Retrouvaille began in 1977 as a French language weekend for hurting marriages in Quebec. It was adapted to English by the community in Toronto, who also revised and improved the contents of the weekend and developed the post-weekend processes. From 1982, Retrouvaille has spread throughout the North America, South America and since 1991 into more than 23 countries around the world.
The first Retrouvaille weekend was held in Toronto in October 1978.
Vision Statement
We believe that every marriage, a union of one man and one woman, deserves the opportunity to survive, be mended, healed and subsequently thrive as a covenant of life and love. Retrouvaille is the place where we, as hurting couples, found hope and so we are passionately committed to dramatically increasing the number of couples served in both new and existing communities worldwide.
Mission Statement
Retrouvaille is an International community of disciples committed to the continued healing of their marriages and, empowered by the Holy Spirit, sharing their stories, talents and gifts to promote and spread the healing ministry of Retrouvaille.
The Goals of Retrouvaille
The main goal is to provide help for couples who live in the disappointment and pain of marriage problems. The weekend provides a safe setting encouraging couples to learn communication in marriage in a respectful manner. The post-weekend phase of the Retrouvaille process is as critical to a couple experiencing marital problems as the initial weekend experience. The degree of disappointment, deterioration and despair in hurting marriages cannot be healed in one weekend. Restoration takes time. The post-weekend sessions provide support as couples discuss concepts of the importance of communication in marriage, intimacy, and many other topics. Today's unchallenged acceptance of divorce suggests that many friends, families, church communities are providing only limited support for marriages. Retrouvaille is a process that is solely dedicated to providing the necessary support to help save marriages.
