Engaged Encounter Recap

RecoveringActor

FI and I had our Engaged Encounter weekend... and we had a really nice time.  I actually thought it was really helpful.  We had a great group of couples, and they made it really fun. 

If any brides are getting married in the Catholic Church and you haven't done your Pre Cana requirement yet, I highly recommend Engaged Encounter.  It is a bit more expensive, but it's definitely worth it. 

dibsontop

We did the EE in the spring.  I also thought it was beneficial.  We actually still keep in contact with some of the couples we met there.  Which married couples were hosting for your weekend?

Bonnie&Clyde77

I am supposed to do it in April of next year. I have been hesitant to do it because the Fi is not Catholic (he is Jewish) and has never really been exposed to other religions except the occasional Holiday Mass or Holy Day . I am glad to hear it was a good weekend and you guys felt is was beneficial. Its encouraging

dibsontop

There was actually a couple in our session in the same situation.  She is Catholic and he is Jewish.  They were planning a mixed faith ceremony.  She was jokingly apologizing to him throughout and saying things about having to make it up to him.  But they were actually two of the more active participants in the session.  I would also think that it's very beneficial because so many of the discussion questions revolved around faith and how that affects different aspects of your marriage.  That could apply to interfaith marriages as well as different levels of faith/practice between the couples.

RecoveringActor

@Bonnie, there were a few interfaith couples on our retreat (2 or 3 out of 11.  Can't remember if it was 2 or 3.)  And they don't go overboard on the Catholicism.  It's more about strengthening your relationship as a couple, finding out what your strengths and weaknesses are.  Yes, there is some Catholic views in there, but that's not really the focus.

@dibs-- we had Jim & Kathy, and then our team couple was Tim & Elyse.  They were both awesome.  We actually liked it so much that we're considering being a team couple in the future.

Bonnie&Clyde77

Awesome! My fiance and I met with the deacon of my Church and we both got a huge kick out of the name of the Engaged Encounter Retreat House..Jesus House! I remember going there when I was young with my mom for a mother /daughter retreat and am trying to convince my FI that it really isn't that bad. I think because he was never really exposed to other religions, it makes him nervous but he can get over it! thanks so much for the info

RecoveringActor

There was Mass one night, a prayer service, and we prayed before meals.  Other than that and a little bit of Catholicism in some of the talks, that was it.  I was very worried about the amount of Catholicism there would be... because while FI and I both go to Church now, we disagree with a good bit of the Catholic Church.  And up until recently, we didn't go to Church every Sunday.  Except for now, the only other time I went to Church every Sunday was when I was in grade school, high school, and college.

There are even some questions that include inter-faith relationships.  If you're getting married in the Catholic Church, you'll have to go through the Pre Cana process ANYWAY.  The main reason FI and I decided on EE was so that we could get it overwith in one weekend and be done.  We didn't expect to like it so much.