All married couples would probably agree: marriage is hard work. The Catholic Church has a long history of supporting couples to live out their sacrament to God, each other, and the community.
In the Diocese of Raleigh, through the Marriage and Family Life department, there are several resources and ministries to support couples throughout all stages of life.
Teams of Our Lady (“Teams”) is an international lay movement in the Catholic Church, consisting of over 70,000 couples. It is designed to enrich marriage spirituality and make good marriages even better through prayer, study, and community.
Teams is parish based and organized into groups of five to seven couples from all stages of life (newly married, child rearing, and empty nesters), who meet monthly.
“Prior to Teams, we had both been involved in a number of apostolates, but none that enabled us to participate together with a focus on our marriage,” said Rich and Cathy Schwarz, parishioners of St. Catherine of Siena in Wake Forest. “When we joined a Team a little over eight years ago, it took some time to get used to its structure, approach, commitment, and the endeavors we were challenged to engage in as a couple, but we very quickly realized that this was exactly what we needed to concentrate on jointly growing in holiness through living out an authentic Catholic marriage.”
Each team shares a simple monthly meal, prayer, sharing on the endeavors, and a study topic. The endeavors, specific practices such as reading scripture, individual meditation and family prayer, are the heart of the spirit of Teams. The team becomes a close community that inspires one another through their living examples of faith and share with one another their struggles and successes on their way to holiness.
Teams provide a proven method of increasing and improving prayer life, which help couples grow closer to God and each other. At the same time, their families reap the benefits as well.
Mr. and Mrs. Schwarz said, “We have met and grown deep friendships with other couples that also strive to grow closer to Christ through their marriages. We thank God each day for the blessings that Teams has brought to us and our family and encourage other Catholic couples to consider joining a Team as a step toward marital holiness.”
If you would like to attend an information session and are interested in potentially joining a Team in the Diocese of Raleigh, please contact Rich and Cathy Schwarz at rjschwarz2@yahoo.com.