Marriage Mentors

Covenant of Love Marriage Mentors are trained volunteer couples who accompany other married couples into a deeper understanding and living of the fullness God intended for marriage. This mentoring model was developed by Greg and Julie Alexander of The Alexander House apostolate (www.thealexanderhouse.org), who have themselves mentored thousands of couples. Their model focuses on what they call the six “Essential Elements of a Strong Catholic Marriage.” Mentor couples share their own stories and experiences, along with the teachings of the Catholic Church on marriage, in order to impart to other couples the practical tools needed to better understand and live the Sacrament of Marriage.

Covenant of Love mentoring is not professional counseling, nor is it a comprehensive approach to issues or problems facing various married couples. Rather, it is a process in which a couple can achieve relationship goals with effective support, information, and guidance. This process is effective for restoring and strengthening marriages in which both spouses are open to following God’s plan for marriage and putting into place the practical tools provided. Whether newlyweds or married for fifty years, and whether on the brink of divorce or just wanting to grow deeper in a relatively good marriage, this mentoring process can provide couples with guidance for strengthening and sustaining their marriage.

Trained and available mentor couples are spread throughout the Archdiocese of Dubuque and the Diocese of Davenport, making marriage mentorship accessible to couples all over eastern Iowa. For a list of trained mentor couples in the Archdiocese of Dubuque, with pictures and bios, please click here. For a list of trained mentor couples in the Diocese of Davenport, with pictures and bios, click here.

Covenant of Love Marriage Mentors meet with couples for at least six mentoring sessions that typically last for 1 to 2 hours (if not possible in-person, these sessions can be done using video conferencing). Prior to each session with the mentor couple, couples are asked to watch an online video by Greg and Julie Alexander. Each video provides the teaching content for the session, and is often followed-up with an exercise to complete as a couple before meeting with the mentor couple during the next session, where the content is discussed in a confidential setting.

Marriage Mentor couples volunteer their time to journey with other married couples because they are committed to strengthening marriages. Their generosity, along with that of the Alexander House apostolate, allows the cost of the mentoring process to be limited to a minimal materials fee of $25. This allows the Archdiocese of Dubuque to provide materials and resources that can assist couples in growing in their marriage. If this cost is a hindrance to any couple, it can be reduced or waived.

Couples interested in working with a mentor couple may register by filling out the form accessible by clicking the button below.