13 February 2009

For immediate release

‘Prayer Date’: Why thousands of people are turning to spiritual groups to find Mr or Mrs Right this St Valentine’s

Whilst speed dating events, online websites, nightclubs, singles’ groups and ‘supermarket’ evenings are just some of the places that people have been looking for their life-long partner in recent years, increasingly it’s ‘prayer groups’ that are becoming en vogue.

Each year a significant number of Catholic events, residential and weekly, are offered to young adults aged 18 – 35 to support them in their journey of faith, and enable them to socialise with people their own age.

Rachel Romain at the Youth Desk of the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales said: “Hundreds of young adults meet in weekly prayer groups up and down and country and it’s not unusual for people to find their future husband or wife at these gatherings. For those young adults who are still searching for their soulmate and also for general direction in life, spiritual networks are an important resource to tap into.” 

Robert and Amanda were in their twenties when they met on a Catholic pilgrimage of prayer. They later married and 14 years on have four children between the ages of 6 and 13. Amanda said: “I didn't go on the pilgrimage with any thoughts of meeting the man I might marry, but we became good friends and remained so for several years before we got engaged. Robert added: “Because we had met in a prayerful environment, prayer provided the foundation stone of our relationship in the early years and continues to do so.”

Meanwhile, Martyn and Fiona met at their local prayer group and have been married just over a year. Martyn said: "When you meet someone in a prayer group your relationship has a different emphasis from the outset, as you learn about one another in a different way. What's really nice about meeting someone in this kind of environment is that there's no pressure to connect, no expectations like there would be in a pub or nightclub because you're just meeting like-minded people in a safe environment." Fiona added: "Prayer, especially to St Raphael, has been central to our journey as a couple and to our marriage. Shortly before Martyn and I started dating, I met with mutual friends who agreed to pray a prayer novena for Martyn and I and within five days we were a couple and we've never looked back."

A tailor-made ‘soulmates’ online prayer resource, created by the Catholic Enquiry Office (CEO)*, signposts people to their nearest prayer group. The resource encourages people of all ages to consider attending a prayer evening and also, if they are looking for a husband or wife, to pray to St Raphael who is the patron saint of happy encounters. It can be found at: http://www.life4seekers.co.uk/lifestylevalues/St.Raphael.html  Visitors to this page will find top tips from a resident matchmatcher, a St Raphael novena and links, specifically for young adults but also for those over 35 years of age, to prayer networks across England and Wales.

A spokesperson for the CEO said: “Catholics believe that prayer is incredibly fruitful. It leads to an encounter with the source of life – Jesus Christ – and as such lovingly transforms our vision of ourselves and those around us. Prayer also helps us to discover inner beauty which isn’t something that’s always appreciated in today’s culture.”

In the coming weeks hundreds of prayer events are happening across the country. Please see the web page for more information. 

ENDS

Notes for editors/journalists:

For more information please contact the Catholic Enquiry Office on tel: 0770 939 1998; email: questions@life4seekers.co.uk

Alternatively call the Catholic Communications Network on tel: 020 7901 4800; email: ccn@cbcew.org.uk

*The CEO is run by the Catholic Agency to Support Evangelisation (CASE) which is an agency of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales. See: www.caseresources.org.uk  The Office has also recently launched a resource in support of people living through a time of financial uncertainty which can be found at: http://www.life4seekers.co.uk/uncertainty

Please do visit the websites of the following prayer networks and groups:

Cor et Lumen Christi www.coretlumenchristi.org

Youth2000 www.youth2000.org

Oases (Sion Community) www.oases.org.uk/cms/

Verbum Dei www.fmverbumdei.com/uk/

Project 2030 www.project2030.org.uk/

Jesus Youth http://uk.jesusyouth.org/main/content/view/18/33/

Catholic Charismatic Renewal www.ccr.org.uk/events.htm