Growing Spanish-language program aims to boost Alaska marriages

CatholicAnchor.org
Learning to confidently speak English as a second language is challenging for many newcomers to the United States. This is especially so when attempting to communicate about deeply personal and emotional topics — like the state of one’s marriage. In such cases, many non-English speakers lean back on their more familiar mother tongue.

Leaders in the global WorldWide Marriage Encounter (WWME) outreach have taken notice and are increasingly presenting their weekend marriage enrichment programs in Spanish. In fact Spanish-language Marriage Encounter events are growing faster than any other type in the United States, according to Frederick Davidson. He and his wife Hallyma facilitate Spanish Marriage Encounters across areas of the Northwest United States.

The couple traveled to Anchorage in May to help present a Spanish Marriage Encounter at Holy Spirit Retreat House.

“I’m very passionate about it,” said Davidson, who despite his Anglo-sounding name speaks with a soft Latin accent. Good marriages are vital to raising good families, he said.

“In today’s society, there’s a culture shock for Hispanic kids. They’re immersed in American culture, yet they have other demands from their Hispanic culture,” he said. “When their parents have a strong marriage, kids feel more comfortable at home. They’re able to fight the social diseases — like gang membership.”

Additionally, the weekend deepens the spiritual side of marriage, he noted.

“It gets couples more involved in the church, and it gives a more mature faith,” Davidson said.

That Spanish language Marriage Encounter weekends are a growing phenomena represents a return to the program’s earliest days. The global program had its beginning in 1952 in Spain, where Father Gabriel Calvo began a series of conferences for married couples which evolved within a few years into the popular weekend program.

In 1967, three couples and a priest presented the first U.S. Encounter weekend at Notre Dame University. After that Marriage Encounter spread quickly throughout the country and by 1976 Alaskans attended the first Marriage Encounter weekend at the Anchorage Hilton Hotel. The program has had a foothold in Alaska ever since.

Spanish language weekends have occurred in Alaska over the last five years. Already, however, a large community of Hispanic couples meets regularly to support each other socially and in the struggles and joys of marriage.

Felipe and Ana Batista are the new Spanish leadership couple for Alaska. They spoke during the recent the May weekend, along with the former leadership couple Gustavo Azpilcueta and his wife Cristina Balsimelli.

Azpilcueta said he and Cristina attended a Spanish language program in 2012. Going through the program in Spanish made the weekend more effective he said, noting that in many cases one partner grasps English better than another.

“Maybe the man speaks English, but not the wife,” he observed. “And many don’t do well writing even in Spanish, never mind English.”

The presentations themselves are not lectures, but rather reveal the personal and spiritual experiences of the team couples, based on an outline that is standard for each weekend no matter the language. The couples attending the weekend are led into personal sharing with each other through the example of the presenting husband-wife teams.

Since the format for a Marriage Encounter enlists three couples and a priest, the Davidsons came to Anchorage, along with their team priest Father Jorge Herrera from Reno, Nev., to complete the presenting team along with the two Anchorage couples.

While flying in presenting couples is expensive, the wider community throughout the Northwest is happy to see the Anchorage Spanish community established, Davidson said.

“People in other communities share the burden. They asked their parishes if they could sell tacos and tamales after Masses” to help fund the Anchorage effort, he said.

“And the Anchorage community is wonderful. They bring and serve us food. It reminds me of the early Christian communities — people all share what they have.”

Attending his first encounter in May was Vincentian Father Pedro Nel Delgado Quintero, who has recently arrived from Columbia to serve Anchorage’s Hispanic community.

Marriage Encounter presentations are God-centered, and based on the Catholic tradition – although other religions have developed Encounters for their own faiths.

Bill and Sherry Tunilla are English-speaking Marriage Encounter leaders in Alaska.

“We work hand in hand with the Spanish Encounter,” Sherry said, adding that a group in the Seattle-Tacoma area has launched a weekend for Korean speakers, something the Anchorage community sees as a long-term goal.

“Marriage Encounter is the largest pro-marriage movement today,” Tunilla said. In addition to weekends, the program offers parish marriage enrichments and encourages encountered couples to foster communities where their marriages and families can continue to be supported.

Davidson sees hope in the ages of those seeking out Spanish Marriage Encounter.

“We see a lot of really young couples who are encountered,” Davidson observed, “and who are interested in staying in the community and being involved.”

The next Spanish Encounter will be held Oct 2-4 at Holy Spirit Retreat Center. For information, contact the Batistas at (907) 929-8450.

The next English Encounter will try something new. The Encounter will be held at Holy Rosary Academy October 9-11, but will be “non-residential” meaning couples will return home at night. Tunilla said this will cut down on the expense of the weekend. To contact the Tunillas for information, call 907-248-5616.