A bold new approach to marriage ministry in the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas is strengthening families and revitalizing parishes.
Two years ago, parishioners at Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church in Shawnee, Kansas, spotted an announcement in their weekly bulletins that stood out amid the usual news about youth group meetings and plans for Advent.
Splashed across the second page was a photo of a young couple gazing adoringly into each other’s eyes, mugs of beer raised in a toast. It was accompanied by an invitation to married couples in the parish to join a “Couples & Cocktails Kick Off” featuring “fellowship, food, and fun with hors d’oeuvres and drinks provided.” And the kicker: Childcare would be provided.
The response was overwhelming.
“We had 242 people attend that first event,” Emily Dumler, director of parish life, told the Register. “There was a lot of buzz and excitement because these couples had felt a lack of opportunities at our parish to do things together.”
That gathering was more than just a party. Part of a bold experiment aimed at revitalizing marriages in the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, it drew couples who otherwise might have been reluctant to
