Welcome to Married Couples Retreat
We hope you enjoy your visit and encourage you to check back often for updates!

Are you looking for a Retreat prayer experience, designed primarily for a husband and wife with a good marriage, who want to deepen their relationship with each other, and with God? And for a way to further your marital spirituality, pray as a couple, and discern God‘s will for the two of you as a couple?

Do you know that the triune God loves you and wants to bless your Sacramental or marital union? You are invited to experience the Marriage Retorno Weekend, and encounter each Person of the Holy Trinity.

[For troubled marriages, we recommend that you consider, instead, the Retrouvaille program.]

 

What is Marriage Retorno?
Marriage Retorno means turning toward God as a couple. The goal of Marriage Retorno is to provide an atmosphere, a context, in which the couple can open themselves both as individuals and as a couple to a dialogue with God through Scripture. It is a weekend prayer experience for husband and wife, facilitated by a married couple and a Catholic priest. It provides participating couples with an opportunity for a renewal of their relationship as a couple with God.

Who is it for?
Marriage Retorno is an experience intended for every married couple that wishes to deepen a sense of communion with one another and the Lord. Marriage Retorno assumes that the husband and wife desire a deeper communion with one another and are hungry to deepen their relationship with the Lord as a couple. Marriage Retorno also serves to renew the prayer life of priests and religious.

Is Marriage Retorno similar to Retrouvaille or Marriage Encounter?
No. Retrouvaille is a program for couples with troubled marriages, couples considering marriage separation, or couples already separated or divorced seeking marriage help. Retorno is for couples who want to deepen their relationship with each other and God. Neither is the Marriage Retorno Weekend similar to a Marriage Encounter Weekend where the prime emphasis is improved communication between husband and wife. Instead, Retorno’s focus is to encourage couples to pray together, using passages from the Bible. Further, unlike Retrouvaille and Marriage Encounter, Marriage Retorno involves no post-weekend follow-up program, sharing circles, or further meetings. (However, those in Marriage Retorno ministry do meet at an annual conference to do what Father Calvo has called the "Four Pillars" of Marriage Retorno: pray, work, love, and play.)

What Marriage Retorno is NOT:
The Marriage Retorno Weekend is not a "prayer group" experience, a Scripture study course or Marriage Encounter type weekend experience. Marriage Retorno does not encourage any particular apostolic endeavor nor is there any structured follow-up. Rather, it is a deepening of a couple's prayer life and spirituality, designed specifically for a married couple.

What does the word "Retorno" mean?
Retorno is a Spanish word meaning a place where you can temporarily get off the road to check whether you are going in the right direction and, if necessary, turn around.

What Happens on a Marriage Retorno Weekend?
The Marriage Retorno Weekend is a retreat experience with time alone, time as a couple, and time sharing with all in attendance using Scripture and lived experience in order to grow as a couple and as witnesses to God’s love in the world. A team, consisting of a Catholic married couple and a Catholic priest, present the three Trinity-based phases of the weekend: (1) encountering the Father, in order to discern His will for each one attending, especially as part of a unique spiritual couple entity; (2) encountering the Son, in order to follow Jesus’ example and teachings; and (3) encountering the Holy Spirit, in order to be witnesses of God’s love and unity.

When and where are Marriage Retorno Weekends held?
Marriage Retorno Weekends begin on Friday evening, and close with a Mass early on Sunday afternoon. Weekends are scheduled whenever a sufficient number of couples in a given area sign up for a particular weekend, so long as a facility and a presenting team are available for that weekend.

Do I have to be a Catholic?
Although Retorno is Catholic in origin, married couples of all faiths, and those with no faith tradition that want to pray together, are welcome and invited to experience a Marriage Retorno Weekend.

Will someone try to convert me?
No attempt is made to convert anyone to a religion.

What does the Marriage Retorno Weekend Cost?
The fee for the weekend is kept to a minimum, basically to cover the costs. The weekend is not a fundraiser. Costs vary depending on the location for a particular weekend. Visit our Retreat section to find the specific costs for currently scheduled weekends in the Washington Metropolitan Area. A deposit is requested when you register for the Weekend to confirm your accommodations. Space is limited so early registration is encouraged. If expense is a financial concern, communicate with the Weekend Coordinators. We do not want couples and religious to miss experiencing the Marriage Retorno Weekend due to a lack of funds.

How can I obtain further information or sign up?
To participate in a Marriage Retorno Weekend or for more information join our Mailing List and/or contact Marriage Retorno Coordinator for the Archdiocese of Washington: Mary Clare Auger.