In their 20 years of service in home Pre-Cana programs, Harry and Evelyn Nadler noticed a need for some type of program for couples after they were married.

"We were often asked, 'What do they have for married couples,'" Harry recalls.  "They liked the small groups.  They liked the sharing with other couples."

So six years ago, with the encouragemnet of Msgr. Paul Walsh, and the assistance of Mike and Eve Allegra, the Nadlers started the Marriage Alive program.  They received training by completing the third track of Pastoral Formation program (Marriage and Family Living), and then set about finding interested couples.  Currently, four Marriage Alive groups are in existence and a fifth starting up.  Each group consists of five or six couples that meet in each other's homes once a month.

The goal of Marriage Alive is to make good marriages grow in positive directions.  In the end, the entire family benefits.  It is a support group for married couples - a place where they can be with other Christian couples who share similar values.  Meetings include prayer, discussion, coffee, and refreshments.  Each meeting features a particular topic relative to marriage and family life.  Topics include Communication (a must for healthy marriages), Listening (another must), Family of Origin (a look at how our backgrounds effect how we relate to one another within marriage), and the question, "What is the greatest gift you can give to your children?" The discussions give couples the chance to learn more about each other and God.  Hearing each other's stories also reminds couples that they are not alone, the Nadlers say.  All of the groups meet together at times for occasions such as a Christmas party, a Valentine's evening, a summer picnic, or to hear a guest speaker.

Marriage Alive is open to couples of all ages.  Some come after hearing about it in Pre-Cana or Baptism Class.  Others have read about it in the bulletin or heard about it through friends.

The couples may differ in age and background, but that fact seems to be a plus. "One person's experience may help you and your experience may help them," Evelyn said.

The sharing of information was particularly helpful for Kent and Merrill Thompson.  The birth of the Thompson's twin boys, Kevin and Daniel, was a Marriage Alive miracle story.  A few months into her pregnancy, Merrill was told that the babies weresuffering from Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome, a condition in which one twin is drained of amniotic fluid, whil the other receives too much.  As the prgnancy progressed, the condition of the twins worsened, and it seemed that there was little the Thompsons could do.  Couples from the marriage Alive program discussed the Thompson's plight with friends, and soon, word had reached another couple in the area who had lost one twin due to Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome.  The couple shared information with the Thompson's that eventually led them to contact Dr Julian DeLia in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  Eventually the Thompsons would travel to Milwaukee where Merrill and the twins underwent rare, experimental surgery to correct the problem.  The surgery was a success and the healthy twin boys were born two and a half months later.

Granted, the Thompsons story is not one that happens every day.  For most couples, the Marriage Alive program is a chance to get away from the day-to-day grind. "It's a night out to relax and enjoy," Evelyn said,

Kathy Lynch, who, along with husband David, participates in Marriage Alive, said of the program, "We come away refreshed from every meeting."

The Nadlers say the program brings life and joy to marriage ... it is strengthening and enriching.  And it is their hope that the Marriage Alive program will help couples to fulfill the commandment of Jesus: "Love one another as I have loved you." to do this, Evelyn says, "you need the support of a loving Christian community."

Marriage Alive offers that support.

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