Couples for Christ Ministry: Spiritual Support and Guidance on the Shared Journey of Marriage

Mike and Lulu Miranda began their marriage in a great adventure.

Mike had returned to the Philippines in the hope of meeting his future wife. When he met Lulu, they both knew right away that they wanted to pursue marriage. After dating long-distance for 11 months, Lulu came to the United States. Mike’s father gave them some valuable advice — they should find a community that would support them in their Christian marriage.

“We were anxious at the beginning of our marriage,” Lulu says. “Divorce is so rampant. One out of two marriages ends up in divorce and we did not want to be part of that statistic.”

Just six months into their marriage, a friend invited the newlyweds to Couples for Christ, an international Catholic movement. In this group, they found a strong community that could help them grow in their faith lives and strengthen their marriage. Mike and Lulu have remained committed members for all 27 years of their marriage.

“In this faith-based ministry, we found the spiritual support and guidance that we needed,” Lulu says. “We were able to grow spiritually — not just individually, but together as a couple. We discovered the ultimate goal of our marriage, which is to bring each other to heaven.”

When Mike and Lulu moved to Raleigh and joined Our Lady of Lourdes, they saw that the parish could benefit from the community and ministry of Couples for Christ. They had begun volunteering with the marriage preparation program in the diocese, which brought them the opportunity to ask the bishop to recognize Couples for Christ in the Diocese of Raleigh. Over the years they have offered numerous Marriage Enrichment programs at the parish.

In their experience, Mike and Lulu have repeatedly heard of couples who divorce after years of marriage. They firmly believe that Couples for Christ gave them the tools they needed to avoid that path.

“My observation is that when people get married, they focus on their children and they forget about each other and their spiritual life,” Mike says. “When the kids are gone, that’s when divorce happens because they don’t know each other and they never focused on their faith.”

Couples for Christ provides a long-term community — members meet regularly with small groups called Households. They pray together, have praise and worship, and grow in friendship. After many years of offering Marriage Enrichment programs, Mike and Lulu are ready to see more families at Our Lady of Lourdes benefit from this faithful community. From talking with other couples, they realize that families have many commitments and priorities outside of church. However, they have found that prioritizing their faith and their marriage has had positive effects in every area of their lives.

“It is God’s plan that the family should be the basic unit of society,” Lulu says. “But there are so many forces seeking to attack marriage. When you renew the individual first, the family gets renewed.”

Mike and Lulu are excited to offer a new program for Marriage Enrichment this year. After the initial nine sessions, they invite all the couples to continue to meet monthly for continued growth and community.

If you would like more information about Couples for Christ and the Marriage Enrichment program,please contact Mike and Lulu Miranda at 919-341-7848 or michaelrmiranda@gmail.com.

Mike and Lulu Miranda celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary with Bishop Zarama