St. John the Baptist Parish Marriage Enrichment From Newlywed to 20 Years of Marriage

Our Future - Our Belief - Our Time 

Join us for this unique opportunity designed to enhance your relationship and strengthen your marriage! This Marriage Enrichment initiative is geared towards empowering couples with proven strategies and key marriage skills developed by renowned marital counselors from around the country. Whether you are a newlywed or married for 20 years, these sessions were created with you in mind!

Our sessions will begin Tuesday evenings in May at St. John the Baptist Parish Center, 69 Valley Street, Hillsdale, NJ 07642, (www.stjohnhillsdale.org) and conclude with a retreat day on Saturday, June 27th. We ask all participants to commit to attend all five sessions plus the mini-retreat in order to fully benefit from the program. We will gladly do our best to assist with childcare, if needed, so you can attend the sessions. The cost will be $50 per couple, as our parish will cover all additional expenses and refreshments. Any help or sponsorships are very welcomed.

Tuesdays, 7:30pm - 9:00pm 

• May 19 - Why Are We Here?

• May 26 - Communication

• June 2 - Intimacy

• June 9 - Family of Origin

• June 16 - Forgiveness and Anger

• Saturday, June 27, 12pm - 6pm - Reflective Mini Retreat Day

To Register Or For More Information: 

Contact Cathy Williamson by emailing cathy.williamson@stjohnhillsdale.com or call the rectory at 201-664-3131.

Marriage Enrichment Program Facilitator - Steven Serafin, D.Min.

Adjunct Professor of Pastoral Theology

Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology

Dr. Steven Serafin is the Executive Director of Faith & Family Life Catholic Ministries (fflcm.org), which looks to equip dioceses, parishes, and families with resources to form others using the catechumenal process. In this role, Dr. Serafin is helping the Church transform its methods of formation to be more process-driven, lifelong, and intentional. He has worked with numerous dioceses as they have transformed their faith formation structures, creating experiences that lead families to engage more deeply with the local parish and build habits of faith at home. He is also the Director of Formation at St. Vincent Martyr Parish in Madison, NJ, where he leads the Emmaus Coalition of Lifelong Formation. He has served in several ministerial positions: pastoral associate, Associate Director for Catechesis for the Archdiocese of Newark, director of faith formation, youth minister, campus minister, and teacher. His treatise focused on Accompanying the Next Generation of Newlyweds: A Parish Model for Perfecting the Love of Marriage Through a Peer Collaborative Dialogue.

Education

D.Min., The Catholic University of America, 2022

M.A., University of Notre Dame, 2014

B.A., The Catholic University of America, 2012