Celebrate Catholic Marriage through Disillusionment.
Find help and hope when your marriage is struggling.

EPISODES: See the detailed list of the video series episodes with descriptions and see which story speaks to the challenges you face. Tony and Tina Ruiz – Simi Valley, California “Rising from the Ashes” Tony and Tina met in high school. He was 18. She was 15. After graduation Tony enlisted in the Navy. They married shortly after that, but Tony admits ‘they didn’t know how to be married.’ He ends up having an affair. Tony and Tina then went their separate ways. But God apparently had a different plan. “The Lord brought me out of the ashes” is how Tony describes it. It would be a Retrouvaille weekend that taught them how to forgive one another, heal the wounds, and begin to put their lives back together. Dave and Amy Olson – Chesterfield, Missouri “A Life of Faith” Dealing with faith when two teenagers begin to fall in love. Amy comes from a deeply devout Catholic family. When she learns Dave is Jewish, her faith is tested in ways she didn’t expect. In the end their love for one another wins out. It will be their faith that gets them through Amy’s subsequent battle with cancer. The man, who has said he will never convert, admits one day that he is beginning to “feel more Catholic, than Jewish.” For Dave, it was his experience of the love and mercy of a Catholic faith community that called him into the faith. Brent and Katy Zerkel – Kaukauna, Wisconsin “In sickness and in health…” Brent and Katy met online and fell in love quickly. They had no idea that Katy would soon be diagnosed with Lyme disease. The debilitating disease forces her to spend most days in bed. All the time being a mom to her three children, one living with Down Syndrome. Their story is one that truly puts flesh on the vows they made on their wedding day. Mike and Trese Gloriod – Bridgeton, Missouri “Authentically Catholic” Mike and Trese admit their story is not finished. It is still a struggle for them to live what would be described as an “authentically Catholic life.” One year during Lent Trese grew in her desire to fully embrace the truth and beauty of the Catholic faith. In time, it became clear to her that she needed to quit using contraceptives. Breaking that news to Mike was so difficult that she actually thought he might leave her. He did not. Today Mike and Trese have a home filled with children - a beautiful and loving family – a sign to the world that life matters. Bruce and Jeannie Hannemann – Hilbert, Wisconsin “Hope in Living with an Addiction” Bruce at one time was what he called “hopelessly addicted” to the scourge of pornography. But he sought and found help to deal with an addiction that is ravaging marriages and families at an alarming rate. Bruce and Jeannie now work with men and women everywhere to provide healing and hope as they deal with this plague. Steve and Kristi Allgeyer – Chesterfield, Missouri “Walking Together in the Fight Against Cancer” Steve and Kristi met in college, married one another, and began their family. Six children later, Kristi would be diagnosed with cancer. The breath-taking finding changes everything. Their battle with the killer disease is a heart-wrenching story of prayer, perseverance and love. Keith and Angie Gadacz – Brainerd, Minnesota “The American Dream – Or not!” Keith and Angie were living the American dream…two children, good jobs, good income. The world would describe them as quite successful. But they began to realize the futility of all of that…and how they needed to change to live the life they had dreamed of. That meant changing jobs for both of them…moving back to their hometown…and become that ‘intentional family’ God wants them to be. Dave and Laura La Fontaine – Walker, Minnesota “God and Family First” When Dave’s father was diagnosed with ALS, this young couple made the decision to move back home with his parents to help care for him. The vows to love one another in sickness and in health was not just about the two of them. They discovered that promise extended to their families, too. This is a beautiful story of love for one another and their family. Bruce and Therese Ruedig – Libertyville, Illinois “The Consequences of Contraception” Bruce and Therese looked on the surface to be in a good, solid marriage, but they were hurting and not sure what to do about it. Thru a series of events, they began to connect their unhappiness to their use of contraceptives. Bruce and Therese became open to life…and had two more children. A wonderful life-giving story of love in a marriage. Chuck and Linda Raymond – Wildwood, Missouri “Post-abortion Healing” Chuck and Linda were high school sweethearts who