Marriage, Family & Relationship Enrichment

The Catholic Family Institute enriches marriages by creating an awareness of the Christian vocations of husband and wife and the role of the Catholic family as a representation of Christ to the world; resulting in stronger marriages and healthier families rooted in the theological virtues of faith, hope and love.

Anniversary Celebrations

St. John the Evangelist: Each February we celebrate World Marriage Day with a special Mass which includes a renewal of vows and marriage blessing. Join us at any Mass on Saturday or Sunday, February 13 or 14, 2010.

Diocese of Gary: Couples celebrating their 25th, 50th and over 50 year wedding anniversaries in 2010 are invited to attend the Diocesan Anniversary Mass and Reception on Saturday, May 1, 2010 at 4 PM at Cathedral of the Holy Angels in Gary. Call the diocesan Family Life Ministry office of Catholic Charities at 219-663-8417 x 331 for more information.

Natural Family Planning

Natural Family Planning is fertility awareness: the knowledge of a couple's fertility. It is a means of reading a woman's signs of fertility and infertility to achieve or postpone pregnancy.

NFP Network at SJE

Looking to learn more about NFP? The resources in our NFP network can help!

• To talk to a couple currently practicing NFP in their marriage, contact us.
• To read about the sympto-thermal method taught in the Diocese of Gary, visit The Couple to Couple League.
• To learn NFP from our CCLI-trained parishioner couples, contact us.
• To borrow a resource from the NFP Network, view our list and then contact us.

Natural Family Planning Awareness Week

July 25-31, 2010 "...a call to celebrate and reverence God's vision of human sexuality."
For more information on this initiative of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, please visit the NFP pages of the USCCB website.

Onsite Seminars

Our affordable (often FREE with free childcare!) onsite seminars cover a range of marriage and parenting topics.

Past programming has included...

• Gary Chapman's "The Five Love Languages" presented by Kevin & Krystal Sullivan of Worldwide Marriage Encounter
• Gary Chapman's "The Five Love Languages of Children" presented by Chicago Christian Counseling Center
• "Bringing up GEEKS (Genuine Enthusiastic Empowered Kids)" presented by author Marybeth Hicks
• "What to Do When Your Kids Drive You Crazy" presented by Kathy Cox of Dynex Relationship Workshops
• Couples Game Nights featuring Spouse-ology and the Not-so Newlywed Game
• Women's Enrichment Seminar featuring Christopher West's "Introduction to Theology of the Body"

View the online parish calendar for details about our upcoming events.

Offsite Conferences

Indiana Catholic Men's Conference: Each year a group of men travel to Indianapolis for a day of fellowship and fraternity. Guest speakers include individuals such as Fr. Larry Richards, Denver Archbishop Charles Chaput, and Mark Hart - the Bible Geek. Mass, reconciliation and benediction are also offered.

The 2010 conference is scheduled for Saturday, October 16th. Download our registration form or visit the conference website.

Catholic Familyland - Holy Family Fests: Four fests are scheduled for 2010 in June, July and August. The fests are held annually at Holy Family Park near Steubenville, Ohio. Visit the Familyland website for details.

Lending Library

Our comprehensive Lending Library features electronic and printed media for loan from our ever-growing library of Catholic / Christian CDs, DVDs and books. Browse our materials in the Narthex after weekend Masses.

Worldwide Marriage Encounter

Worldwide Marriage Encounter is a ministry devoted to renewal in the church and change in the world. WWME offers a weekend experience designed to give married couples the opportunity to learn a technique of loving communication that they can use for the rest of their lives.

Scheduled weekends for the Chicago-Gary Area are:

• February 12-14, 2010 in Burr Ridge, IL
• April 23-25, 2010 in Burr Ridge, IL
• June 11-13, 2010 in Burr Ridge, IL
• September 17-19, 2010 in Burr Ridge, IL
• November 5-7, 2010 in Burr Ridge, IL

Visit the WWME Chicago-Gary website for registration information or call Mark & Mary Wysock at (800) 553-3193.

Encuentro Matrimonial Mundial

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Marriage Retorno

Marriage Retorno means turning toward God as a couple. The goal of the weekend is to provide an atmosphere in which the couple can open themselves to a dialogue with God through Scripture, both as individuals and as a couple. Marriage Retorno is an experience intended for every married couple that wishes to deepen a sense of communion with one another and the Lord.

Scheduled weekends for the Chicago-Gary Area are:

• April 23-25, 2010 in Darien, IL

Visit the Marriage Retorno website for registration information or call Lloyd & Kathy Christensen at (773) 284-9242.