Married couples seek passion, growth in Rogers events

Record numbers attend marriage events in English, Spanish for new year

Published: January 26, 2016

By Alesia Schaefer
Rogers Correspondent

Alesia Schaefer

Dr. Allen Hunt, best-selling author and speaker, was the featured speaker of an event attended by more than 500 couples at St. Vincent de Paul Church Friday, Jan. 8 titled “Passion and Purpose for Marriage.”

Alesia Schaefer

ROGERS — It’s not Valentine’s Day, just yet, but love was in the air in northwest Arkansas as almost 1,000 couples came together over a weekend at St. Vincent de Paul Parish to learn the secrets of a healthy marriage.

Despite frigid temps and a few flurries, a record number of married, engaged and dating couples attended two marriage events hosted in both English and Spanish at the Rogers parish on Friday, Jan. 8 and Saturday, Jan. 9.

Around 530 couples attended Friday night’s event “Passion and Purpose for Marriage” sponsored by Dynamic Catholic Institute featuring author and speaker Dr. Allen Hunt. The following evening more than 450 couples were present for the Spanish “Marriage Encounter” with the well-known couple Luis and Martha Oseguera of Dallas and special guest, Father Angel Espinosa of Mexico.

“People were very excited and look forward to similar events being sponsored in the area,” said Karen Peters, adult formation coordinator at the parish.

And couples were not the only ones walking away happy, according to Peters.

“The organizers were very pleased with the turnout on Friday evening,” she said. “I was told it was one of the largest marriage audiences to date and a great kick-off for the new year.”

Hunt, a former Methodist minister of a megachurch and a best-selling author, captivated couples Friday night. Hunt has a unique perspective of being a former pastor and a husband of 25 years. Hunt, who converted to Catholicism eight years ago, has also counseled couples for more than 20 years. In his presentation, he shared key ingredients of healthy marriages. Hunt also communicated how effort, attention and forgiveness all help nourish the marital relationship and make it more successful. Participants heard Hunt speak on five things women need to know about men and five things men need to know about women and the most important word in a marriage.

Couples, young and old, found the evening to be insightful.

Married 56 years, Elaine and Jerry Jarvis said, “We can always improve. We’ve been successful being together thus far, but with God’s help and prayer we can accomplish what he wants us to do.”

One of the younger couples of the evening, to be married April 9 of this year, came to the event to understand each other’s love language. Sara Donahue, a Catholic, and her fiancé, Michael Barley, a Mormon, are both strong in their respective faiths.

“But we want to grow and learn what we can do to improve our future marriage and make it stronger,” Donahue said.

Saturday night’s reviews were equally as positive. Among the Catholic Hispanic community around the nation, the Osegueras and Father Espinosa are well-known speakers. The priest’s inspirational message shared with couples encouraged the importance of love, respect and understanding in a marriage.

“We both liked it because Padre Espinosa gave us words of wisdom, life and love,” said Arturo Hernandez, who is a director for the St. Andrew School of Evangelization for the parish. Married to Verta since 2009, and a leader of a Spanish Bible study, Hernandez said he felt like the presentation was like an “emergency shot” for the many Hispanic couples that attended.

“I think it helped us and other couples to understand one another better,” Hernandez said.

Peters cited Pope Francis’ recent emphasis on marriage and the family as motivation for hosting such an event.

“These presentations are a fantastic way to gain insight, grow and be nourished,” she said. “Pope Francis said at the recent World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia that our families and our homes are true domestic churches,” Peters said. “The pope said, ‘They are the right place for faith to become life, and life to become faith,’” she added.

Since last May, the parish has been planning to sponsor this event and began advertising it in the West Ozark Deanery and the diocese following the second Ozark Liturgical Conference held in August. The committee’s efforts were rewarded as couples came from as far away as Plano, Texas, and central Arkansas to hear Hunt and musical guest George Lower.