Our Vision
“Restoring hope and healing for marriages worldwide.”
We believe that every marriage, a union of one man and one woman, deserves the opportunity to survive, be healed and thrive as a covenant of life and love. Retrouvaille is the place where we, as hurting couples, found hope and so we are passionately committed to dramatically increasing the number of couples served in both new and existing communities worldwide.
Our Mission
Retrouvaille is an International community of disciples committed to the continued healing of their marriages and, empowered by the Holy Spirit, sharing their stories, talents and gifts to promote and spread the healing ministry of Retrouvaille.
“Empowered disciples spreading hope, healing, and renewal.”
History of Retrouvaille - International
Retrouvaille began in Hull, Quebec, in 1977, founded by Guy and Jeannine Beland. They realized that the standard “Marriage Encounter” (WWME) program was insufficient for couples in severe distress and created a specific “healing weekend.” Initially conducted in French, the program expanded to Toronto in 1978, where the Hayden and Bridger families developed an English version.
Although initially sponsored by WWME, Retrouvaille became an independent ministry in September 1980 to better focus on its distinct mission. In 1981, leadership developed a new, specialized curriculum inspired by the French program Etre Un Couple. The ministry expanded rapidly across Canada and the United States, holding its first International Council Meeting in 1983. The founders attribute the program’s wisdom and success to divine guidance, rooted in the themes of Mission and Service. [ Details Here… ]
History of Retrouvaille Metro Detroit - A Story from one of the Founding Couples - Mark & Betty Squier
It was 1990 when we received a letter from Fr. Syl Taube, the Director of the Family Life Office in the Archdiocese of Detroit. That was four years after we attended a program for troubled marriages in July of 1986. We were on the brink of divorce and papers were already filed with the Court. The name of that program was “Look Again” and we were one of many couples who received the letter from Fr. Syl. He had decided it was time to establish Retrouvaille in the Detroit area and reached out to the couples who had attended Look Again to seek their help, hoping they would be willing to serve other troubled couples.
He invited all of us to attend a meeting to talk about Retrouvaille, and several of us showed up to hear what he wanted to share. By the end of the meeting, many of those couples expressed an interest in attending the training weekend in order to make a decision if they might be willing to bring Retrouvaille to Detroit. Some time passed, maybe 2-3 months and Betty called Fr. Syl to ask if a date had been decided. It wasn’t long after that when we received a letter inviting the interested couples to attend the training. [ Details Here… ]
The Cost of Giving Up
The Silence of Separation
