Search for Longest Married Couple Gets Congressional Recognition -- Nominations Still Sought by Worldwide Marriage Encounter
WASHINGTON, Dec. 20, 2010 /
Christian Newswire/ -- The continuing search for the longest married couple project sponsored by Worldwide Marriage Encounter, the original faith-based marriage enrichment program in this country, received strong support and recognition on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives during remarks made by Rep. Kathy Dahlkemper (D-PA).
"Mr. Speaker, I hope my colleagues will join me in congratulating Worldwide Marriage Encounter and all the volunteers and clergy for their efforts to strengthen marriages throughout our country," Rep. Dahlkemper said. The remarks were made during the closing sessions of Congress last week.
The congresswoman added, "Worldwide Marriage Encounter is undertaking a project to recognize the longest married couple from every State, with special recognition to the longest married couple in the United States. As nearly 50 percent of marriages end in divorce, it is truly an inspiration to see how many couples have remained together for so long."
"Thus far over 180 nominations have been received and they continue to come in at a steady pace," explained Scott & Karen Seaborn and Fr, Tom Griffith, SVD, the United States Ecclesial Team for WWME. They added. "We want to thank Congresswoman Dahlkemper for her strong support of the Worldwide Marriage Encounter movement and especially for this longest married couple search."
"As we enter the final days of the Christmas season when so many families are together, what a perfect time to nominate a couple whose marriage has spanned decades of love," the Seaborns and Fr. Griffth added.
As the deadline for submitting nominations nears it is strongly suggested that they be made to Dick & Diane Baumbach and Fr. Dick Morse, who serve as the North American Weekend Pillar for the WWME movement, who are overseeing the project.
"We know that traditionally families get together during the holiday period and what a perfect time to nominate parents or grandparents who have been married for a long time," the Baumbachs and Fr. Morse stated. They also said that couples can nominate themselves for the recognition.
Plans call for the Seaborns and Fr. Griffith to personally present the longest married couple in the United States with special gifts on Valentine's Day, Feb. 14, 2011. The individual state winners will also receive special certificates of achievement and other gifts from the Worldwide Marriage Encounter movement on that same day. The state winners will be presented their certificates by Worldwide Marriage Encounter couples.
Nominations, which are open to all husband and wife couples, may be submitted by email, regular mail or by calling a special phone number. The deadline for nominations is midnight on January 10th.
The contact information for sending in a nomination, which simply requires the name of the couple, their wedding date and where they currently reside plus a phone or email address, is as follows: email
dickanddiane66@bellsouth.net; regular mail Dick & Diane Baumbach 1430 Scorpious Ct. Merritt Island, FL 32953 and special phone number 321-453-2475.
Worldwide Marriage Encounter has been offering weekend experiences for over 42 years and is considered the original faith-based marriage enrichment program. The programs are continually updated to keep abreast of changes in society, and WWME now offers evening and half-day programs that are presented at parishes and other church facilities. The weekend program, traditionally presented as an overnight experience at a hotel or retreat center, can also be presented at the parish where the couples return to their homes in the evenings. WWME has a presence in over 90 countries, which makes it the largest pro-marriage movement in the world. In North America, the WWME programs are presented in English, Spanish, French, and Korean languages.
Worldwide Marriage Encounter offers married couples the opportunity to spend time together away from the busyness of the world to focus on each other. It offers tools for building and maintaining a strong, Christian marriage in today's world. To learn more about the Worldwide Marriage Encounter weekends online, go to wwme.org, or you can call 1-800-795-LOVE (English) and 1-800-599-AMOR (Spanish), or contact the WWME Office at (909) 863-9963.
