Hello, my name is Mary Gulde and I am the Coordinator of FAMILIA, a new Marriage and Family experience at St. Mary Magdalen. Although I was born in India, I was raised in Little Rock, Arkansas for about 20 years. I met my incredible husband, Anthony, in San Antonio, Texas, and we've been married for 5 years now. He has shown me the beauty, depth and strength of a man won over by the love of Christ.

In our short 5 years of marriage, we have grown very close (and grown up!) and have come to rely on the sacramental strength of our marriage to get us through the simple transitions of life: from being a military family to civilian life; from being singles to married; from having one child to now caring for 3 beautiful children who are all under the age of 5. We realize that, through our marriage, God has blessed us abundantly, both individually and as a couple.

Growing up in my family in Little Rock, I have always known the love of Christ for His bride, the Church. Our family traditions spoke of a personal relationship with Jesus and His mother Mary. Mass and the Rosary were regular parts of our family life. But I never really owned up to my Faith and made it my own until I was single and starting my own life.

Now, as a wife and mother of three, I see the grace of Christ guiding me ever closer to his Church, HIS Bride and Mystical Body. I am beginning to understand the beauty of the Church, as His Spouse, and the beauty of the Sacrament of Marriage in my own life. God does not leave us alone, especially as we go through the trying times in our marriage. Thank God!

For me, this FAMILIA experience has been an amazing tool to help me begin to understanding the depth and beauty of marriage. It allows each of us participants (right now we only have a women's team formed at SMM) to encounter Christ through the Sunday Gospel, to learn of His rich teaching in the Catechism, and to dive into the truth of the Church Teachings on Marriage and Family. How it has opened my eyes to the sensibility of Church teaching and the coherence and logic of Christ's love!

If you feel called to learn more about FAMILIA, please don't hesitate to call me. I would love to share with you the value of this program and how you can get involved. The Church's wisdom is open to any heart willing to hear, and Christ's love pours forth abundantly. Do not be afraid!