The seventh International Seminar for Married Couples

The seventh International Seminar for Married Couples will be held from the 1st to the 4th November 2006. The theme of the seminar is: “The family called to forgiveness and holiness” (“…I invite all of you, little children, that before all else forgive in the family…let your family be a place where holiness is birthed…”, from Our Lady’s message from 25th January 1996 and 24th of July 1986)
Bring with you: a small FM radio with headphones (for simultaneous translation) and a Bible.
Participation per couple: 40 €. You may make reservations by e-mail: seminar.marija@medjugorje.hr, or by fax +387-36-651-999. 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.


7th INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR FOR MARRIED COUPLES

The seventh International Seminar for Married Couples will be held from the 1st to the 4th November 2006. The theme of the seminar is:

“The family called to forgiveness and holiness”

(“…I invite all of you, little children, that before all else forgive in the family…let your family be a place where holiness is birthed…”, from Our Lady’s message from 25th January 1996 and 24th of July 1986)


PROGRAM

Wednesday, November 1, 2006
3 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, November 2, 2006
9 am – Morning Prayer
9:30 am – Lecture, sharing (Comunity MIR)
12 am - Silent adoration
2 pm – Lecture, sharing (Comunity MIR)
5 pm – Evening Prayer Program in the church (Rosary, Holy Mass, Adoration)

Friday, November 3, 2006
6.30 am – Prayer on Cross Mountain
10:00 am – Lecture, sharing (Comunity MIR)
12 am - Silent adoration
2 pm – Lecture, sharing (Comunity MIR)
4 pm – Preparation for confession
5 pm – Evening Prayer Program in the church (Rosary, Holy Mass, Veneration of the Cross)

Saturday, November 4, 2006
7 am – Prayer on Apparition Hill
9:30 am – Morning prayer
10 am – Lecture, sharing
12 am – Holy Mass – end of the seminar


Bring with you: a small FM radio with headphones (for simultaneous translation) and a Bible.

Participation per couple: 40 €. You may make reservations by e-mail: seminar.marija@medjugorje.hr, or by fax +387-36-651-999. 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:

The Community "Word and Prayer" (Community MiR) is a catholic society of lay believers, whose founder is Ph.D. Tomislav Ivancic. The teachings of the Council Vatican II, which was held whereas he was a student in theology in Rome, are the source and the support of his inspirations related to the apostolate of the laity. In the Encyclical of the Pope Paul VI "Evangelii nuntiandi" (1975), consecrated to the evangelization in the contemporary world, the Community recognized its own nature. This is why the following period was marked by a spirituality of evangelization, and expressed through prayer groups and seminars of evangelization. In the 20-year-old practice, the evangelization activity proved to be an particularly successful model of evangelization, not only in Croatia, but also abroad. They showed that the experience of the presence of God acts like a remedy in the healing of spiritual sufferings. Thus Dr. Ivancic gradually developed an authentic model of proposal for a spiritual help, called later the hagiotherapy, according to which one works in the Centers for spiritual help, of which the first was founded in 1990, in Zagreb (Croatia).
The activities of the Community include several fields. The Community "is recognized by the Croatian Bishop Conference for a special mission: to lead people to the experience of the living God, through the seminars of evangelization, to work on the spiritual renewal of the world and to offer spiritual help in Centers for spiritual help (CDP). The first Center for Spiritual Help (in Croatian: CDP) was founded in 1990 as a humanitarian organization, serving those who suffer spiritually, persons plagued by fears, dejection, meaninglessness, aggressiveness, guilt feeling, suicidal thoughts, sense of failure, inability to accept oneself or others, marriage and family crises, problems with children, loss of a beloved person etc.; persons with deviant moral attitudes (bitterness, revengefulness, meanness, dependence of ideologies, sects, criminal deeds etc.); drug-, alcohol-addicts, dependence of the occult, of people etc.; persons searching for meaning, God, hope, understanding... Centers for Spiritual help exist in Croatia, in Austria, in Germany, in Belgium, in Switzerland, in Netherlands and in Italy.
The name of the Community, “Prayer and Word”, designates its essence: in prayer, it receives the power of the Holy Spirit who makes her able to give to people the living God through the Word.

Silva and Ivo Vrdoljak live and work in Slavonski Brod, Croatia, they are parents of two children, 18 and 13 years old. They have been living the charisma of the MiR Community (Prayer and Word Community), of which they have been members since they were students in the community of Prof. Dr. Tomislav Ivančić, for 25 years.

Ivo Vrdoljak is a food technology engineers and completed his spiritual formation under the leadership of Prof. Ivančić. He was director of the Community from 2001 to 2005, leader of the “MiR” community in Slavonski Brod, he leads many spiritual renewals.

Silva Vrdoljak is a theology graduate, hagiotherapist. She is the leader of the Centre for spiritual assistance in Slavonski Brod and a member of the parish committee on addiction. She leads many spiritual renewals for addicts, married couples, families, women, families of deceased soldiers, youth.
The charisma of the Community “MiR” has marked their life and they live and work within it.