By Joy Fernandes for BIS Mumbai

Vadodara, October 4, 2026: Around 30 couples and eight individual participants registered for “Covenant and Connection,” a one-day workshop organised at Don Bosco Church, Makarpura, Vadodara, to help couples strengthen their relationships and build happier, healthier and more Christ-centred marriages. Dr Angelica D’Souza, a counsellor and resource person associated with the Family Commission of the Archdiocese of Bombay, animated the workshop.

Through interactive sessions, reflections and practical exercises, Dr D’Souza invited couples to look beyond the routine of married life and rediscover the friendship, communication and intimacy that form the foundation of a healthy marriage.

One key message that resonated with participants was, “Your spouse is 100%.” Dr D’Souza explained that every spouse has inherent dignity and worth because God created him or her. Rather than focusing only on shortcomings or comparing one's spouse with others, couples were encouraged to recognise and appreciate the person whom God has given them as their life partner.

The workshop also introduced the participants to the Five Love Languages, popularised by Gary Chapman. Dr D’Souza explained that people give and receive love in different ways. Understanding one's spouse's love language can therefore make a significant difference in a marriage. She encouraged couples to consciously work toward “filling the love tank” of their partner through expressions of affection, affirmation, quality time, service, and meaningful gestures of love.

A significant part of the workshop focused on intimacy as the foundation of marriage. Dr D’Souza explained that intimacy is more than physical closeness and highlighted five dimensions of intimacy—intellectual, emotional, physical, spiritual, and sexual. Couples were invited to reflect on how deeply they connect with each other in each of these areas and where their relationship needed greater attention.

The session on conflict management helped participants understand that disagreements are a natural part of family life. What matters is how couples communicate and respond to one another during moments of disagreement. Healthy communication, respect, forgiveness and a willingness to listen can transform conflict into an opportunity for deeper understanding.

The participants appreciated the practical nature of the workshop and found its content relevant to the everyday realities of married life. The sessions offered them an opportunity not only to learn but also to pause, reflect and communicate with their spouse in ways that are often missed amid the demands of daily life.

The day concluded on a deeply prayerful note with Eucharistic Adoration. During the workshop, the couples had written personal letters to their spouses. In the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, they read these letters to each other, expressing their love, gratitude and thoughts that often remain unspoken.

This was followed by a moving symbolic gesture inspired by Christ's example of humble service. The couples touched the feet of their spouse as a symbolic washing of each other's feet, expressing humility, love, forgiveness and their willingness to serve one another in marriage.

The closing moments brought together the central message of the day: marriage is not merely about living together but about continually choosing to love, understand, forgive and serve one another. “Covenant and Connection” invited the couples to return to their homes with a renewed commitment to their marriage, recognising the presence of God in their spouse and allowing Christ to remain at the centre of their life together.