help me in my ministry now.”
“Whether you do it for your people or yourself, just take a weekend off from your ministry and make an Encounter. It was the most important weekend that I spent in my 40 years of priesthood.”
“I used to see the people as simply members of the church, but after my Marriage Encounter experience, they became like family to me. This kind of love brings real renewal to the entire church.”
“Before my experience, I thought I knew enough about priest’s life. But, after the experience, I became humbled, I truly learned a lot about the married couples’ life, their families, and how their children’s life may be changed because of their parents.”