Marriages of Grace invites you to a beautiful evening for married couples on Friday, June 26th at the Basilica of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Youngstown.

Couples are invited to spend time together before the Lord in Eucharistic Adoration, entrusting your marriage and family to Christ’s care. In the quiet presence of the Eucharist, husbands and wives have a opportunity to pause, pray, and renew their hearts together.

Following Adoration, we will gather for a light reception, including appetizers and drinks. This time of fellowship is an opportunity to visit with other couples and continue the evening in fellowship and joy.

Confession will also be available beforehand at 6pm in the Basilica for those who wish to receive this sacrament.

Marriage is strengthened not only by shared experiences, but by shared prayer. We hope you will join us for this grace-filled evening dedicated to deepening your marriage and drawing closer to the Lord together. Come away for a few hours of prayer, peace, and community. We would love to see you there!

Join us for our May CanaNight with Dr. Nathan and Elizabeth Schlueter as they discuss John Paul II’s play, The Jeweler’s Shop

Of course you love your spouse. But are you friends with your spouse? Friendship grows through shared experiences, activities, challenges, and conversations. It can also grow by reading great literature together. Literature gives us experience, but in an imaginative space that is free from the stresses and strains of our personal lives. In the contemplative that almost magical space, we often find the grace of insight, healing, even transformation. This is perhaps one reason John Paul II was so fond of literature. Most people are aware of John Paul II’s theological and philosophical interests. But many people do not know that as a young man Karol Wojytla’s first love was drama – not only acting, but directing, playwriting, even translating classic poetry and works of drama into Polish. In 1941 he and four friends founded the underground Rhapsodic Theater, which sought to keep Polish culture alive during the Nazi and then Soviet occupations. In 1960 Wojtyla published two monumental works, Love and Responsibility and The Jeweler’s Shop. Both works explore human love, the first in the language of philosophy, the latter in the language of poetry. Love and Responsibility is rightly celebrated, but The Jeweler’s Shop is every bit its poetic equal, and even necessary complement to the philosophical work. In this event we will explore lessons on marriage in The Jeweler’s Shop. We strongly encourage you to read this play together in advance. (The movie is no substitute!). We know how difficult is for married couples, especially those caring for children, to find the mental and emotional energy to read. But this work is short, and you will not regret powering through.

Here are some tips to help you out.

1) Pace yourself. Read just a little at a time, even just a few pages each night. If you want to, mark arresting words, images or ideas with a pencil.

2) Think of it as a poem, not a play. (The subtitle calls it a “meditation,” and you should treat it that way.)

3) Don’t be discouraged by the strangeness. The non-linear structure, surprising imagery, “magical” characters, etc., are part of the charm! You will be able to follow the story.

4) What is the story about? Most simply:

a. Act One: A Good Marriage [Teresa and Andrew]

b. Act Two: A Bad Marriage [Anna and Stefan]

c. Act Three: The Marriage of two Children from the Good and Bad Marriages [Monica and Christopher]

5) Here are a few questions to think about:

a. What insights and questions did you have while you were reading? Did the poem lead to any good discussions?

b. What is the meaning of each title?

c. What is the plot?

d. Who are the characters? What are their particular struggles? What kind of judgments about them did you find yourself making as you read?

e. Did you notice any Biblical allusions. What do they mean?

f. How does the poem end? Is it hopeful?

Elizabeth and Nathan Schlueter

Nathan and Elizabeth have been married 26 years. They have nine children, and one grandchild.

Elizabeth has a B.A. in Politics and M.T.S. from the University of Dallas. In addition to being a homemaker, she is the Assistant Academic Director of Canavox, an international marriage organization. She has experience teaching as an R.C.I.A. director, a homeschooler, and a teacher at a classical hybrid school.

Nathan is a philosophy professor at Hillsdale College, where he teaches a popular course on the Philosophy of Love, Sex, and Marriage. He is the author of multiple books and articles, as well as the popular online course “Introduction to Western Philosophy.” He is a recipient of Hillsdale College’s Award for Teaching Excellence and the teacher of the popular online Hillsdale course “Introduction to Western Philosophy.” He also serves on the Bishop’s Commission on Catholic Social Teaching.

Catholic marriages are in need of ongoing enrichment and strengthening. By bringing in top notch keynote speakers each year at our day long marriage enrichment event, we hope to provide fresh and pertinent topics and engaging sessions that challenge couples to grow in their love and commitment to one another amidst the challenges of everyday life. Our marriage enrichment days have been offered in the diocese of Cleveland since 2008. We have a team of committed people that want to provide Catholic marriages with opportunities to thrive. Our world and our church need strong marriages! Please help us keep our programing alive by donating to the #WegiveCatholic campaign. All of the funds that we raise will help us cover the costs of the speaker's stipends and their travel costs for this year's Marriage Enrichment day which will take place on Saturday, February 28th, 2026. Please donate at https://www.wegivecatholic.org/donate/Marriages-Of-Grace.

