KUALA LUMPUR : The Worldwide Marriage Encounter (WME) Weekend is not just an ordinary weekend but a special occasion in which each married couple is called by God.

This was how Will and Jenny Hoh described their experience of the WME Weekend that they participated in from Oct 2 - 4 at the Archdiocesan Pastoral Centre.

“We were specially called by God and He made possible the opportunity for us to attend this particular Weekend. We have made discoveries during this Weekend that we will cherish for a lifetime,” said the Hohs.

The couple, who are parishioners of the Church of St Thomas More in Subang Jaya, shared that having been married for 35 years, both of them did not expect to learn much from the WME Weekend.

“Nevertheless, we kept an open mind and were pleasantly surprised at the impact the Weekend had on us. The presentations inspired and encouraged us to truly reflect and explore many areas of our relationship,” the retired couple said.

According to Fr Patrick Boudville, coordinating priest for WME in Selangor/KL, this October programme, in which 14 couples and two priests participated, was the 144th ME Weekend to be held in this region.

The two priests were Fr James Simon LaBrooy, parish priest of the Church of St Thomas More in Subang Jaya, and Fr Albet Arokiasamy, administrator of the Chapels of Kristus Cahaya in Desa Jaya and Christ the King in Selayang Baru.

“The Weekend offers couples the opportunity to reflect on their relationship, priorities and values. Without the distractions of the world during the Weekend programme, couples are able to focus on each other, discover each other once again and realize that God has brought them together for a wonderful purpose,” said Fr Boudville.

He added that as the couples learn to communicate better, they also become more aware of the special qualities in each other, qualities that they saw when they first met.

“For priests, the Weekend is a great opportunity to enhance their relationship with the people of God, and to recognize their hopes and joys. The Weekend gives priests a fresh perspective of their vocation which brings them closer to their community,” said Fr. Boudville.

He described WME as the best marriage enrichment programme, and the 48-hour experience as a “Weekend of discovery for a lifetime of love.”

He informed that the next WME Weekend would be held from Mar 5 - 7 next year at APC. Couples interested in participating could register with their respective parish ME representatives, or call John & Francisca at 012-3893754. — By Joseph & Anita Pragasam