Vatican consultors to present annual diocesan Marriage Enrichment retreat

Friday, Jan. 23, 2015

SALT LAKE CITY — Andrew and Terri Lyke will be the guest presenters at the Annual Marriage Enrichment retreat “Marriage on a Lampstand: Mission Possible,” on Feb. 14. 

The Lykes also will give a workshop on Feb. 15 to Black Catholic families at the Chancery offices to address the challenges of family life and explore how a traditional, yet countercultural approach may rally strengths of the community, said Veola Burchett, Marriage and Family Life director for the Diocese of Salt Lake City. (See story, below.) 

The Lykes grew up in Chicago and were high school sweethearts; they were married in 1975. They have been involved in the marriage enrichment ministry since 1982 and together they have served as advisors to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee on Marriage and Family, achieved numerous awards, were consultors to the Vatican on family issues, national speakers and will be presenters at the 2015 Vatican World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia. They founded Arusi Network, Inc., the mission of which is to strengthen the institution of marriage in the African American community.

The Lykes became involved in marriage enrichment after encountering their own marital issues early in their marriage and attended Marriage Encounter, said Andrew Lyke.  “It was a conversion experience; we found a very meaningful understanding of the [marriage] sacrament in our lives that we could actually see and experience working in us.”

For more than 30 years the Lykes were involved in Marriage Enrichment for Black Catholics through the Archdiocese of Chicago Family Ministry Office, although “the message is well received among all races,” said Terri Lyke. “It is based on our Catholic understanding of the marriage sacrament.” 

“Marriage is in the custody of the couple, but it belongs to the community; we are accountable to the community, and the community is also accountable to us,” said Andrew Lyke, adding that it takes the community to sustain the marriage. There are stakeholders in the community who remind us who we are and of the promise that we made. In turn we are intentional about being visible in the community, which adds strength to the community itself.” 

“We take the wedding and the marriage and commercialize it; no one really understands what they are in for when it comes to marriage in the Catholic community,” said Terri. “We have to realize the people in the pews, our bridesmaids and groomsmen are our stakeholders and witness our marriage. Often times they are our friends and relatives, and they don’t often know their responsibilities; where are they when the marriage is in trouble?” 

People in the Western culture marry publicly, but go through their struggles and divorce privately, said Andrew Lyke. “We are saying marriage starts in public and there is a public accountability, and through the years the promises make the couple into what they need to be. Raising the couples’ awareness of that and giving them some interesting ways of articulating that for themselves will be what we will cover.” 

“We will challenge them in their marriage sacrament and encourage them to live out that sacrament by writing out a mission statement for who they are as a couple,” added Terri Lyke. “This makes the couple accountable to each other.”

What: Annual Marriage Enrichment retreat

When: Saturday, Feb. 14, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.   

Where: St. Vincent de Paul Parish’s Benvengnu Center, 1375 E. Spring Lane, Salt Lake City   

Lunch will be served. Dinner and dancing will follow the 5 p.m. Vigil Mass. Cost: $50 per couple, including lunch. 

For information, contact Veola Burchett, veola.burchett@dioslc.org or 801-328-8641.