St. John Paul II's Wisdom is Catching Fire Once More! Hear from Leader Couples of Married Couples Groups following JP2's Rule!
Contact us to be put in touch with any of these couples! info@wojtylaci.com
AUSTRALIA (Sydney)
Hello! We are Rachael and Anthony Ndaira from Sydney, Australia. We learned about JPII couple groups and the WCI through Peter and Theresa's interview with Chris Stefanick last year and now co-lead a married couple group in south- west Sydney. We have witnessed an already amazing friendship group evolve through willingness to share, be vulnerable, discuss various topics, complete couple challenges and hold each other up in prayer.
Although we only started our couple group sessions late last year, we are already seeing the fruits of committing to journeying alongside each other under the guidance of JPII and Mother Mary, working towards our deep hope of transforming our "communion of friends" into a "communion of saints." We are working towards our first community gathering and welcome anyone who is interested to contact us for more information.
Rachael & Anthony Ndaira
COLORADO (Aurora)
My husband, Mahesh and I, have recently started a Married Couple Group in Aurora, CO housed mostly in our living room. We have seen fruits in our own marriage and in the marriages of our friends, which is so exciting. We have had only one community gathering, but we are open to meeting new people and growing our community. Please reach out to me if you have any questions.
Danita & Mahesh Albuquerque
IOWA (Cedar Rapids)
My name is Lauren Kelly and, along with my husband Philip, we are leaders for a Married Couples Group (MCG). Our group is finishing our first year of weekly meetings. This group has been an incredible blessing, supporting us through challenging times and fostering deep, lasting friendships. We especially cherish the community potlucks, where we can connect with fellow parishioners, and the opportunity for adults to engage in meaningful conversation while the kids play. The group features speakers—both priests and laypeople—as well as fun family activities like kickball, praying the rosary, and participating in the Stations of the Cross. We are grateful for the valuable insights and frameworks the WCI provides, which help guide our ministry and outreach to the community. Thanks to our weekly and monthly gatherings, our church feels more like home, enriched by the wonderful people we've met along the way. We are overjoyed to have more couples join us as we work toward creating a family of families. If you're Catholic in the Cedar Rapids area, we invite you to join us on this journey and be part of our growing community.
Lauren & Phil Kelly
Hello! We are Eric and Amanda Griggs from Cedar Rapids, Iowa. We are a passionate Leader Couple of the WCI community. The Wojtyla Community and Institute has been a vital part of our lives! It has added connections with other married couples, which has made our Catholic marriage thrive! Our community gatherings are truly special! They are filled with laughter and a shared love for this Catholic journey. We have speakers, prayers and quality time that inspire discussion and a deeper connection with our Lord. These gatherings have fostered a sense of belonging and provided a place for us to learn through the lives of other couples. Each gathering leaves us inspired and rejuvenated and reminds us of the power of the Holy Spirit among us.We would love for others to reach out and join us! If you’re seeking a supportive community where your marriage and family are uplifted, join us! Together we can build the body of Christ and enrich our marriages with the joy God wants for us. We look forward to welcoming you!
Amanda & Eric Griggs
LOUISIANA (Lafayette)
Hi, we’re so glad you’re here! We are Sam and Leah Muller and we have been part of a Married Couples Group (MCG) in Lafayette for over a year now. Leah first discovered The Rule through a friend who suggested their prayer group read Theresa and Pete’s book together. There were so many lightbulb moments (and highlighted sections) that Leah responded to the Holy Spirit’s prompting to reach out to the WCI. The rest is history. We completed the Leader Couples Training, and then, after praying the Surrender Novena (per Theresa's suggestion) with the three other couples in our group, we all discerned God calling us to take a leap of faith and start meeting.
The blessings and graces that we have all received are innumerable- what a gift! This truly is God’s providential care in responding to the desire we all have for deep, lasting, and genuine community. Additionally, our marriage has grown in ways we could have never imagined. With 6 young children, homeschooling, and a busy work schedule, it is all too easy to let our marriage fall to the wayside. Being part of an MCG ensures that we are intentional about prioritizing our marriage. This, of course, has a ripple effect into our family and our community.
There are currently 2 active MCGs in Lafayette along with others potentially starting soon. Our community gatherings typically consist of a potluck meal, family fellowship, and prayer. We'd love for you to join us!
Sam & Leah Muller
MINNESOTA (Twin Cities)
Hello! We are Alli and Jordan Malikowski, and we are one of the leader couples in the Twin Cities area. We have been involved with the WCI for several years now, and initially became connected through the Martins, who were our mentor couple as we prepared for marriage.
For the past year and a half, we have been leading a Married Couple Group in our community, which has brought our marriage, family, and parish community a great deal of intentionality, love, fellowship, encouragement, authentic friendship, and joy. Although our Married Couple Group meets weekly, we host a Community Gathering once a month where we invite everyone within our community to join. It serves as a great way for us to pour outward into the community, as well as creates the opportunity for the community at large to come together in fellowship, prayer, and discussion to dive deeper into the understanding of the Rule and JPII’s vision for marriage and families.
