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Marriage Problems

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Retrouvaille in Wisconsin + Retrouvaille 2000 + Retrouvaille Web Site

La Crosse Tribune Article on Retrouvaille, 24 August 1999

This appears as part of Father Pat's Place

The Challenge of Relationships

Someone once said "marriages may be made in heaven, but they sure take a lot of work on earth." In our society, with the pressures of conflicting demands and too little time, personal relationships are often taken for granted. With all the distractions, we easily forget that strong, caring, loving relationships take work.

Without attention and care, marriages wither. Couples slowly and quietly drift apart or are being torn apart by terrible words and actions. Many are married in name only, or just stay together "for the sake of the kids." for many, it has been ages since they knew the joy of a loving relationship.

When infidelity, alcohol abuse, or drug dependency is involved, the situation may seem eve more hopeless. Retrouvaille is helping couples put the pieces back together and rebuild loving relationships. Retrouvaille, pronounced re-tro-ví, is a French word meaning "to find one's way again" or "rediscovery." If your marriage is tearing the two of you apart, if there is little or no meaningful communication, if you are considering separation or divorce, we believe Retrouvaille can help you!

The Program is for Married Couples who are:

Anxious about their marriage relationship.

Alone or distant from their partner.

Disillusioned or bored in their marriage.

Without the time or desire to communicate.

Experiencing coldness or conflict.

Frustrated, hurt or angry with their partner.

Unable to see how to change their situation.

The program can help couples who decide to do something positive about their marriage as they try to work at rediscovering each other in a new and positive way. It is for couples who finally realize that their pain and problems in their relationship will not ease unless they are willing to work at it themselves.

Messages of Hope

Quotes from couples who have made a Retrouvaille program and are witnesses to a happier relationship:

"Retrouvaille hasn't eliminated our problems, but has given us the tools to work with. We have a better understanding of each other and the maturity to talk things out instead of fighting."

"We're not sure if God brought us to Retrouvaille, or if Retrouvaille brought us to God."

"We didn't know what to expect. We were willing to try, but not sure it would help. We were certain it couldn't hurt, and knew that if something didn't happen soon it would be too late."

"My husband didn't know how he felt about us anymore. Our weekend was a miracle. We got our marriage back on track by using our new tools."

"I felt hopeful. For us, it was a new beginning after much darkness and pain."

"The program helped me save the most valuable thing in my life."

What is a Retrouvaille Program?

The Weekend?

Retrouvaille begins with a weekend experience in which husbands and wives are helped to re-establish communication and to gain insights into themselves as individuals and as a couple. This part of the program is presented by three married couples and a priest. The team couples, who have experienced disillusionment, pain, anger, and conflict, offer hope as they share their personal stories of struggle, reconciliation and healing. You will find courage in the realization that you are not alone in your struggle.

The weekend is not a spiritual retreat, not a sensitivity group, not a seminar, not a social gathering, nor is it counseling. You will not be asked to share you r problems with anyone else. However you will be encouraged to put the past behind you, to look beyond the hurt and pain, in order to rediscover each other in a new and positive way. The Retrouvaille Weekend offers a very different message from the current secular themes of self-gratification and self-reliance. The weekend will help you discover how listening, forgiveness, communication, and the dialogue process are powerful aids for building a loving and lasting relationship.

Post Weekends

A follow-up program of seven sessions, which provide a time and place to work on your relationship, is an important phase of the Retrouvaille healing process. The hurt and the pain of falling out of love cannot be healed in a single weekend experience. This phase of the Retrouvaille program offers a more relaxed setting to explore other subjects relating to marriage and love, to renew your commitment and to develop new insights and skills.

Retrouvaille in Wisconsin

For more information and to register, call:
Dale and Mary Smiega [715] 836-1595

Twin Cities Weekend Locations

All weekends are held at the:

Yankee Square Inn
Hwy 35E and Yankee Doodle Road
Eagan, Minnesota

For more information or registration, please call:

Twin Cities Retrouvaille
19139 Orchard Trail
Lakeville, Minnesota 55044

(612) 464-5855 or
(800) 470-2230

For a registration form, Click Here.

CORE stands for Continuing Our Retrouvaille Experience." Twin Cities Retrouvaille has CORES located throughout the metropolitan area. For the location closest to you, please call: (612) 525-1681.

Hope is a Phone Call Away

Twin Cities Retrouvaille (612) 464-5855

If you wish to remain anonymous when calling for more information, you do not need to identify yourself. If you then wish to register for the program, please be assured that all names are kept confidential.

Other Minnesota Locations
Central Minnesota Retrouvaille
2508 - 14th Street South
Saint Cloud, MN 56301
(320) 255-5314 or (888) 255-5314

New Ulm Retrouvaille
Rural Route #1, Box 6
Sanborn, MN 56083
(507) 648-3699

Southern Minnesota Retrouvaille
Rural Route #4, "Box 39C
Mankato, MN 56001
(507) 386-1369

Program Costs

On the weekend, you will be asked to make a donation. One donation will cover the expenses of lodging, food, and materials for both the Weekend and the Post Weekend phase. A non-refundable registration fee is required to confirm your reservation, food and lodging. There is limited capacity so early registration is necessary. No couple is ever denied the chance to heal and renew their marriage because they are facing financial difficulties. This concern should not influence your decision to come to Retrouvaille.

Not in your area?

If the Minnesota Retrouvaille experiences are out of the question because of distance, just contact your Diocesan Offices for information of Retrouvaille near where you live. If you gain access to schedules in different parts of the country, let me know. I'll post them on this Site!

Check the Retrouvaille Web Site

It's possible to register for Retrouvaille there as well. Use the form linked below for the Minnesota Retrouvaille experiences!

Click here for a Registration Form!

Know that you are very much in my thoughts and prayers as you face marriage challenges. Marriages are worth saving, there's no doubt about that. Retrouvaille is an awesome way to recapture what was there ... and even to improve on that, by a long way!

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Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam.