National Marriage Week: February 7-14, 2025

By PETER MARTIN

The observances of National Marriage Week (February 7-14) and World Marriage Day (Sunday, February 9) are an opportunity to focus on building a culture of life and love that begins with supporting and promoting marriage and the family. The theme for 2025 is Marriage: Source of Hope, Spring of Renewal. Pursue a Lasting Love!

It almost seems elementary to say, but now, more than ever, it needs to be said: marriage is important! Marriage is the foundation of the family and “the future of the human person, his happiness, his capacity for giving life meaning all depend on the family” (St. John Paul II).

Every week is a good week to work on your marriage, but every year National Marriage Week occurs the week of Valentine’s Day to serve as a reminder for us married folks to prioritize the love that we have in our marriage.

Every year the Diocese of Winona-Rochester hosts a marriage retreat (see the advertisement below, and there are other Catholic marriage retreats that take place in and near the Diocese). This is a great opportunity for us to take time away from our busy lives and focus on our marriage. If you cannot get away, there are other opportunities for you to strengthen your marriage. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops have an at-home couples’ retreat in English and Spanish available online at foryourmarriage.org/celebrate-nationalmarriage-week/ as well as prayers for married couples and a video series to help you fortify your marriage.

Sadly, people forget to prioritize their marriage and they find themselves in a place where they do not believe there is any hope. During this Jubilee Year, let’s all be Pilgrims of Hope and build up the love that brought us together in marriage. It can truly change the world! Marriage truly is a source of hope and a spring of renewal!

Peter Martin is the director of the Office of Life, Marriage & Family for the Diocese of Winona-Rochester.