Vol 2 Issue 4

The WCI Team is delighted to bring you JOYFUL! the official communique of the Wojtyła Community & Institute. This is your one-stop for all the inspiring stories and exciting events, from podcasts to conferences to marriage retreats, wherever St. John Paul II's Rule is changing lives, you can find it here! Click here to see what this issue includes!

As we prepare for Christmas, less than a week now, it seems proper to ask: What does Christmas have to do with marriage? We find an answer in a text recently rediscovered (and published for the first time in English in The Rule) by St. John Paul II (then Bishop Wojtyła). He said it is wonderful to connect Christmas with marriage, because it is the mystery of the Incarnation that unlocks the meaning of marriage in its fullest depth:

My husband Bernie and I had the privilege of attending the Duc in Altym Marriage Retreat Weekend in Winona, MN in March of this year. It was such a gift to our marriage. It made us want others that we know and love to have the opportunity to receive that same gift. That desire, led to a thought… “Maybe we could offer a retreat here in Omaha for our family, friends, and

It was a sunny August afternoon, hearts filled to contentment as we returned from several relaxing days vacationing in Maine, when I felt a clear resolution in my heart: start a marriage ministry. I’d been following Peter and Theresa since the launch of the Wojtyla Community & Institute, and had enthusiastically purchased a copy of The Rule. I knew they were onto something important, but had not yet seen clearly whether this mission held personal significance for us as a couple, in our present circumstances, or for our community.

Megan was first introduced to the Theology of the Body when she was given a copy of Christopher West’s book, Good News About Sex & Marriage. This little purple book made a lasting impact. She dove head first into the text of the Wednesday audiences, admitting that she wasn’t quite equipped for Pope John Paul II’s own words just yet. After spending more time studying work from West, Jason and Crystalina Evert, and Brian Butler, she was hooked. Before the Theology of the Body, she described seeing the faith in only black and white...

The lights are strung on almost every home, music plays in every store you enter, and even in your home, your children squeal with excitement … but something within your heart weighs you down. You remember the one who could have been; the little one who is not here. The pain swells, you step in another room to hide your tears. You desire to be able to enter in and celebrate all that Advent and the upcoming birth of baby Jesus has for you—but a heaviness pulls within you...

You know how life can start moving more and more quickly? We get busy with so many things. And often they are good things - it just keeps seeming to speed up.Give your beloved the gift of time. Time to breathe, to put everything else to one side and focus on you, your love, and God.

On October 21st, Married Couple Groups in the WCI family from across the world gathered online for a special Rodzinka Night Live! celebration! RNL is our quarterly leader gathering, annually opened joyfully to all Married Couple Group members in celebration on the vigil of the Feast of St. John Paul II. Despite the miles between us, the evening was filled with connection, laughter, and ...

Cuando conocí a Theresa y a Peter Martin en una conferencia para parejas, noté una alegría y una espiritualidad muy especiales. Me encantó su naturalidad y el amor que reflejaban, especialmente al hablar de su familia y su matrimonio. Más tarde tuve la oportunidad de cenar con ellos, y pude conocer un poco más sobre la vida de los Martins. ¡Qué gozo había en sus anécdotas ...

Even despite the almost unbearable mid-July heat of south Louisiana, we had a beautiful weekend getaway experience at the Two Souls United in Christ retreat in Grand Coteau, growing closer to Jesus and our spouses. The highlight of the retreat for Sam and me was the Couples’ Prayer before the Blessed Sacrament on that second night. It was one of the most powerful experiences of ...

... We experienced Christ as a teacher and friend through the vulnerability and wisdom of the other couples in the WCI and WCI training. Just as Jesus came to live alongside us, the WCI invites married couples to intimately and intentionally live alongside one another. We were struck by the beauty of this design—one that seems so obvious yet didn’t ever quite come together as our hearts were desiring—and we felt convicted that it was essential to our sanctification...

Joyful Editor, Leah Muller sat down with our newest team member to get to know her a little bit better. We are thrilled to have Magda join our team as Executive Assistant. Magda lives in New Zealand with her husband. She is kind, competent, and full of joy. She and her husband were married on the feast day of St. John Paul II in 2022, which makes them a perfect fit for the WCI!