News

Young Fayetteville couple go to Mass as often as they can

Eichlers think young adult Catholics should be active in Church

Published: October 25, 2008   

By Patricia May
Fayetteville Correspondent

Courtesy Eichler family

Adam and Sarah Eichler greet Pope Benedict XVI in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, June 8, 2005, after their marriage.

Courtesy Eichler family

Adam and Sarah Eichler greet Pope Benedict XVI in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, June 8, 2005, after their marriage.

FAYETTEVILLE -- For Adam and Sarah Eichler, their love of God and the Church are central to their lives and their marriage, and they couldn't imagine living any other way. It's been that way since they started dating -- they prayed together on their first date.

Now, three years after their wedding, the couple are active parishioners at St. Joseph Church, professing their faith in words and action.

"So many times you start a relationship and put praying (together) off," Adam Eichler said. "Basically, you're telling God 'We're not ready for you.'"

The Eichlers are a bit embarrassed to admit they met online, but they visited so many of the same places, it seems odd they didn't crossed paths at some point. When they eventually met, they talked about everything -- and religion was always among the topics covered.

Adam was raised Catholic; Sarah was a Christian but had no church to call home. She said her mother always asked about the young men she dated fearfully inquiring: "He's not Catholic, is he?"

She began attending Mass with Adam and before long was taking part in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults process. By mutual agreement, Adam did not attend classes with her, but Sarah freely discussed questions with him. She came into the Catholic Church at Easter in 2004, before the couple got engaged.

Consequently, by the time the couple decided to marry and began to attend St. Joseph's premarital program, they had already discussed almost every topic covered.

"Everything just made sense; everything just fit," Sarah Eichler said.

The couple was married at St. Joseph in Fayetteville April 9, 2005, but delayed their honeymoon until the school year ended for Sarah, who is an English teacher.

The couple flew to Rome June 7, 2005, carrying their wedding attire and a letter from Bishop J. Peter Sartain that enabled them to get special seating in a section reserved for couples who were married within 60 days at one of the pope's weekly public audiences.

They barely made the deadline. The papal audience occurred on the 60th day after their wedding. The Eichlers were fortunate enough to end up on the front row of the reserved section, giving them a close encounter with the Pope Benedict XVI.

For other couples who might also want to receive the sposi novella or blessing for new spouses, the Eichlers offer a couple of suggestions: First, couples must ask their priest to write the bishop requesting a letter to the Vatican for tickets. Second, consider the difficulty of traveling with elaborate clothing.

Sarah Eichler was careful to remember that European Catholic churches do not allow strapless or even sleeveless clothing, so she borrowed a friend's wedding shawl to ensure her gown met the Vatican's requirements.

It was a good start to the Eichlers' honeymoon and their marriage. In all, the couple spent 28 days abroad, much of it exploring historic churches.

They've remained active members at St. Joseph and think young adult Catholics who wait until they're older to take part in activities are missing out on something vital.

"God says beauty is fleeting ... It won't last," Adam Eichler, 30, said. "If we focus on things Christ tells us are important ... your life will grow by leaps and bounds."

"From day one, we prayed together," he said. "If you start talking about God, you invite him in."

Sarah Eichler, 27, said, in some ways, it was a blessing she wasn't Catholic when she met her husband.

"It spurred a lot of discussion. For me to be asking questions all the time, it brought up a lot of topics" they might not have otherwise discussed, she said.

Adam Eichler said his office is close to St. Joseph and he attends Mass regularly during the week. He offered his time to the parish's youth ministry program and continues to work with altar servers.

His wife has found a calling as a lector. She also taught at St. Joseph School for a year but now teaches in Springdale Public Schools. Still, she said she manages to attend Mass at least once during the week and the Eichlers often go out with Catholic friends afterwards. It's a highlight of their week.

"The Mass is the perfect prayer. Christ is present in so many ways but most importantly in the Eucharist," Adam Eichler said. "If that's where Jesus is ... then why wouldn't you want to be there?"

"If Jesus came down in all his glory ... people would flock to see him. That's exactly what he's doing right now in the Mass," he said.

The Eichlers also believe going to confession helps their marriage in multiple ways.

"We both have a deep respect for reconciliation, and we both utilize the privilege of going regularly," Sarah Eichler said.

The practice of telling the priest -- Christ -- everything, makes it easier to resolve their own differences when they arise, she said. "We may always disagree (about something), but it's easier for us to discuss."

"Asking for forgiveness is humbling yourself; it's a practice in humility," Adam Eichler said. It's also a realization that "you're not always right and you need somebody else; you need their respect."

The couple doesn't expect their involvement with the Church to lessen once they have children. Sarah Eichler said she's looking forward to having children because she doesn't plan to continue working outside the home. "Then I can go to Mass every day."