TO: All Encountered Couples, Priests & Religious
     Worldwide Marriage Encounter - Worcester Area

Dear Lovers,

At this time in our WWME Movement, there is much concern and discussion about how best to be good stewards of the precious resources that allow us to pursue our mission of renewing our beloved Catholic Church and changing the world. Our primary focus in accomplishing this mission is, of course, the WWME experience for couples, priests, and religious. At a recent National Board meeting each Section Ecclesial Leadership Team in the United States was asked by the U.S. Secretariat Team to determine if the resources of our movement are being utilized in the most responsible and effective ways possible so that we may continue our mission well into the 21st century.

In light of this request, we have reviewed the status of all Local Areas in Section 1 and personally visited with most of the active presenting team communities in New England. In so doing, we now believe it will be beneficial for WWME and Section 1 to consolidate the four local areas in Massachusetts into one local area. The word "consolidate" is defined as "to make stronger or more solid" and that is what we think the ultimate result of combining the Boston, Worcester, Springfield, and Fall River areas into one Local Area will achieve for WWME in Massachusetts. Some of the many benefits we see are:

• Stronger sense of interdependence and family with all couples/priests in one community
• Greater facilitation of collaborative weekends between all local areas in Section 1
• Greater diversity of life experiences and personality styles to be shared on each weekend
• Build "bench strength" in a community with increased diversity for 1st, 2nd, & 3rd set weekend talks
• More responsible stewardship of our dwindling resource of presenting team priests
• More couples, priests & religious on each weekend will create greater impact & excitement and will stimulate inviting
• Improved focus and communication for between all areas in Massachusetts
• Improved efficiency in presenting weekends, community follow-up, enrichment experiences and inviting
• Easier accessibility and less confusion for couples, priests, and religious searching for information and/or weekend dates in Massachusetts
• Combined post-weekend community attendance at community events will have greater impact
• Increased sharing of wisdom and formation experience for couples and priests who participate in WWME ministry

Consolidation of multiple Local Areas into one area has been part of the history of Section 1, with both Maine and Connecticut preceding Massachusetts in this action to unify WWME in their respective states.

As a presenting team in the Worcester area, as well as part of the Section 1 Leadership Team, we (Bob & Joy) feel excited about the prospect of sharing our lives and our mission with all of our WWME Massachusetts family. We recognize that this consolidation that is now underway, will take mutual cooperation, openness, courage, and compassionate patience for all of us to embrace this change, but we have faith in each of you and your commitment to continue following the vision of our movement: "Love one another as I have loved you". Jesus asked us to live these words for the sake of our Church and now we ask you to live them for the sake of our Movement.

With love,