were faced with an unplanned pregnancy. Young and naïve teenagers, they were pressured from their parents to abort the baby. Chuck and Linda did end up getting married, but the wounds from the abortion festered for nearly three decades. Their journey to healing is extraordinary and truly inspirational. Aaron and Cassie Everts – Green Bay, Wisconsin “Trusting in God” Married in the Catholic Church and open to life, Aaron and Cassie dealt with the issue of infertility. After several years, the couple decided their best option to start a family was to adopt. They ended up adopting two boys from Africa. A few months after the boys arrived in the United States, one of them decided to pray for a baby sister on a family trip to the Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help in Wisconsin. Miraculously, in a few months, Cassie discovered she was pregnant. Today the Everts family continues to grow - rooted in the Gospel of Life and a deep trust in God. Darrell and Kelly Miller – Yorba Linda, California “The Gift of Colorblindness” Darrell and Kelly are an interracial couple. He is African-American. She is Caucasian. Darrell, a former major league baseball player, grew up in a Christian family. But when he met and began to fall in love with Kelly, his family turned its back on him…and on them because of their racial differences. They suffered deeply with this rejection. Later, when Darrell began to embrace the Catholic faith, it was yet another family obstacle they had to face. Darrell’s journey into the Catholic faith also rekindled the faith that Kelly had walked away from as a young woman. He and Kelly are true witnesses to the power of love found in and through the Sacrament of Marriage. Jan and Joyce Nahorski – Joliet, Illinois “A Covenant Promise” Jan and Joyce were high school sweethearts. They married one another in college. A stint in the Army, a job loss, trouble with the IRS, and four children later, Jan and Joyce faced a deep, bitter, and resentful disillusionment. Things became so difficult, Jan told Joyce one day that we wanted out. He wanted a divorce. Joyce told him that she would “never divorce him.” She said they had entered a Covenant marriage with one another and God. They persevered, and discovered how to forgive one another and begin again. Today they have found the hope and healing they needed to be the couple God called them to be on their wedding day. Derick and Petra Soares – Houston, Texas “Finding Light in the Darkness” Derick and Petra are Catholic immigrants from India. Derick was born with a rare genetic condition that limited his ability to see. As he grew older, the condition worsened to the point that he became legally blind. Married to his first wife at the time, Derick said that diagnosis apparently became too much for her to deal with and one day she simply “walked out”leaving him and their two children. Devastated, Derick turned to his faith to deal with the clouds of darkness that hovered over his life. With the help of a holy priest, Derick had his first marriage annulled. He met Petra and together they began to build a new life together. Theirs is a story of faith and trust that God provides a shining light even in the darkest of times. Eric and Leslie Genuis – Louisville, Kentucky. “Unbridled Grief” The biggest tragedy any parent can experience is the death of one of their children. When that child dies by suicide, the pain and grief multiplies and intensifies. For Eric and Leslie the pain of their son taking his life is still raw and unchecked. But it is their Catholic faith which holds them up and leads them through the sadness surrounding their family. In times when something so tragic might destroy a marriage, Eric and Leslie are walking this journey together. Whether they are attending daily Mass or praying together, Eric and Leslie are living one day at a time healing and finding peace. Jeff and Lisa Virive – Joliet, Illinois “The Second Time Around” When Jeff and Lisa gave their lives to one another on their wedding day, Jeff was already dealing with some minor health issues. However, over the years those health concerns developed into a major disability and Jeff became addicted to the powerful drugs he was taking. Jeff decided that he wanted a divorce. After a year of separation, the divorce papers were filed and their marriage was over. Afterwards, as Jeff began to detoxify and free himself from the drugs, he realized the divorce was a mistake. He went back to Lisa and a journey of healing began and they re-built the love and trust they once had. Today Jeff and Lisa are re-married and working diligently to be the husband and wife they promised they would be on their wedding day.