Fr. Gabriel
Calvo |
In
1962, Fr. Gabriel Calvo brought together 28 couples from the
workers of the factories in Spain for the first “Encuentro
Conyugal”. The movement grew within the structure of
the Christian Family Movement (CFM).
In
1966, the Marriage Encounter spread to Latin America through
Mexico. The Marriage Encounter was brought to Miami, Florida
USA from Mexico in 1967.
|
| During
the summer of 1969, Luisito & Asuncion Sison were delegates
to the convention of the International Confederation of the Christian
Family Movement at Southbend, Indiana. They later attended a Marriage
Encounter Weekend a week later. Meanwhile, Fr. Ruben Tanseco,
SJ joined another ME weekend in Michigan, USA. The three of them
brought the Marriage Encounter to the Philippines. |
Fr. Ruben
Tanseco, SJ |
Reunion
of ME Class Number One after 20 years on March 17, 1989.
|
The
first ME Weekend in the Philippines was held at the Loyola Retreat
House at Angono, Rizal, on October 3-5, 1969, with Fr. Ruben Tanseco,
SJ as Team priest and Sito-Siony Sison as Team Couple. Eleven
couples and four priests joined ME Class # 1. Among the priests
were Fr. Jess Fernandez, SJ , Fr. Pat Lim and Fr. Aureo Nepumoceno. |
|
Until
1976, Marriage Encounter Weekends were held under the auspices
of the Christian Family Movement as one of their apostolates.
The
Marriage Encounter Foundation (MEF) was organized by CFM in
1976, as the funding arm of the CFM ME programs. The ME Program
was under the supervision of Marriage Encounter Philippines
(MEP), the council of ME Team Couples.
|
 |
In
1984, the Marriage Encounter Foundation of the Philippines was organized
with the merger of the Marriage Encounter Foundation (MEF) and the
Marriage Encounter Philippines (MEP).
Fr. Jess
Fernandez, SJ |
The
first Marriage Encounter Serieses were organized by the priests
who attended the ME Class # 1. The
Tuklasan Series was organized by Fr. Jess Fernandez, SJ from which
evolved several of the current big ME communities and sectors. |
| Fr.
Pat Lim organized the Villa Adelaida Series, which was then handled
by Fr. Ruben Tanseco, SJ when the former was transferred to the
Sta. Maria de la Strada Parish. The SWDCAP Series was organized
by Fr. Aureo Nepumoceno. |
Fr.
Pat Lim |
Today,
the Marriage Encounter Foundation of the Philippines is the umbrella
organization of more than 100 transparochial
& parish-based sectors, chapters and communities around the
Philippines.
__________________________
|
