Living the Mission, Sharing the Joy

This month has been a profound reminder of the beauty and responsibility of our mission. From Rome to Connecticut, we’ve encountered a Church alive with hope—rooted in strong families, faithful marriages, and the witness of love lived daily.

July is always a special month for us at Witness to Love. Along with extra time with family and friends, the Church’s liturgical calendar offers powerful feast days that inspire our mission. We celebrate St. Junípero Serra (July 1) and think of the many parishes we serve in California, honor Sts. Louis and Zélie Martin (July 12) — the first canonized married couple — and Sts. Anne and Joachim (July 26), patrons of grandparents. It’s no coincidence that a month often dedicated to family time also highlights holy parents, grandparents, and missionaries. Their witness reminds us why forming strong marriages and families is so essential to renewing the Church and our communities in the here and now.

 

GRACE cards

Our GRACE cards are inspired by St. Ignatius' Examen but modified for couples with an emphasis of growth in virtue. It's a beautiful practice to incorporate in your daily prayer life!

Updates from New England

We’ve returned to the US after several fruitful meetings in Europe, including time in Rome and opportunities to connect with leaders and families who are eager to see marriage renewal in their communities. We are deeply grateful for the relationships built and the encouragement we received along the way. In addition, we made a short pilgrimage to Lourdes, bringing the intentions of our Witness to Love clergy, coordinators, coaches, and couples to our Immaculate Mother. We were particularly praying for the healing and renewal of marriages and families that we hear about from so many of you throughout the year, and we are deeply grateful for the relationships built and the encouragement we received along the way.

 

Stateside, we unplugged for a family retreat before giving a series of talks in the Archdiocese of Hartford, CT.

The date night we led for Saint Bridget of Sweden titled “Celebrating the Vocation of Marriage” was one of the most enjoyable evenings we’ve spent with great couples, clergy, and religious. The entire community was so welcoming and so joyful that it was easy to share our hearts.

We are so grateful to Valerie and the Archdiocese of Hartford for their tireless work to support marriage and build up couples in their church communities!

 

 

While in Connecticut, we visited the Blessed Fr. Michael McGivney Shrine and Museum as a family, prayed at his tomb, and gave thanks for his vision and heart for families in need. Standing in the place where his mission of charity, unity, and fraternity was born — and continues to bear fruit worldwide — was deeply moving.

Fr. McGivney’s own experience of loss and love inspired a global movement to support husbands, fathers, and families through the Knights of Columbus. Their strong commitment to service is especially attractive and necessary today as we work toward the renewal of our communities.

This mission aligns beautifully with our work at Witness to Love — to renew the Church by building strong, Christ-centered marriages and families. We are especially grateful for the many Knights and their spouses who so generously serve as mentor couples, helping to form and accompany new marriages in parishes across the country.

 

We also had the joy of meeting with Archbishop Richard Henning, the new Archbishop of Boston, as well as Auxiliary Bishop Mark O’Connell.

Our conversations were a blessing and a reminder of the strong leadership and pastoral care being provided to families throughout the United States. We were encouraged by their shared desire to see marriages and families renewed in the life of the Church and look forward to staying connected as we continue our mission together particularly in serving the marriage Catechumenate. 

Learn more about the Marriage Catechumenate

If you would like to learn more about the importance and implementation of the Marriage Catechumenate in the Church throughout the United States, this is a wonderful opportunity.

Preparing couples for marriage can be both challenging and a powerful chance to help them encounter Christ. The Church’s Catechumenal Pathways for Married Life offers clear guidance, and this upcoming course will provide parishes with practical tools to accompany couples in their vocation to marriage. The University of St. Thomas in Houston will begin offering a graduate course on the Marriage Catechumenate starting this August 19th.

Please view the flyer here and the FAQ here.

Your instructor will be Ximena DeBroeck, PhD, STL, MSPsy, who has been a presenter at our Marriage Catechumenate Summit for the past three years. Her insights and expertise are perfect for this course!

Love Stories in Action

Each day we remain grateful for the gift of mentor couples following the path of this month's saints and we often get feedback from them sharing this with responses highlighting this gift. One of the survey questions to for mentors is, "What specifically would you say was their greatest moment of growth?" to which one responded, "When she (the bride) mentioned that she needed to go to confession and wanting to take the children to church and start teaching them about church."

Stories like this remind us why we do what we do.

Join Us!

Join Ryan & Mary Rose

“This Is Not Just Marriage Ministry — It’s Culture Change - Pastoral Panel”

After a year celebrating marriage and family through the Radiate Love Initiative, the California bishops are hosting Love IRL: A Radiate Love Marriage Summit for Ministry Leaders. This culminating event on September 26, 2025 – 9:00am to 7:00pm at  Christ the Light Cathedral, Oakland, CA  will equip 200 participants working with young people and families to share the beauty of marriage!  Love IRL is a collaboration of the CA bishops from all 12 dioceses across California. We especially would like to invite all Witness to Love parishes and dioceses in California to participate. Space is limited.

Register today!

Your prayers, support, and engagement continue to make all of this possible. Thank you for being an essential part of the Witness to Love family.

In Gratitude for each of you,

with the Witness to Love Team & Board

P.S. Share this newsletter with your parish or an engaged couple to spread the joy of the Gospel!