Ideas Exchange for using SIX DATES for Catholic Couples
Following are ways parishes are implementing the program.
Feel free to contact the representatives for more information.
St. Elizabeth Catholic Community, Ludlow, Massachusetts November 23, 2011
Hi John and Teri,
We had our first date night on Nov. 19th. We had 20 couples and it was wonderful! We set up a private "dialogue station" for each couple complete with a candle, flowers, wine, etc. It was a gorgeous sight to see each couple enjoying their private time together. We played the "Newly Wed Game" afterward - it was terrific! Very positive comments all around at the end of the evening.
We are not doing the dates for 6 weeks in a row - but spreading them out a few weeks apart until the end of March. One session will be a "Celebrate Marriage Mass and Dinner Dance," so we'll have a total of 7 dates! So far, so good - praise God!!
Dick & DuAnne Pasquini
Question from a program coordinator: September 19, 2011
John,
Since there are 6 video segments and 11 chapters in the
book "Happy Together" which chapters in the book correspond to each
video segment? Thank you for your assistance!
Answer:
Thank you for the question. You will find at the bottom of each handout the recommended chapters, however, we have found that if couples follow those directions when it comes to Date 5, there are 5 chapters to read and couples find it difficult. I would recommend following the schedule below. It is more manageable.
Before Date 1, read Introduction and Chapter 2: "Once Upon a Time."
Before Date 2, read Chapter 1 "What do you believe?" and Chapter 5 "I welcome and I Accept You."
Before Date 3, read Chapter 3 "What Keeps you Together? and Chapter 6 "I am attentive and always Truthful."
Before Date 4, read Chapter 4 "What about me?" and Chapter 7 "I make room for you in my life."
Before Date 5, read Chapters 8 "I forgive you and Ask for Forgiveness" and Chapter 9 "Comfort and help each other heal"
Before Date 6, read Chapter 10 "I am at your service" and Chapter 11 "Where do I find the courage."
This method distributes the reading evenly and does not demand too much.
John Bosio
Parish, St. Rose of Lima in Chula CA September 9, 2011
Hello Mr. and Mrs. Bosio,
Thank you so much for your wonderful book and videos. Our Parish, St. Rose of Lima in Chula CA, has enjoyed the series.
The interest as been so great that many want to continue beyond the Six Dates. Any suggestions? Do you have another book or more videos? If not, could you recommend a smilar book with a DVD (video series) for Catholic Couples?
God Bless,
Alex Balvaneda
Prince of Peace Church, Ormond Beach, FL April 4, 2011
John
We will have our Date Four next Saturday (4/16) and our couples are totally enjoying it. We have 13 couples. Of course, not every couple comes every date night, but each night is special. To see and be part of the friendships that are being forged is really a blessing. Most couples want to stay and share after their time alone with the handout. We have heard some unique honeymoon stories!!
Our couple from Britain shared that he was in the Merchant Marines and went out to sea right after they married. Turned out she was able to join him on the ship for a few days. The cook jumped ship, she ended up recruited as cook (and never baked more than a batch of brownies in her life!) She shared that cooking on rough seas proved very challenging. (BTW, I got permission to share this).
Thank you for the program. It is a real blessing to all parishes and couples facilitating it, without a doubt.
Judy
St. Benedict Abbot Church, McMurray, PA March 29, 2011
Dear John and Terri,
The Six Dates group at St. Benedict the Abbey cannot thank you both enough for the wonderful program you have produced. We had 54 couples resgister, no fewer than the mid-30's throughout the program. We had to schedule a change in night for the sixth date due to Lenten fish fries - and we still had 27 couples! We did an expanded evaluation - and everyone present would highly recommend the program to others - and they want to continue in marriage enrichment. Their comments were inspiring and uplifting.
Dolore Jarell
St. Louis Catholic Church, Austin March 20, 2011
Hi John,
We have been averaging about 30 couples each month. That is GREAT for us!
I received this email from a HUSBAND!!! I was so excited!
From Tom:
Subject: Thanks for a great date!
That was the best date Melissa and I have had in years!
Just wanted to thank you for arranging all of this. We really appreciate all the work that went into organizing this, and we are looking forward to the rest of the date nights.
How cool is that?!
Amy Allert, M.Th.
Director of Adult, Family, and Young Adult Ministry
St. Louis Catholic Church
512.454.0384 x220
amy.allert@st-louis.org
St. Anthony of the Lake Parish, Waukesha, WI December 5, 2010
Our parish does only 3 marriage enrichment events per year and we used Dates 2 & 3 for the first two events and our third event is a dinner/speaker on February 12th. We are working on the third which will be “Enriching the Treasure in your marriage”. We used all the prayers, DVD and the handout booklet. We plan to use the other 4 dates in the next year. We had about 60 people attending each Date Your Mate (which is what our events are called). We have been doing them for a couple of years and people are now expecting them and looking forward to them. What we like best is the diversity of the couples – everyone in our room can identify with someone on the DVD. We also like the authentic responses. Thank you.
