Casanova finds true love

Deacon couple transforms relationships

By Elisabeth Román

When Eliut Casanova and his wife, Marie, speak about love, commitment, and the sacrament of Marriage, couples listen. Not only have they been married for 40 years, they are the founders and coordinators of the Marriages United in Christ (MUC) ministry in the Archdiocese of Newark, New Jersey. They have also been blessed with six daughters and 18 grandchildren.

MUC’s mission is to guide couples in establishing a new family relationship from a Christian perspective. “Many couples we work with have not even been baptized, much less received the sacrament of Marriage. There is great joy in bringing couples with their children to the sacrament of Marriage,” says Eliut Casanova, a deacon currently assigned to the Church of the Blessed Sacrament in Elizabeth, New Jersey.

For almost three decades, the Casanovas have been taking men, women, and couples on retreat, organizing congresses, seminars, and workshops, working with young people, and preparing couples for the sacraments.

“Couples can participate in our retreats even if they are not married. We also work with undocumented couples, many of whom are scared to even register in the parish. We help bring them to prayers and to an encounter with Christ,” explains Marie. “Now we have 27 years of stories, of miracles in the lives of the families we work with and in our lives.”

It was not always this way. In 1975 with their marriage on the rocks, and Eliut, who was not Catholic, battling alcoholism, the couple from Puerto Rico attended a retreat on the island, where they were blessed with their first encounter with Jesus. Since then, they have been working in the church to help families, including their own, transform their relationships into ones based on love, respect and the ability to look through the eyes of Jesus.

In May 1998, Casanova was ordained a permanent deacon and assigned to a parish where Hispanics make up the majority of the population. Together with his wife, he has taken this ministry throughout the U.S., Caribbean, and Latin America. Eight deacons have been ordained from the Casanova’s ministry.

Your turn

In which ways do you think you can place your own experience and life at the service of others in the Christian community?