Join us for a special evening of spiritual renewal and fellowship hosted by Marriages of Grace on Friday, November 14th. This event is designed to nourish the sacramental bond of marriage through a profound experience of faith and community.

Event Details:

• Adoration: Led by Fr. Patrick Schultz, couples will come together in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament for a time of prayer, reflection, and adoration. This sacred moment offers an opportunity to deepen your connection with Christ and each other, strengthening the foundation of your marriage.

• Music: The Amici Cantare Schola will provide beautiful, sacred music to elevate the Adoration experience, creating an atmosphere of reverence and grace.

• Reception: Following Adoration, join us for a reception where couples can connect, share, and celebrate their vocation to marriage in a warm and welcoming environment.

Why Catholic Married Couples Should Attend:This evening is a unique opportunity for Catholic married couples to rekindle their spiritual and emotional bond. Adoration provides a sacred space to invite Christ into your marriage, seeking His grace to grow in love, unity, and fidelity. The presence of sacred music by the Amici Cantare Schola will uplift your hearts, while the reception offers a chance to build community with other couples who share your commitment to a Christ-centered marriage. Whether you are newlyweds or have been married for decades, this event will inspire and strengthen your vocation, reminding you of the divine grace that sustains your union.

Come, be renewed, and celebrate the gift of your marriage with Marriages of Grace.

Fr. Eric Garris, the vocations director for the Diocese of Cleveland, will be joining us on Friday, August 22nd at Red, Wine and Brew in Mentor for our summer CanaNight. Please join us, and invite your friends to join us too!

$60 per person or $120 per couple

Main presider: Father Ryan Mann

Keynote Speakers: Troy and Kathleen Billings

Simply Love

True love knows no limit in giving more, being more, forgiving more. In marriage, husbands and wives are called to love one another without limits and to not lose sight of the fact that they are on the same team. When tempted to calculate or complain, they must simply love. 

In this talk, husbands and wives will be challenged and inspired to live out their wedding vows day by day. Kathleen and Troy will offer practical and tangible insights to live a healthy and faith-filled marriage amidst the joys and sorrows of married life, while encouraging couples to foster the important habit of praying every day together as a couple as a means to enrich and grow their marriage.

More information…

Keynote Speakers: Elizabeth and Nathan Schlueter

Breakout Sessions

Dr. Ted and Kathleen Raddell

To Have and To Hold

Marriage is a sacrament of enduring grace. Yet it is easy to take one another for granted over the course of time. Amid life's hustle, do we pause to honor our vows? Join Dr. Ted Raddell and his wife Kathleen as they guide you through essential strategies to cherish and strengthen your spouse throughout your married journey.

More information…

Schedule for the Day

CANCELLED

The 10th National Eucharistic Congress took place from July 17th-21st in Indianapolis and was a pivotal moment in a 3 year grassroots Eucharistic revival. The mission was to renew the Church by enkindling a living relationship with Jesus in the Eucharist. The vision was to inspire a movement of Catholics who are healed, converted, formed, and unified by an encounter with Jesus in the Eucharist—and who are then sent out on mission “for the life of the world.” But what about those who were unable to attend? Specifically, married couples have a great responsibility to witness to the presence and power of Christ in the Eucharist. 

Pope Benedict 16th said in the Spirit of the Liturgy, “In the Eucharist a communion takes place that corresponds to the union of man and woman in marriage. Just as they become “one flesh”, so in Communion we all become “one spirit”, one person, with Christ.”

We married couples must remember that just as we express our love to one another through the gift of their bodies, so too, Christ gives his very body to his bride the Church. So, whether married couples were able to attend the Eucharistic Congress or not, we can still be a part of the mission to renew the Church by faithfully living out the sacrament of marriage. 

Tanis Merimee attended the Eucharistic Congress along with more than 250 delegates from the Diocese of Cleveland. This event was and awe inspiring, emotional, and a faith-building and enriching experience. Join Tanis and she shares her reflections on this momentous event and how we as Catholic couples can live a more eucharistic marriage and share the great love of Christ in the Eucharist with those around us.

To learn more about the Eucharistic Congress you can visit their website, here.

Join us for our next CanaNight on Friday, June 14th! Join other Catholic couples from Northeast Ohio at Panini’s in Westlake to hear Greg and Aimee Wasinski, founders of Let Me Be Ministries.

Join Deacon Mike and Francine Constantini at our next CanaNight on Friday, August 5th at Slyman’s Tavern in Independence. They will offer tips for discernment - ideas for how to open ourselves to the voice of God when making small decisions to more important life changing decisions. They will offer advice on how to help others do the same.