Story by Mary Kroner
LINCOLN (SNR) - The Lincoln Engaged Encounter community is joining with the John Paul II Healing Center of Florida to offer the “Unveiled” conference July 15-17 at the Newman Center in Lincoln.
Engaged Encounter is a ministry within the diocesan Family Life Office comprised of married couples and priests who organize weekend retreats for engaged couples preparing to be married in the Catholic Church. Communication, intimacy, conflict, family of origin, and finances are all topics covered during the retreats. The goal of the retreats is to gain a deeper appreciation of God’s call for couples to a permanent union.
Lisa Koperski, member of St. Teresa Parish in Lincoln and one of the leaders for the “Unveiled” conference explained that marriage, like most careers, requires training, preparation and continuing education. For this reason, the Engaged Encounter community desired to follow up with the couples they have ministered to and provide an opportunity for “continuing education.”
“We liked the Unveiled conference offered by the John Paul II Healing Center because it is all encompassing. Much of the content is based off of Saint John Paul II’s Theology of the Body, which is applicable to each of our vocations—single and discerning, married, and religious,” Koperski said.
Couples who participate in the “Unveiled” conference are intended to discover how the great mystery of Christ’s love can restore their marriages. Some topics covered during the conference will include “Discovering True Love,” “A Whole New Look at Your Wedding Day,” “Cultivating Intimacy and Unity in Your Marriage,” “Understanding Your Marital Conflict,” and “Healing and Reconciliation in Your Marriage.”
Amy Johnson, also a member of St. Teresa Parish in Lincoln and a leader for the “Unveiled” conference, emphasized the healing aspect of the conference and how this aspect was essential in order to live out authentic spousal love according to God’s plan.
“He wants you to be able to love your spouse freely, and to receive love from your spouse freely—because that’s how He designed marriage, to mirror the free and total love of the Trinity,” she said. “Our Lord wants to bring healing to those wounds that are preventing total intimacy with your spouse.”
To facilitate the healing process for couples, Dr. Bob Schuchts, a marriage and family therapist and founder of the John Paul II Healing Center will be presenting at the “Unveiled” conference. He is the author of the books “Be Healed, Be Transformed,” and “Be Devoted,” which is the corresponding book to the “Unveiled” conference.
His daughter, Carrie Schuchts Daunt, will also be a presenter.
The conference is open to all, but will be especially beneficial for couples who have been married for decades or for only a few years, for engaged couples, for individuals discerning marriage, and those healing from divorce or the death of a spouse.
Jamie Beauclair and her husband David of St. Peter Parish in Lincoln have been married for nearly a year and will attend “Unveiled” in order to more fully live out their marriage vocation.
“We hope to be renewed and refreshed in our marriage as well as to learn how we can love each other more deeply. Ultimately, leading us to know more of God’s plan for us and how to be more in union with Him through our marriage,” said Beauclair.
Gloria Deo Catholic book store in Lincoln is offering a pre-conference book discount for “Be Devoted” by Dr. Bob Schuchts. This book and other resources will also be available for purchase during the conference.
Registration is open for those who wish to attend in-person or virtually. The cost for couples attending in-person is $199. For couples attending virtually, the cost is $169. Scholarships are available for need based situations, diocesan employees, and missionaries.
More information about registration, the conference schedule, and lodging is available online at https://jpiihealingcenter.org/events/unveiled-discovering-the-great-mystery-in-your-marriage-lincoln-ne/.
