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Forever Love: A Mini-Documentary about the Marriage Catechumenate Summit in 2023

MAX Studios attended the Marriage Catechumenate Summit that took place at Circle Lake Retreat Center near Houston, Texas in June 2023. This is a mini-documentary about the summit and key takeaways for use by newlyweds, married couples and those preparing couples for marriage in the Catholic Church in North America.

This mini-doc is the final piece of a series of interviews with Catholic marriage experts in North America who attended the summit. See all the bonus interviews from the Marriage Catechumenate Summit.

Forever Love: Fr. Paul Hartmann

We have a plan, but let's divert from the plan - thoughtfully and with intention. Fr. Paul Hartmann encourages people to use a plan or program as a foundation - from there, allow the Holy Spirit to help welcome and engage people however fitting to their situation.

In this conversation, Fr. Paul Hartmann, Associate General Secretary of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and priest in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, sits down with Bridget Richardson, Executive Producer of MAX Studios at University of St. Thomas-Houston, to discuss the Marriage Catechumenate Summit. A Catholic canon lawyer, Fr. Paul expresses his unique vantage point in attending the summit and how Catholic Christians should embrace the both/and of ministry work. Fr. Paul, who creates programs at the USCCB, tells people to use a program as a framework for adaption.

Fr. Paul gave the closing keynote for the summit.

This interview is bonus content from the Marriage Catechumenate Summit that took place at Circle Lake Retreat Center near Houston, Texas in June 2023. This continues a series of interviews with Catholic marriage experts in North America who attended the summit. A mini-documentary of the summit will be released at the end of the interview series.

 

Rev. Paul B.R. Hartmann | U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

Father Paul Hartmann Named New Associate General Secretary of U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

The Archdiocese of Milwaukee

Forever Love: Dr. Daniel and Bethany Meola

Recognizing the baggage you bring into a marriage is huge. Healing those wounds is, as Dr. Daniel Meola says, part of the good life.

In this conversation, MAX Studios Executive Producer Bridget Richardson sits down with Dr. Daniel and Bethany Meola, co-founders of Life-Giving Wounds. Their ministry helps young adults and adults with divorced and separated parents give voice to their pain and find transformative healing in Christ. They discuss the ministry and how they work with people to begin healing the wounds of parental divorce or separation, they share their own experiences with this, and they talk about their hope of personalizing the marriage preparation process so that it speaks directly to the difficulties of each couple.

One of the longer conversations in the interview series, the Meola's ministry speaks directly to repairing the brokenness of marriage that people have seen in their life, and using that healed pain to solidify marriages and families with the mercy of Christ. If you know someone who has experienced this (or you yourself have gone through parental divorce or separation) this conversation is for you.

This interview is bonus content from the Marriage Catechumenate Summit that took place at Circle Lake Retreat Center near Houston, Texas in June 2023. This continues a series of interviews with Catholic marriage experts in North America who attended the summit. A mini-documentary of the summit will be released at the end of the interview series.

Life-Giving Wounds

Forever Love: Bishop Italo Dell’Oro

Bishop Italo Dell'Oro knows that the diversity of Houston makes it a premiere place to have thoughtful dialogue. In this short interview, Bishop Italo shares why Houston is the perfect place to host the Marriage Catechumenate Summit.

This interview is bonus content from the Marriage Catechumenate Summit that took place at Circle Lake Retreat Center near Houston, Texas in June 2023. This continues a series of interviews with Catholic marriage experts in North America who attended the summit. A mini-documentary of the summit will be released at the end of the interview series.

Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston

Auxiliary Bishop Italo Dell'Oro, C.R.S.

Forever Ever

Forever Love: Peter Jesserer Smith

American Catholic journalism has the power and responsibly to shape the narrative surrounding marriage in the U.S. Peter Jesserer Smith sees this responsibility as paramount to making sure people understand that the vocation of marriage is ultimately about missionary discipleship.

In this conversation, Peter Jesserer Smith, Our Sunday Visitor National News and Features Editor, and Bridget Richardson, Executive Producer of MAX Studios at University of St. Thomas-Houston, sits down to discuss the vocation of marriage and its power for evangelization. He shares how recognizing the family as an integral part of how the laity show God's love to the world makes the gospel come alive for those around them. He shares his understanding of Catholic journalism, its storytelling capabilities and how his experiences on reporting on marriage have led him to co-author a book with Mary Rose and Ryan Verret.

This interview is bonus content from the Marriage Catechumenate Summit that took place at Circle Lake Retreat Center near Houston, Texas in June 2023. This continues a series of interviews with Catholic marriage experts in North America who attended the summit. A mini-documentary of the summit will be released at the end of the interview series.

"The Road to Family Missionary Discipleship: Forming Marriages and Families to Share the Joy of the Gospel" by Mary Rose and Ryan Verret and Peter Jesserer Smith

OSV News Announces Peter Jesserer Smith As Its First National News And Features Editor

OSV News

National Catholic Register

Witness to Love

Forever Love: Mary Rose and Ryan Verret

Forever Love: Jim Barrette

What does it look like to change the way we do church? To Jim Barrette, this could be the start, or even the continuation, of a change in the way we form people at all ages.

In this conversation, Bridget Richardson, Executive Producer of MAX Studios at University of St. Thomas-Houston, talks with Jim Barrette, Secretariat Director of Pastoral and Educational Ministries in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, about the marriage catechumenate. Jim shares how the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston has been thinking about how to inspire lifelong marriage formation for a long time and how it will take a generation or two to see the catechumenate really take root.

This interview is bonus content from the Marriage Catechumenate Summit that took place at Circle Lake Retreat Center near Houston, Texas in June 2023. This continues a series of interviews with Catholic marriage experts in North America who attended the summit. A mini-documentary of the summit will be released at the end of the interview series.

Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston

Sexual Intimacy

Finding Your Groove

Wedding Day Perspective

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