The Hispanic couples group of Old Mission Santa Inés began in 2004 by Deacon Ancelmo Aguirre before he became a deacon. The group was supported by Father Michael Mahoney, the pastor of the parish at that time.
With the mission to guide and evangelize to couples with issues of spiritual and moral nature and in this way to help them become closer to God and each other as a couple and to learn how to guide their children.
At this time, the group has 22 active couples that meet on Tuesdays at 7:00 PM. With different activities each week, couples grow in spiritually and in their marital relationship.
We offer a marriage retreat every year in the month of January for all couples married or not married who want to live their marriage sacrament. Two couples retreats are held during the year, to keep feeding us spiritually and morally. These retreats are taught by couples of the same group and a team of partners from Mission San Lorenso Brindisi in Los Angeles, CA.
At each retreat we provide child care to assist couples so they can attend.
This retreat really helps the couple understand each other and their expectations from both a Christian and moral perspective.
After this couples retreat, all couples are invited to attend our meetings to continue to grow together as a couple from the retreat teachings.
(We also offer childcare)
Our meetings are on Saturdays at 5:00 PM and end with Mass at 7:00 PM. Every two months we have a meeting with the whole group and our children.
The group participates serving at Mass once a month and also works to support other events organized by the parish.
We organize bake sales and raffles to raise funds to carry out our retreats and other events.
The group's goal is to evangelize to married couples, so that their faith is stronger and their relationship with God, our Lord, is more intimate as a couple. And to teach them to connect and motivate each other to attend Mass and receive the sacraments. We know that if the couple is well the children are well.
Within the group we have different ministries that serve couples:
Our Choir Group meets Fridays at 7:00 PM to practice the praise songs that are sung at our meetings and chants of the Mass when they have to serve.
Evangelize Our Children: Saturdays during the time that the returning couples are meeting, the children meet to learn about our Catholic faith. Every week a couple teaches the class and another brings them a snack for the children.
Prayer Group of Intercession: This group meets every Wednesday at the home of members of this group to pray for the group and its needs and the needs of the community.
Our goals are:
Receive Training: Prepare to give talks on premarital relationships in our parish. (This is ongoing)
Implement a ministry in the Parish Community Weddings: This ministry provides a preparation program to all those couples who already live together and would like to receive the sacrament of marriage. Many couples get married at the conclusion (i.e. in the same Mass).
Our goal is to bring more evangelization to couples in their homes and carry it out to other communities. The retreats that we have are of great benefit to our relationship as Christians, as a couple and also our children.
Everything is planned with and supported by our priest, Father Brendan and by Deacon Ancelmo Aguirre.
For more information please contact the coordinators of this group:
Eleuterio and Lorena Masias the phone: (805) 315 2884 or (805) 315 2888