Meet Cheyenne and Austin: a couple impacted by your gift to the Bishop’s Appeal.
Prior to marriage preparation, Cheyenne and Austin did not attend Mass frequently. They both were raised Catholic and cared about their faith, but it wasn’t the top priority amidst all the wedding planning. From working on a guest list, to making flower arrangements, going through marriage preparation was another item on their “Wedding To-Do List.”
However, their marriage preparation at St. John Nepomucene Catholic Community in Little Chute changed how they view the importance and sanctity of the Mass and marriage itself.
Because of your gift to the Bishop’s Appeal, the diocesan Office of Marriage and Family Life provides resources and support for parishes as they walk with engaged couples on their marriage-preparation journey. These resources have inspired hundreds of couples in our Diocese, including Austin and Cheyenne, to place their faith at the center of their relationship.
“Your gift to the Bishop’s Appeal supports the Office of Marriage and Family Life in more ways than you can imagine. We help more couples discover hope in Jesus during engagement, in the early years of their marriage, and beyond,” shared Carla Ferrando-Bowling, the Family Life Director for the Office of Marriage and Family Life.
This Office supports engaged couples, and they also provide a variety of other resources for married couples and families throughout northeastern Wisconsin. These include resources for growing faith through study and prayer-life practices for families, marriage enrichment, wedding anniversaries, and more.
Your gift to the Bishop’s Appeal makes this and more possible, and it has changed the lives of couples like Cheyenne and Austin.
“Marriage prep showed us how important it is to have a strong foundation of faith. Now, Austin and I encourage each other to go to Mass more and hear the word of God. We are so grateful to the Bishop’s Appeal for supporting our marriage preparation, so we could see the impact faith has on a relationship,” shared Cheyenne.
The couple had one-on-one meetings with Father Ron Belitz, the pastor at St. John Nepomucene Catholic Community. He asked the couple about their views on marriage, what their parents’ marriages looked like and how those relationships influenced them and learned why they wanted to get married.
“It was beautiful to talk with Austin and Cheyenne and hear their anticipation to receive the sacrament of marriage. Thanks to the diocesan Office of Marriage & Family Life, St. John’s has plenty of resources and tools for marriage preparation, so our parish can help so many young couples,” explained Father Ron.
Through marriage preparation, classes were also offered to provide support for couples during engagement and after they say, “I do.” Couples heard presentations on a variety of topics, including financial planning, raising a Catholic family, miscarriage support groups, and more.
“It gave me so much peace to know how much the Diocese and the people serving it care about couples. I get anxious with the state of the world sometimes, so it felt good to know the Church would be there for us once we were married, too,” explained Cheyenne.
In addition to meeting with Father Ron and attending classes, the marriage retreat played an important role in Austin and Cheyenne’s relationship with Jesus in their marriage.
At the retreat, a deacon presented a candle to all the couples. The candle had three wicks, symbolizing the three parties involved in a marriage: the husband, the wife, and the foundation of any strong relationship—Jesus Christ.
The couples lit their candles, watching the light blaze before them. This candle represented the beauty, love, and power of having Jesus at the core of a marriage. The experience stood out to Austin and Cheyenne.
The couples also spent time together in prayer and wrote letters to their future spouses. Austin and Cheyenne were married on June 22, 2024. The letters they wrote were opened six months later, just before Christmas, and it brought the couple back to the joy they felt on their wedding day.
“We wrote about our hope for our future marriage, and it was nice to read the letters and see how our relationship has gotten even stronger,” said Austin.
Austin and Cheyenne were moved by the lessons they learned in their marriage preparation. They attribute their positive experience to Father Ron and the incredible diocesan staff members who work tirelessly to support parishes and couples like them to feel supported in their relationship.
“Honestly, we never would have gone through the classes and retreat if we didn’t have to. But I am so glad we did,” shared Austin. “It gave us a new perspective on the value of a strong, Catholic marriage, and it gave us the chance to talk about important aspects of our relationship.”
Hope is needed in marriages more than ever. Through your support of the Bishop’s Appeal, more couples can discover the holiness and beauty of marriage.
“Less people are getting married, and they are getting married later in life and are unsure of what they want in a partner. We learned that marriage is a strong foundation, and it’s sacred. Gifts to the Bishop’s Appeal keep marriages strong and help couples connect with Jesus,” said Cheyenne.
Make your gift to the Bishop’s Appeal today, and help more couples like Austin and Cheyenne build strong marriages with Jesus at the center.
