JOYFUL! Vol 2: Issue 1
Here, we're family.
The WCI Team is delighted to bring you JOYFUL! the official communique of the Wojtyła Community & Institute. This is your one-stop for all the inspiring stories and exciting events, from podcasts to conferences to marriage retreats, wherever St. John Paul II's Rule is changing lives, you can find it here! This issue includes:
Journeying through Cancer with the Support of my MCG
by: Hannah Murphy, MCG member, Lafayette, LA.
On August 8, 2024, I went, alone, to an appointment for what was supposed to be “just a cyst” and left a breast cancer patient. At 32 years old, with four children ranging from two to ten years of age, to say this diagnosis was a surprise would be an understatement. We were shocked and completely unprepared for what this season of life would ask of us. As I called my husband from the parking lot to deliver the news, then went on to tell my family and extended family throughout the evening, everything felt quite surreal. I was not immediately devastated, or immediately at peace; I think the most adequate word to describe how I felt would be numb. That didn’t last long, though. Things picked up pace quickly, and the life of a cancer patient began. We went from test to test, and ... read more
THE IMPACT OF A MARRIAGE RETREAT
by: Sheila Pelowski, WCI Leader Couple, Rochester, MN.
The Holy Spirit is indeed on the move in the hearts of couples everywhere! MCGs (Married Couple Groups) following St. John Paul II's Rule are spreading across the nation. Would you like to start a group following JPII's Rule? learn how ... read more
A YEAR OF JOY: Looking Back on Our First Year - MCG SPOTLIGHT
by: Alli Malikowski, WCI Leader Couple, Roseville, MN.
As I assume many are familiar, Ecclesiastes reminds us that there is a time for everything. For many, the season of being newly married, working, navigating a residency... Keep reading
LOOK TO WUJEK: Wujek Continues to Offer New Words of Hope
LEADER COUPLE TRAINING EXPERIENCE
by: Tim Gaffga, WCI Leader Couple, Lafayette, LA.
It’s hard to describe where the affection and admiration for Pope St. John Paul II begin for us. Growing up with him serving us as pope with such faithfulness, he ... click here.
Couples Everywhere are On Fire for Christ
From the Celebrate Marriage Conference in Greenwood, IN to Marriage Retreat Night in Guilford, IN to the JPII Feast Day Celebration in Winona, and Made for Greatness Retreat in Fargo, everywhere Peter & Theresa Martin travelled - even in Lourdes, France! - people were amazed and inspired to hear about St. John Paul II's Rule ..... Keep reading
Interested in Starting Your Own Married Couple Group following St. John Paul II's Rule?
Registration is NOW OPEN!! The next class begins late February. Space is limited, so apply today!! Be not afraid! ... to learn all about what the online Leader Couple Training Course is, click here!
Walking Toward Bethlehem: Husbands, look to St. Joseph - by: Sam Muller, WCI Leader Couple, Lafayette, LA.
I'm often fascinated by the life of St. Joseph. So little is known about one of the most important figures of the New Testament. Yet, the few details of his life and faith serve as a model to all husbands. Advent, in particular, always draws me into deeper reflection on the life of St. Joseph. After all, as husbands, we are the spiritual heads of our family, and we are preparing our hearts and ... read more.
The Power of the Pope - part 1
by: Gina Loehr, WCI Leader Couple, Mount Calvary, WI.
I wouldn’t be a wife or a mother if it weren’t for Pope John Paul II. I had sworn off marriage and motherhood as a college student, influenced as I was by university feminists who tried hard to convince themselves (and everyone else) that matrimony and maternity were traps set by misogynistic overlords to enslave innocent women ... keep reading!
¡BIENVENIDOS GUSTAVO Y MIREYA! WELCOME, GUSTAVO & MIREYA!
A la WCI se le ha pedido innumerables veces que traduzca La Regla al español. Sin embargo, nuestra misión no es sólo compartir la Regla de San Juan Pablo II, sino apoyar a las parejas que deseen vivirla. Entonces, si vamos a traducir La Regla, también necesitamos tener parejas hispanas capacitadas y listas para liderar en la comunidad de habla hispana. ¡Dios nos los ha traído! Estamos encantados de presentarles: ¡Gustavo y Mireya!
The WCI has been asked countless times to have The Rule translated into Spanish. However, our mission is not just to share St. John Paul II's Rule, but support couples who wish to live it. So, if we are to translate The Rule, we also need to have Hispanic couples trained and ready to lead in the Spanish speaking community. God has brought them to us! We are delighted to introduce to you ... meet Mireya & Gustavo!
HISTORY & MISSION: A Miracle of Faith, Twenty Years in the Making
by: Theresa Martin, Executive Director
It was Christmas of 2004, and I was 5 months pregnant with our oldest and far from home. This was the fourth year of our journey to study theology in Rome, and being pregnant, we thought it might be our last. We had come over to Rome following a call – something deep within our hearts that had burst forth during one of our weekly adoration hours when we were engaged: Go back to Rome to study marriage. It was a message so clear in my heart and my mind that I began weeping right there. (My then-fiancé, being a good Midwesterner, was a bit discombobulated by loud tears in public and ... read more.
CHRISTOPHER WEST WOWS AT WCI'S RODZINKA NIGHT LIVE online event!
Every year we make a special effort to celebrate our Patron Saint and author of The Rule. This year, Providence would have it that our quarterly Rodzinka Night Live* landed on St. John Paul II's Feast Day, so of course we had a party! Everyone was invited to this special Zoom call and we encouraged Leader Couples to join with their Married Couple Groups and log in together. What an amazing occasion it was! MCG's from the Midwest, both Coasts and even Australia ... read all about it!
MEET THE NEW JOYFUL! EDITOR: LEAH MULLER
The WCI is thrilled to have Leah Muller step into the role of Editor for JOYFUL! Our Executive Director sat down with Mrs. Muller to discuss this.
Theresa: "Hi Leah, We are so grateful and blessed to have you on our team and especially to have you step into this role of Editor to our precious communique JOYFUL! Will you share with our readers a little bit about yourself and your family?" Leah: "Thanks, Theresa; it is a gift to be part of this beautiful ... read the interview
Space is filling up! Here is your chance - and the earlybird pricing ENDS January 1st!
The day is now far spent … It is time to take your spouse’s hand and together, shake off the cares of the world, and put on the armor of God. If you feel a need to go into the deep with your spouse, to find new levels of spiritual strength, then register for this retreat today! Come away with your spouse and pray, learn God’s unimaginable vision for marriage explained by St. John Paul II, and experience His profound love. Go into the deep and be not afraid! Register now!
Don't see your town? Book the Martins today!
