Brandi and Brooks McElyea were young when they met, and like many couples, needed some help communicating. So they tried a Marriage Encounter weekend, and the experience was so meaningful, they became presenters and now run the ministry.  

“One of the best things Brooks and I learned from Marriage Encounter is that feelings can never be wrong,” Brandi McElyea said. “It was a huge ‘aha!’ moment.”  

Marriage Encounter has been a Catholic ministry for more than a half century. Couples in the ’60s and ’70s participated in this marriage enrichment program and still do. It starts with a weekend workshop and continues with monthly check-ins where couples listen to presenters, reflect, in writing, on a topic and then share with each other. About 30 couples from St. Ann continue to be involved in the ministry.  

“Amid all the chaos of this world, it was important for us to sit down and talk about more than work, children and chores,” said Jenny Kiehl, who participated in a weekend with her husband, Dan. “It was a gift we gave ourselves and we are both so happy we did.” 

Even when the meetings became Zoom teleconferences during the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, the connections remained powerful, McElyea said. Even priests participate in the ministry, she added, presenting and taking lessons back to their parishes about better communications.  

“Everybody grows up differently, so it just helps you understand each other,” she said. “We want to help everyone get what we’ve gotten from this.”  

Pictured: Becoming ministry leaders was a natural fit for Brandi and Brooks McElyea, who learned how to listen and empathize with each other through Marriage Encounter.