Our community gatherings are open to all stages of life: single, dating, engaged, and married. The more people who attend, the more rich our conversations are. We highly encourage you to come and be part of our family of families as we become more enriched in this “seminary of marriage.”
Alli & Jordan Malikowski
MINNESOTA (St. Louis Park)
Deb and I have been married for over 30 years and have 7 beautiful children here on earth and 2 more in heaven praying for us. Deb and I are reverts back to our faith, due, in part at least, to couples welcoming us into their lives as Catholic families. Their love, support and faithful guidance helped bring us back to the practice of our faith and showed us what a difference prayer, the sacraments and community will do for your marriage and family. We have also seen close Catholic families who have struggled in their marriages and did not feel equipped to help them.
When we were introduced to WCI it was an answered prayer. What a blessing it has been to meet together to pray, study and grow in our marriages on a weekly basis. What could be more important than spending time to grow in our marriage covenant and help others do the same? We are hoping to begin our community gathering to invite our broader faith community soon, after meeting with our pastor for his blessing and guidance. We are parishioners of Holy Family Parish in St Louis Park, MN and would love to speak to any couples interested in joining the WCI.
Steve and Deb Jung
NEBRASKA
We are Nick and Megan Nelson from Firth, NE. We’ve been married 14 years, involved with WCI since Fall 2024, and leading an MCG since January 2025. We love St. JPII! As Natural Family Planning instructors, we are very familiar with his work, Theology of the Body, and love teaching engaged couples. However, the WCI is a place to grow alongside other married couples. The Rule and the WCI are pouring into our marriage, unlike any ministry we have been involved with before. There are no WCI community gatherings currently happening in Nebraska, but this will be changing very soon! If you are local to the Lincoln and/or Omaha area and interested in joining community gatherings or learning more about the WCI, please reach out!
Megan & Nick Nelson
NEW YORK (Capital Region)
Greetings! We are Jake & Lauren Patterson and we are overjoyed to welcome this ministry to NY’s Capital Region. We have been married nearly 18 years. Lauren crossed paths with Peter and Theresa Martin while living in Washington, DC and studying marriage and family at the John Paul II Institute during the early years of our marriage. Many years and 4 children later, we learned of the beginnings of the WCI and became convinced this was needed in our community. It has blessed us much in such a short time, reminding us of our beautiful calling and deepening our sense of the Father’s Love in our family. Our MCG is beginning with 6 couples this Lent, and we are happy to connect with others who’d like to be a part of this enriching ministry. We are sure God has much good in store for you here- Come join us!
Jake & Lauren Patterson
PENNSYLVANIA (Hershey)
Michael and Aimee Minnaugh became Pennsylvania's first WCI leader couple in 2024. Together for 15 years and married for 10, they have two children (ages 7 and 3) and belong to St. Joan of Arc parish in Hershey, PA, having previously attended St. Catherine Laboure in Harrisburg. Following St. John Paul II's Rule for marriage has transformed their relationship from good to great. "The love we share is inexplicably stronger than ever before. We had a strong marriage before, but never imagined how much better it could become," they share.
The Minnaughs host monthly community potlucks after the 9:30am Mass in the parish social hall. These gatherings begin with brunch, followed by guided discussions for adults while children enjoy various activities. Adolescents from SJA School can earn volunteer hours by supervising the younger children, who sometimes participate in liturgically-themed activities. Each gathering concludes with communal prayer, and couples receive a monthly "conjugal spirituality challenge" to take home via magnets or wallet cards as reminders of their commitment. All are welcome to attend these community gatherings.
For information about upcoming events, please check the St. Joan of Arc Hershey parish event calendar.
Michael & Aimee Minnaugh
TEXAS (Fort Worth)
We are Dexter & Amber Sanchez and we lead an MCG in the Dallas/Fort Worth metro area. We loved finding the WCI because it has given us a chance to invest in our marriage within a beautiful Catholic community. Our group has truly become the “family of families” that JPII envisioned for Married Couple Groups! Our group’s Community Gatherings are often in outdoor spaces, where we can gather for food, fellowship and conversation. We would love to have anyone in the DFW area join us! We typically meet in the north Mid-Cities area (Colleyville/Grapevine/Southlake.) Please contact Amber for details about upcoming gatherings.
Amber & Dexter Sanchez
WISCONSIN
Hello! We are Ian and Kayla Leavitt from Arcadia WI. We met the Martins in early 2021 (they live near us) and could feel their passion and love for JPII’s Rule for married couples. Their enthusiasm for building a strong Catholic community was contagious and we started attending the WCI community gatherings in Winona, MN. We felt God’s call and started our own Married Couples Group (MCG) and community gatherings in 2023. We now lead an MCG closer to home that meets weekly, and also help host the community gatherings for our area.
Our community gatherings are on the third Sunday of each month and are open to anyone who wishes to join! The gatherings include prayer, a potluck style meal, discussion and sharing our Catholic faith with each other. Community with other people trying to live their Catholic faith is so important in today’s culture! We would love for you to join us! Please reach out to Ian Leavitt with any questions or for further information.
Ian & Kayla Leavitt
