Program and Lecturers

The 6th International Meeting for Married Couples
The 6th International Meeting for Married Couples will take place in Medjugorje
from October 26 to 29, 2005.

The theme of the seminar is
“Dialog in the Family – How to Educate Children?”

Program:
Wednesday, October 26, 2005.
1 pm – Registration of the participants
4 pm – Introduction to the seminar
5 pm – Evening Prayer Program in the church (rosary, holy mass)
9 pm – Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament

Thursday, October 27, 2005.
9 am – Morning Prayer
9:30 am – Lecture, sharing (dr. Petar Krešimir Hodžić)
12 am - Silent adoration
3 pm – Lecture, sharing
5 pm – Evening Prayer Program in the church (Rosary, Holy Mass, Adoration)

Friday, October 28, 2005.
6.30 am – Prayer on Cross Mountain
9:30 am – Lecture, sharing (Croatian Community of Marriage Encounters - HZBS)
12 am - Silent adoration
2 pm – Lecture, sharing (Croatian Community of Marriage Encounters - HZBS)
4 pm – Preparation for confession
5 pm – Evening Prayer Program in the church (Rosary, Holy Mass, Veneration of the Cross)

Saturday, October 29, 2005.
7 am – Prayer on Apparition Hill
9 am – Morning prayer
9:30 am – Lecture, sharing (Croatian Community of Marriage Encounters - HZBS)
12 am – Holy Mass – end of the seminar

Bring with you: a small FM radio with headphones (for simultaneous translation) and a Bible.
The seminar will take place in Medjugorje in the New Hall. Participation per couple: 40 €.
You may make reservations by e-mail:mailto:medjugorje-mir@medjugorje.hr, or by fax +387-36-651-999 (for Marija Dugandzic).

The number of participants is limited because of the available space in the Hall, se we ask you to send your registration as soon as possible, latest by the end of September. All the participants are invited to individually provide their accommodation in Medjugorje.

Lecturers:

Petar-Krešimir Hodžić doctor of medicine, CIMI, was born in 1974 in Trogir (Croatia). He completed his studies in medicine in Zagreb in 2001. During his studies, he was elected the first president of the Association of the students of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Zagreb. In this function, he was involved in the co-operation and the international exchange of students. He also was at the origin of two international projects within the framework of the World Federation of the associations of the medical students. With his wife Rafaela, engineer in biology and musician, he specialized in prenatal and perinatal psychology, education and health in the USA. In 2001, he also obtained the certificate of instructor in massage of the newborn babies. In February 2002, he was appointed advisor of the Association for prenatal and perinatal education and health in the USA. At the end of 2002, he is the founder and the first president of Croatian Association for prenatal and perinatal education and health. In 2003, in Zagreb, he started to give courses of prenatal communication according to the programs of the international project PROCREOS, and since September 2004, he is preparing his doctorate by correspondence in prenatal and perinatal psychology at Santa Barbara, CA, USA, the only institution in the world which proposes the masters programme and the doctorate in this field. Since December 2004, he is working for the Council for the family of the Croatian Episcopal Conference. He lives in Zagreb with his wife and their daughter. He is giving conferences and takes part in international conferences in Croatia and abroad. Together with a team of experts, which gathers around him, he is directing all his efforts towards the well being of children and the family.

The principal goal of the “Croatian Community of Marriage Encounters” (HZBS) is the renewal of the sacrament of marriage and of priesthood. In its program, the HZBS supports the open communication between fiancées and in the marriage, as well as between the parents and the children. For this, it organizes monthly workshops of communication for couples, as well as meetings for couples. The entry in this movement (known in the world as “Marriage Encounters”) is a stage of communication for the couple, called the Marriage Weekend, led by three formed and experienced couples and a priest. The experience of the workshops for fiancées and for married couples, whatever their age, showed the efficacy and the need for such a form of renewal and strengthening of the family. Many married couples give witness to the improvement of the relations inside the couple, and a great number of them gave up the project of divorce after such a weekend.

Prof Dr. Sc Elza Jurun was born in 1958 in Split, where she completed her studies in economy. She obtained her Masters Degree in 1986, and her doctorate in 1993 at the faculty of economy in Zagreb. She is teaching the Quantitative Methods in economy at the faculty of economy in Split. She is author of several scientific texts and vice-president of the Croatian Pan European Union Split. As a member of the Council for the demographic development at the Ministry for the development and the renewal, she is one of the authors of the National Program of the demographic development of Croatia. For her merits in the demographic development and the promotion of moral and social values, she was honoured by the President of the Republic in 1996. She is active in the Association of the parents with four or more children “Club 4+”, of which she was also the president. She is member of the Episcopal Council for the Family and the Working group of the Episcopal Conference of Croatia. She is married and has six children.

Nikica Jurun was born in 1953 in Split. He is working at the engineering department of the Faculty of economy in Split. His greatest richness is his family - his wife Elza and their six children. Since 1998, with his wife, he is leading the Marriage Weekends in the HZBS. The couple taught at the Family Summer School in Zagreb and gave many testimonies during the seminars for married couples, round tables and retreats in all Croatia.

Andja Veža was born in 1955 in Imotski. In 1980, she obtained her Masters Degree in Economy of the Faculty of Split. She is working in the economy, and her greatest richness is her family - her husband and their four children. She is member of the “Club 4+”, she is implied in the HZBS with her husband Ivica since 1978. They led about thirty meetings in Split and in Dalmatia. With Father Josip Sremic, they were the national team of the HZBS during three years.

Prof Dr. Sc Ivica Veža was born in 1951 in Split. In 1975, he graduated in Construction of machines and ships in Split, in 1980 he got his Masters Degree, and in 1985 his doctorate. He completed his specialization in the Fraunhofer Institutes in Berlin and Stuttgart (Germany). Since 2000, he is a pro-dean for teaching at the Faculty of electrical engineering, of construction of machines and ships in Split. He is author of four books and more than 100 scientific texts published in local and international reviews, and Proceedings of symposiums. He is member of several associations of specialists in the country and abroad. He is member of the Council for the family of the Croatian Episcopal Conference. He is married and is father of four children.