Companions on a Journey held its annual retreat on Saturday March 29 and Sunday, March 30 at the Credo Retreat House, Couva.

The theme of the retreat was Marriage is it alive – to me? to you? to the world? The presenters at the retreat were Fr Wilfred John parish priest of St Joseph, Cedros and surrounding communities and Mervin and Susan Marshall of Barbados.

Fifteen couples experienced what could only be described as an energising, rewarding and fulfilling weekend. The retreat started with a presentation by Fr John who in his invigorating tone indicated that marriage was indeed alive to him.  He reminded the participants that he had experienced the sacrament of marriage with his wife until her death.

It was at this stage that he decided to accept the sacrament of Holy Orders. He indicated that he still has his wedding album at the presbytery in Cedros and continues to share his experiences with his parishioners.

It is his understanding of the support that couples need during their marriage that led him to work in Engage Encounter and Companions on a Journey. Fr John also works in the ministry to widows, separated and divorce of the Archdiocese Family Life Commission.

During the sharing of Mervin and Susan, which followed Fr John’s, Susan indicated that marriage was very much alive to her as she still lives it. She invited participants to look at their lives before they got married and ask themselves the question, “Why did I get married?” 

This question generated plenty discussion as all the participants indicated that they felt love for their partner and wanted to spend the rest of their life with them. There were some who indicated that in addition to the feeling of love for their spouses, there was the problem of feeling pressured by their parent to conform to rules about dating.

Fr Wilfred John (right) and Mervin and Susan Marshall

Raphael and Louis Parsons present a gift to Callista and Winston Francois

Fr John receives a gift from Adrian and Carol Pascall

Mervin also shared that marriage was indeed alive to him and he enjoys working with his wife in the ministry of marriage in the diocese of Barbados.

Mervin indicated that he grew up in a broken home but had the desire of meeting someone with whom he wanted to share the rest of his life.

He spoke of his visits to Susan’s parents’ home during their courtship and the positive impression his father-in law had made in his life.

On the second day of the retreat, the participants were given the four “Cs” of marriage to dialogue among themselves. The four Cs represented Communication, Compassion, Commitment and Courtesy. 

Is it present in your relationship? This was the question posed to the couples by the presenters.

“Marriage – is it alive to the world?” was the last area of the theme discussed at the retreat. The question posed to the participants was “Are we a visible sign to the world”? 

We were reminded that marriage was the visible sacrament in the Church. In the words of a songwriter we are told, “What the world needs now is love, sweet love it’s the only thing there is too little of”.

Fr John stressed that society needs strong couples to mould their children and produce a better society for us to live in. He also reminded us that marriage fully lived says to the world that unconditional love is possible by the grace of God.  Mervin and Susan reminded the couples that as we left the retreat we must remember that couples make their relationship alive to the world by their witnessing.

The retreat ended with Mass in the chapel at Credo House at which Fr John presided. The readings for the Second Sunday of Easter were very inspiring for the couples attending the retreat. In the gospel reading taken from John 20: 19 –31, Jesus, we were reminded appeared to his disciples and having blessed them sent them out to continue to do the work he had started with them.

Thomas one of the disciples was not present and when he was told that Jesus had appeared to the others refused to believe. It is important for us as couples to believe that God is calling on us to be his sign of love to the world.

It is when we are in doubt of our purpose that we doubt that we can change the world by our love.  When Jesus removed the doubts that Thomas had he said to him, “Doubt no longer but believe”. Jesus is calling on couples to believe that they are his sign of love for his people in the Church and that they should continue to be alive to the world.

Companions on a Journey wishes to extend special thanks to the Archdiocesan Family Life Commission for its assistance, Mervin and Susan Marshall and Fr Wilfred John for their “yes” to Companions on a Journey. Also to Lenora De Verteuil and the ladies at Credo House for the tasty meals served over the weekend and to Fr Godfrey Stoute of the St Paul’s Church, Couva for his kind assistance.

The group Companions on a Journey is a marriage support group that has its meetings at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church Hall, San Fernando.  The group meets every second Wednesday of the month at 7.30 p.m. All couples are invited to attend these meetings.