MARRIAGE CARE™ is designed to be a dynamic, innovative, and effective way for a parish to offer relational and spiritual support for couples in most any situation, but especially those experiencing loss, crisis, or unresolved difficulties. Through an “extended conversation,” with trained Marriage Angels! MARRIAGE CARE™ provides prayer support, guided skills and relationship insights, a Catholic witness, referrals based on a Plan of Recovery, and on-going support or accompaniment. It is “solution focused” rather than problem focused. It is about fostering hope in a Christ-centered dialogue that helps marriages get “unstuck” and “back on track.”
You might say, MARRIAGE CARE™ is a parish-based ministry for distressed couples offering timely and proximate assistance focused on solutions rather than problems, giving marriages hope and an opportunity for growth and/or rebuilding. It is temporary and intentional and makes use of the resources in the parish, the Church and the community. In every sense, it is a ministry by trained “first responders” – who we call Marriage Angels! — to assist couples with coached skills, guidance and support that can lead to Hope, Help and Healing in their marriage. We seek to do this “Sharing God’s Love & Care One Marriage at a Time.”
MARRIAGE CARE™ is a Parish-based and/or Cluster-based ministry of HOPE, HELP, and HEALING! When properly implemented and conducted by trained Marriage Angels! it is….
- IMMEDIATE – available at the first signs of a problem in a marriage
- SOLUTION-FOCUSED – a ready response to the needs of the marriage
- PROXIMATE/PARISH-BASED – close to where they live
- INTENTIONAL – a strategic and planned method
- HOPE-FILLED – focused on building hope
- TEMPORARY – single session with referrals
- THOUGHTFUL – compassion and care
- ACCOMPANIMENT – a walk with a marriage in need providing care and support throughout the crisis
- CHRIST-CENTERED – decidedly Catholic-based in witness of faith
- PRAYER-FILLED – supported with prayer by and with the Marriage Angels! and by the parish through Mary’s Mantle Ministry