In 1962, Father Gabriel Calvo, a young priest in Barcelona, Spain, designed a series of conferences for married couples.  The focus was on the development of an open and honest relationship within marriage, and learning to live out a sacramental relationship in the service of others.  He consolidated the series into a weekend and called it Encuentro Conjugal.

 

In 1966, Encuentro Conjugal spread to Latin America, coming to the English speaking world in 1967 as Marriage Encounter through the auspices of the Christian Family Movement.  The marriage encounter concept was brought to the Philippines by Fr. Ruben Tanseco where the Marriage Encounter Foundation of the Philippines was established in 1969.  20 years later, in 1989, Marriage Encounter came back to Los Angeles with a Filipino flavor.  It was started by Tony and Tess Aranda through the spiritual guidance of our very own Msgr. Ching Encinares and Fr. Tony Astudillo.  It was then dubbed as Marriage Encounter in the Filipino Perspective, or MEFP. 

 

In 2008, because of a desire to expand the horizon and scope of this blessed ministry, a continuing transformation of the organization gave rise to Marriage Encounter Movement of California.  MEMC was born out of a necessity to zoom out of the limitations of the Filipino tradition and share the richness of Christ-centered enhanced marital relationships, as well as spread its fruits to our youth, widowed, and families.  Consequently, MEMC has since welcomed married couples of various cultures and ethnic backgrounds.

 

MEMC is incorporated as a non-profit religious organization.