A Retreat Based on JPII’s Newly Discovered Rule for Married Couples

The Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe welcomed 48 couples from ten different states to the Becoming One marriage retreat the weekend of July 24-25. The retreat was led by Peter and Theresa Martin, founders and directors of the Wojtyla Community and Institute.

Pope John Paul II’s Newly Discovered Rule for Married Couples

The retreat focused on the newly rediscovered Rule of Pope Saint John Paul II for a joy-filled marriage, as well as insights from his prior writings about the dignity of the human person and conjugal spirituality within marriage. This was the second retreat that the Wojtyla Community and Institute has organized at the Shrine, as they previously held a retreat in 2024.

Building a Foundation for Couples

The weekend began with a welcome from the retreat team on Friday in addition to a talk and couples dialogue, followed by night prayer and an evening social. On Saturday, couples attended four talks and had more time for dialogue, as well as attending Mass celebrated by Cardinal Burke and praying together in adoration. The retreat concluded with a final talk and group prayer.

The Martins shared that the goal of the retreat was that every couple, no matter how long they had been married, would be able to better understand and lay the foundation for true conjugal spirituality within their marriage. They hoped to give couples the ability to strengthen their marriage so that they could align even more with God’s design for marriage.

“The retreat broke new ground in our vision of marriage, by using themes from St. John Paul II’s ‘Rule for married couple groups’ which was only recently rediscovered. The main purpose of his Rule is to build the couples’ conjugal spirituality,” they said.

The Martins highlighted that the retreat was not a conference on John Paul II’s Rule, but instead an opportunity for intense spiritual growth for the couples participating. Throughout the retreat, couples were given time to dialogue privately together and better understand how to apply the Rule to their marriage.

The Martins also emphasized that an openness to hearing God’s voice and to receiving His grace was central to couples’ ability to benefit from the retreat and to grow closer in their spiritual lives.

“The key to deepening this path of conjugal spirituality, St. John Paul II says, is an act of faith: to ask God to help you grow in this area. Yet, you can’t ask for what you don’t know! This is why the talks were important, to allow couples to see what is possible, and once they understood it, they could ask God for it,” the Martins explained. “And God does not disappoint! God is the reason the retreat was so incredibly profound and powerful. God spoke to couples more deeply than they’ve ever experienced before. And all it took was an open heart.”

The Retreat’s Impact on Couples

The Martins also shared several moments that touched them over the weekend, such as witnessing Cardinal Burke personally greet every couple after Mass and watching couples venerate a first-class relic of Pope Saint John Paul II, including a couple attending the retreat on their honeymoon.

William and Dera Arnold, who attended Becoming One as their first marriage retreat at the Shrine, shared that they valued learning about John Paul II’s Rule, having the opportunity to dialogue as a couple, hearing personal stories from Peter and Theresa, and engaging with the other couples.

They also noted that the time they spent together in adoration and in thoughtful dialogue was impacting their marriage even weeks after the retreat.

“One moment that stands out was the opportunity to reflect individually and as a couple, especially during our reflection and dialogue time during adoration,” said the Arnolds. “We felt the Holy Spirit in that moment and we’re still feeling the graces from our connection during that specific part of our experience.”

For the Martins, a tangible increase in intimacy and marital grace between couples is the whole goal of their ministry. They shared that the conclusion of a retreat is the highlight for them, as it allows them to see their efforts to support couples’ relationship with God come to fruition.

“At the end of the retreat, when couples share what God has done in their hearts, this is the most precious moment to us, because this is the whole reason we do what we do. We only want to help couples grow closer to God,” they said.

“It is not about us, but about Jesus Christ and His love that will shake the very foundation of our lives and bring us to a place of unshakable peace and lasting joy– even in this life! What a great joy for us to be God’s littlest messengers sharing His love with couples from all across the United States here at the Shrine!”

More Resources

Learn more about the Wojtyla Community and Institute and find resources at WojtylaIC.com.