Written by Carol Baass Sowa for Today\u2019s Catholic<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When COVID-19 forced cancellation of the Beyond Cana\u00ae ministry\u2019s marriage enrichment retreat last October, Dave and Jo Anne Dimitriou, the leads for its outreach team, were determined it would be merely a postponement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Searching for a way to continue to reach out to married couples despite restrictions of the worsening pandemic, Jo Anne, who had been telecommuting for her job with the U.S. Air Force, hit upon holding the event as a Zoom meeting. \u201cWe thought, \u2018You know, that might work,\u2019 says Dave, \u201cand I think it\u2019s going to, because we already have 75 couples signed up.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Beyond Cana prayerfully endeavors to provide life-long tools to renew and strengthen Christ-centered marriages from a Catholic perspective, with an understanding of marriage as sacrament.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Initiated at St. Francis of Assisi Parish around 20 years ago, the ministry\u2019s first retreat took place in January 2002, a collaborative effort of then-pastor Msgr. James Henke, pastoral associate Sister Frances Briseno, OSB, and parishioners Ken and Pixie Koch, who had developed a personal marriage enrichment program that had proved successful in their marriage for over 10 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since then, the Beyond Cana ministry has extended beyond St. Francis of Assisi to other local parishes, including St. Mark the Evangelist, St. Luke, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and Prince of Peace, plus is also in Dallas. Couples from Alaska and New York are attending the revamped Zoom retreat this month, with an eye to establishing the ministry there. \u201cWe did not realize how many people would be interested in this type of event,\u201d notes Jo Anne of their new adaptation. Dave estimates that, at last count, around 550 persons have participated in the retreats over the years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Dimitrious participated in their first Beyond Cana retreat in 2008. \u201cThis was one of those ministries that touched our hearts,\u201d says Jo Anne, \u201cand we\u2019ve been involved with the Beyond Cana ministry ever since.\u201d When the Kochs stepped down from their leadership role in recent years, the torch was handed on to the Dimitrious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Instead of the usual two-and-a-half-day weekend retreat, which had originally been scheduled for the Oblate Renewal Center, the pandemic-influenced version is a no-cost event but with registration required and open to all married couples, regardless of marriage length or participants\u2019 ages. Spread out over four, one-hour Thursday evenings, February 4, 11, 18 and 25, as a Zoom event, it featured a panel of four couples from different walks of life discussing marriage and COVID-19 on the first night; Father Roger Keeler, OMI, of Oblate School of Theology speaking on the sacrament of marriage and giving a marriage blessing on the second; Deacon Mike and Cathy Portele (a couple involved since Beyond Cana\u2019s 2002 retreat), talking on the biblical concept of marriage the third; and a closing evening of music with Christian songwriter and recording artist David Kauffman. \u201cOne thing we do try to remain consistent on,\u201d points out Dave, \u201cis that Beyond Cana is a ministry and the retreat is based on enriching already strong marriages. It is not for troubled marriages; it is not a version of Retrouvaille.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMarriage is the foundation of the family,\u201d adds Jo Anne. \u201cA family can be OK, but if the couple\u2019s not OK, then you\u2019ve got some work to do.\u201d The retreat enriches communication skills, she explains, focusing on strengthening ties and the importance of spending time together as a couple. \u201cMarriage is a gift and a sacrament,\u201d she says, \u201cand once you stop working on your marriage, that\u2019s dangerous.\u201d The retreat provides tools on how to continue working on the marriage and making marriage a lifetime commitment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The current retreat, now in progress, coincides with the annual observance of National Marriage Week, February 7-14, which prompts reflection on the gift that marriage is to our church and country, as well as an opportunity for couples to build up their own marriages. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
For more information on Beyond Cana, visit BeyondCana.org and their Facebook page, or contact Jo Anne and Dave Dimitriou at (210) 618-6672 or beyondcanaretreat@gmail.com. Additional resources can be found at NationalMarriageWeekUSA.org.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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