John and Michelle David
In our 29 years of marriage, we have learned that the Sacrament of Marriage is truly a gift designed and created for us by God. We have also learned that marriage isn’t easy, and we need to continually encourage and support each other through the graces we receive. We are also honored to share that we are proud Grandparents and we celebrated our second family wedding in August 2023!
As long-time members of Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish, we have been abundantly blessed to work in marriage ministry over the last 26 years. Marriage isn’t something we can check off our list of things to do. It’s a process, a journey and we’re always growing. We have been humbled by the amazing turnouts at the past Cherish events and greatly look forward to seeing everyone at the next one!
Steve and Andi Knape
We were blessed to be married in November 2021 at Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish and, after moving to the west side of Grand Rapids, are now members of the Basilica of Saint Adalbert. Although we are relatively new to marriage, we have already seen how deeply it can transform our lives and draw us closer to God. In just three years, our marriage has blessed us in ways we did not expect and shown us that the challenges provide tremendous opportunities for growth.
For us, the opportunity to help support strong marriages through the Cherish Marriage event is a privilege. We are grateful to be part of a community that so deeply values and supports marriage and continually reminds us of the beauty and sanctity of the sacrament.
Steve and Pam Strobel
We are grateful to God for the blessing of 36 years of a sacramental marriage and for our beautiful family. We firmly believe that strengthening marriages is essential to developing strong families. In 1986, St. Pope John Paul II taught, “As the family goes, so goes the nation, and so goes the whole world in which we live.” Our work with the Cherish Marriage event grew from a desire to honor the Sacrament of Marriage and to strengthen family life. We enjoyed serving children and families for many years as the Directors of Vacation Bible School at Saint Thomas the Apostle Parish in Grand Rapids. Additionally, we assist in marriage preparation at Saint Thomas and serve as a presenting couple for Worldwide Marriage Encounter in Michigan.
Cherish 