The diocesan Office for Marriage and Family Life is planning a marriage enrichment retreat July 27-29 to be held in the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois. Associate director Carlos Tejeda is arranging for couples to benefit from a retreat similar to one that he and his wife Elena have already attended in another state.
Tejeda hopes that other married couples will take advantage of the opportunity to learn helpful information from retreat master Father Jaroslaw "Jay" Szymczak of Poland, who is nicknamed the "rescuer of married couples."
"Providentially, I learned that Father Szymczak would be in this country and have arranged for him to come to the Springfield diocese," said Tejeda. "So, he will be here specifically in order to facilitate this retreat for our diocese."
Father Szymczak has his doctorate of theology in marriage and the family. A graduate of the Academy of Catholic Theology and a member of the Institute of the Holy Family (Institute of Consecrated Life), Father Szymczak is also one of the founders of the Family Support Foundation. He has been involved in pastoral family counseling as well as the formation and education of students at the Department for Studies on Family Science at the Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University in Warsaw.
Father Szymczak is "an awesome priest" Tejeda said. As a priest, confessor and marriage and family counselor, he has been helping married couples to overcome even acute marital crises for years. He is co-originator of the Programs for the Development of Marital Relations and Marriage Preparation Courses, which enjoy widespread popularity in Poland.
He also serves as chaplain for the gynecologists from the Catholic Association of Polish Doctors. He has cooperated for years with Dr. Thomas Hilgers, the developer of NaProTECHNOLOGY. Finally, he is a member of the board of directors of FertilityCare Centers International.
"While Christ Jesus certainly isn't left out of the picture during the retreat — Mass and sacramental reconciliation are celebrated during the days — it is strongly focused on natural human virtues and skills that form the basis for God's grace to be effective on married love," Tejeda said.
If a couple is in an interfaith marriage, they too can benefit from the retreat, Tejeda said. "So, the point is that even if one of the spouses isn't Catholic this is a highly applicable opportunity for all couples no matter what their faith background may be."
Newly-married couples or those who have been married years or even decades are welcome, Tejeda said. "If you've only been married a month or if you're old pros celebrating your 60th anniversary together … there are many things you can gain from this retreat experience."
The cost for the retreat will be approximately $280 per couple for the conference and a two-night stay; some scholarships are available. For more information or to sign up for the retreat, e-mail Carlos Tejeda at or call (217) 321-1132.