Archdiocese Local

EverMore in Love becomes private association of the faithful

An EverMore in Love retreat will take place on Jan. 25-26 at Christ the King Parish in Topeka. The cost is $150 per couple.

by John Sorce
john.sorce@theleaven.org

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — A popular marriage prep and support program has gotten some new recognition within the archdiocese.

On May 15, 2024, EverMore in Love officially became a private association of the faithful.

According to Canon 298 of the Code of Canon Law, a private association of the faithful is a group of laypeople or laypeople together with clerics who “strive in a common endeavor to foster a more perfect life, to promote public worship or Christian doctrine or to exercise other works of the apostolate such as initiatives of evangelization, works of piety or charity, and those which animate the temporal order with a Christian spirit.”

This is established by an “ecclesial authority,” which in EverMore’s case was Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann. This officially recognizes EverMore as a Catholic organization under the archbishop’s guidance.

“Of all the things we have done in the archdiocese, I’ve gotten more positive feedback on the weekend immersion than anything else,” the archbishop said in an EverMore in Love brochure. “Couples say, ‘We had a good marriage, but our marriage is so much more alive and we have so much more joy.’”

EverMore in Love was first welcomed to the archdiocese in 2011, when its marriage preparation program was made available here and 10 weekend immersion retreats were offered during the Year of Faith.

Since then, hundreds of couples have experienced the weekend immersion (formerly known as Living in Love), marriage prep, everyday skills courses, date nights and small groups.

The weekend immersion helps married couples rekindle the deep commitment that God wants couples to have for each other within the sacrament of matrimony.

“Being in love is the best way to steward the sacrament of matrimony and to cultivate the overall atmosphere of wonder and awe between husband and wife,” said Brad DuPont, lead consultant of the archdiocesan office of marriage and family life.

Everyday skills courses are designed to be light and fun enough to incorporate into a series of date nights, but substantial and concrete enough to make a difference in the way a couple lives their sacrament daily.

The marriage preparation course “offers theology of the body-based Catholic formation, meaningful mentorship and practical skills — provided by trained local couples or through online classes.”

While people within the archdiocese may think they have done all that EverMore has to offer after doing one weekend immersion retreat, director Libby DuPont wants folks to know that EverMore has more to offer.

“I think because EverMore in Love has been in the diocese for over a decade and a lot of people have experienced the retreat, people sometimes think it’s a program that you do one time,” Libby DuPont said. “But I want to invite people deeper.

“Being a private association of the faithful sets us up as [the] archbishop saying that there’s merit to living matrimony to the fullness. If people are interested and want to be more involved, we want them to see what it means to live this as a way of life.”

There is an upcoming retreat on Jan. 25-26 at Christ the King Parish in Topeka. The cost is $150 per couple.

Brad DuPont wants people to know there is always an opportunity for people to take their marriages to the next level.

“For any couple that wants to experience more fully the sacrament of matrimony, there’s an opportunity for them to be members and participate,” he said.

Anyone wanting to learn more can reach out by email to Brad at: bdupont@archkck.org or Libby at: ldupont@archkck.org or visit the website at: evermoreinlove.org.

About the author

John Sorce

John comes to The Leaven after spending two and a half years as the Sports Editor at The Emporia Gazette. Born in Staten Island, New York, and raised in Central New Jersey, John felt a pull to the Midwest after becoming a Royals fan at a young age and always had his sights set on settling down in the Kansas City area. He majored in Communication at Monmouth University and wrote for numerous publications in the Garden State, including the Asbury Park Press and NJ Advance Media. He has been to over 20 current and past MLB stadiums, with his favorites being Kauffman Stadium and PNC Park in Pittsburgh.

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