A Wedding Is A Day, A Marriage Is A Lifetime®
Welcome
Congratulations on your engagement, and welcome to Kansas City Catholic Engaged Encounter! Our community has been serving the Greater Kansas City area for over 45 years. Most of the couples that attend our weekends live in the Greater Kansas City area, but we warmly welcome any engaged Catholic couple that needs to complete a marriage preparation program.
Who We Are
Catholic Engaged Encounter is a weekend retreat away with other engaged couples with plenty of time alone together to plan for a sacramental marriage. It is designed to give couples planning marriage the opportunity to dialogue honestly and intensively about their prospective lives together– their strengths and weaknesses, desires, ambitions, goals, their attitudes about money, sex, children, family, their role in the church and society–in a face-to-face way.
FAQ
CEE is a weekend designed for couples who are preparing for a Sacramental Marriage in the Catholic Church. While it is spent with other engaged couples, the focus is on private time for the couples to build on a closer relationship. The weekend gives the couple time to discuss their future lives together with their strengths, weaknesses, desires, ambitions, and goals as well as their attitudes about money, children, family, intimacy and their role in church and society.
The CEE program is approved in the Kansas City/St Joseph Diocese and Kansas City, Kansas Diocese. You should consult with the priest supervising your preparation for marriage to determine the exact requirements of marriage preparation in your parish and diocese.
Through a series of presentations by two married couples and a priest, the engaged couple is encouraged to discuss privately all aspects of their forthcoming married life. Their discussion is always from the viewpoint of their own relationship. Personal reflection and dialogue time becomes the main focus of the weekend. Meals with the other couples and some group discussions will provide some group interaction.
We encourage you to make your reservations at least four months prior to the wedding date you desire, as many weekends are filled quickly.
The cost is $195 per couple, which includes 4 meals, one night lodging and all supplies needed.
The weekend begins Saturday morning at 7:00 a.m. for check in.
Weekends end late afternoon on Sunday. The couple MUST STAY the entire time to derive the full benefit from the weekend. Certificates of attendance will be presented after Mass.
You will be assigned individual rooms. The room includes a private bathroom with a shower. Bedding and towels are provided.
Because this is a Catholic retreat, you cannot share a room with your fiancé.
We suggest you bring the following items with you:
- Wear comfortable casual clothing;
- Bring snacks (chips, cookies, fruit, etc.) and beverages to place on the shared snack table which will be available in the conference room. (Coffee will be provided)
- A twelve pack of your favorite soda, water, energy or sports drink;
- A reusable cup to enjoy coffee during the retreat;
- Any snack or drink items for your own personal consumption.
No, you do not have to be Catholic to attend the weekend. However, the weekend is presented from the Catholic perspective.
Each couple will receive two workbooks to use throughout the retreat. These are yours to keep. The workbook provides an outline of the retreat and topics covered. Due to varying factors, such as meal times, slight differences in presenter’s length on topics, we are unable to provide exact timing of each presentation. Most presentations, individual reflection and couple reflection time total about 60-90 minutes.
YES, it is very important that you stay for the entire retreat. If you arrive late or leave early, you will miss important parts of the retreat experience, and we will not be able to give you your certificate of completion of the retreat.
Yes, we do ask that you observe a few basic rules.
- Please refrain from the use of alcohol and illegal drugs.
- Please respect this is a Catholic retreat – we ask that you dress appropriately.
- Please remember the weekend is presented at a Catholic facility and be respectful of your surroundings.
- Please do not leave the weekend, for any reason, unless an emergency arises. If you need to leave, please speak to one of the team members.
Dress for the entire weekend is casual. Please dress comfortably. We will attend Mass during the weekend, however casual attire is acceptable.
Catholic Engaged Encounter is a smoke free environment, and due to state law all of our facilities prohibit smoking, including the use of e-cigarettes. If you do smoke, there is an area outside of the building. Additionally, as a sign of respect, we ask that you please refrain from using e-cigarettes or vaping inside the facilities as well.
Planning a wedding can be a fun and exciting time. It can also be stressful. Catholic Engaged Encounter offers a weekend-long retreat away from the hustle and bustle of life, where you can focus on each other, your relationship, and what it means to become a sacrament. While couples spend the majority of the retreat together – there is not much free time. Couples should plan to start their day a little earlier and work a little later than they typically would on an average weekend at home.
No, WiFi is not available. Catholic Engaged Encounter offers a weekend-long retreat away from the hustle and bustle of life, where you can focus on each other, your relationship, and what it means to become a sacrament. As such we ask that couples refrain from using electronic devices as much as possible – including cell phones.
No, the purpose of the Catholic Engaged Encounter weekend is to interact with and talk with your fiance about issues you may not have already discussed. If your fiance is not present, you will be unable to complete the program.
Reservation Policies
A space will NOT be reserved for you until the payment is made in full.
Couples are waiting to get on weekends and availability is limited to the number which can be accommodated, so refunds will only be given if the slot held for you can be filled.
Testimonials
Volunteer for CEE
Our community is always looking for charitable people to donate their time to our ministry. We often reach out to ask for prayers for the engaged couples that attend our weekend. The couple will receive a personal note card with the name(s) of those praying for them. This ministry can be fulfilled from the comfort of your own home!
If you have a strong call to serve our community, you and your spouse may be interested in serving as a team couple. Serving as a team couple involves writing talks on topics using your personal marital experience. To serve as a team couple, you and your spouse must be a couple in good standing with the Catholic Church.
If you would like to be a face in our community, but aren’t called to be a team couple you may be interested in serving as a host couple. Host couples arrive before the weekend starts to help engaged couples to their rooms at the retreat center. This commitment involves an hour or two of your time, but serves as a warm welcome to the engaged couples we serve.
Volunteer Today
Donate
Our community relies on the generous support of individuals like yourself to make our weekends accessible to all engaged couples. Couples with financial hardships appreciate your help in covering the cost of the retreat house, meals, and the workbooks they need to make the most of the weekend. If you feel called to support our ministry, please use the link below to give within your means. Our community appreciates your consideration and support!
Get in Touch
Please contact us if you have any questions. We’re looking forward to hearing from you!