Jamee Stanley, Interior Designer
508 Rawlins Drive
Waukesha, WI 53188
stanleyj@wi.rr.com
Home 262-896-0235
Cell 262-366-0924
The Catholic Community of St. Francis of Assisi, Leesville, NC December 2, 2010
I do want you to know that the program was very well received here when we did it this fall. The evaluations were very good and one comment they all seemed to have was that they enjoyed the stories Ben and I told after they watched the DVD, relating to the topic.
My husband Ben and I took a few minutes each time to share examples from our own marriage to illustrate the focus of each particular date. This doesn’t have to be too involved and in fact, needs to be short since we want the couples to have enough time for their date, particularly if they are using our childcare. But they all seemed to enjoy that part of it and thanked us for offering the program.
Peace and all good things,
Gladys Whitehouse
Coordinator of Family Life Ministry
The Catholic Community of St. Francis of Assisi
11401 Leesville Rd
Raleigh, NC 27613
919-847-8205x244
Immaculate Conception Church, Willoughby, OH October 25, 2010
Hello, John and Teri!
I wanted to give you an update on the initial "Six Dates for Catholic Couples" marriage program that we are currently holding at our parish. We have 12 couples, and meet on Wednesday evenings. It has gone well so far (we are in week 4). Just to let you know that before our couples go their separate ways, we have a prayer together for those present...and also for you and the married couples at your parish as well!
Interestingly enough, couples have told me that after "all" the years of married bliss...the questions in the book, as well as the date night handouts, make them feel a bit "uncomfortable" (which is a good thing!)...because they have not reflected on so much of what is being asked. The couples love this!
God bless!
Deacon Paul
St. Monica Catholic Church October 5, 2010
Hi John & Teri,
Our first offering of SIX DATES for Catholic Couples is off to a great start - thanks to your help!
55 couples are participating. We're conducting the program on Saturday nights - stretched out over the course of nine weeks, because we're scheduling around other all-parish activities (dinners and auctions). We gather right after the Vigil Mass for prayer and the video, then we dismiss the couples for their dates. Half of the couples are taking advantage of the complimentary childcare! The childcare is being run by families who couldn't go on the dates this fall, but are such strong supporters of marriage that they wanted to help their brothers and sisters.
Very positive feedback so far. One couple recently told me, "It just seems like the Church cares about us in a new, deeper way. Thank you." We already have a waiting list forming for a Spring 2011 offering. I'll keep you posted.
Thanks again, on behalf of the many couples you're helping in our parish.
Frank DiGirolamo
Pastoral Assistant for Faith Formation
St. Monica Catholic Church
206.232.9829, x131
frank@stmonica.cc
St. Mary of the Snow, Mansfield, OH September 26, 2010
Our Six Dates for Catholic Couples event has been going very well. We have our 3rd event this Saturday and have been getting about 20 or so couples per session.
God Bless,
Patrick & Kathy
St. Peter's Church, Glenfield, NY September 24, 2010
This is our second program - we did Date #1 in June and will continue through this year every other month.
People are enriched by the experience and "talking it up" with others so we will have more couples tomorrow night than we had in June.
Your work is very effective. We appreciate it.
Tom Yousey
St. Stephen Catholic Community, Old Hickory, TN September 23, 2010
We are starting SIX DATES for Catholic Couples on September 24 and have created a flyer/bulletin insert. If any parish wishes to use this flyer, it is in Microsoft Publisher format. We will be glad to share it so that you can adapt it to your parish's needs.
Write to John or Teri Bosio: jbosio1@aol.com
Sample Color_Flyer.pdf
St. Joseph in Libertyville, Il. August 16, 2010
Hi John,
We're starting up in our Parish in early Sept. and have a big advertising and registration campaign starting up now. Our parish, St. Joseph, has a "Java with Joe" (coffee and doughnuts) after all the Masses the last weekend of this month that the Marriage Enrichment Ministry is sponsoring and we'll be having a reg. table in the Narthex during that time. We've already posted the reg. form on our Marriage Enrichment page of our parish website and it's run a couple of weeks in the bulletin. We also have an email list of around 200 couples who have attended previous ME functions that we're sending an email to with info on the program.
There's been a lot of interest and questions about the program thus far, so we're expecting a good turnout for it. We're running it 1 Sat. night per month Sept. - Jan. skipping Feb as we have a Valentine's Day Dinner Dance that we host and will be finishing up the last session in March right before Lent starts. We'll keep you posted on comments from the couples and any suggestions we have along the way.
God's Blessings on you and Teri,
Dave & Glenda Braun