JonMarc and Teresa Grodi have been married for eight years and live in Perrysburg, OH. Together with their four children, Dominic, Lucy, Cecilia, and Philomena, they belong to St. Rose Parish. Teresa is a stay-at-home, homeschooling mom and Catholic pilgrimage organizer. JonMarc is the Director of the Coming Home Network International. Here’s their story.
Please share the short story of how you met and began dating.
We met at St. Thomas More University Parish at BGSU. We got to know each other in the context of the Catholic student activities. We learned about Pope St. John Paul the Great’s Theology of the Body side-by-side. It was a couple years before we began dating and, by that time, we were very good friends.
What are some favorite family activities?
Walking, eating, gardening, exploring nature, family movie night.
Describe a dream family vacation.
Rome and Assisi!!!
What do you love most about being married?
The continual and increasing revelation that all that the Catholic Church teaches about marriage, the family, and human sexuality is indeed TRUE and accessible to anyone who accepts it.What is your greatest challenge as a married couple and how are you working at it?Our greatest challenge as a married couple is finding intentional time together as a couple. As spouses, you are either growing in intimacy or you are regressing. You need to find time to pro-actively work at your relationship, to connect, to talk about your joys and struggles in the week, and to plan to address important issues as a team.
What do you love most about your family?
The unrepeatable essence of each person in our family and the community that we form.
Share a time you saw Jesus fulfill a real need in your family?
It’s hard to pick a single event, because if there is one thing that marriage has confirmed for me in an undeniable way, it’s that God exists and He is faithful. He is truly an active and third person in our marriage, and marriage and family life only increases our trust in His Providence and care.
How does your family pray?
Attending Sunday Mass as a family is very important to us. It’s hard having four children under age seven at Mass, but it’s worth it! There was a long time when our oldest two were under age three that Teresa said she wanted to cry every single Mass, but pushing through the difficulty has allowed us to understand that God does not abandon us in the difficulties of our vocation and that no amount of attention paid “makes” Jesus appear. He is a totally gift to us.
We pray frequently through the day, but our most precious prayer time is at breakfast when our whole family is together. We sing Alleluia and read the daily Gospel and then say the meal blessing. It also gives us an opportunity to look up the Saint or Feast for the day.
Our kids absolutely love Children’s Adoration, where we can sing praise and worship songs before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. Frs. David Kidd, Dave Nuss, and Mike Dandurand lead this regularly in the Diocese and we are so grateful! We also love the family rosary (when it actually happens) and prayer before bedtime.How do you measure success as a family, and what help do you need getting there?
Our ultimate family success would be that every member of our family is a Saint! But our daily measure has to do with God’s peace. God’s peace does not mean “perfect behavior.” God’s peace is something that is guarded in your heart even in the most difficult and urgent situations.
What are you moved to proclaim to other families?
Teresa: If you wait until your house is clean to have people over, you won’t have any friends!
JonMarc: Start forming small family groups with people in your physical proximity. Guys, look for other men who are faithful to God and family, ask them to get coffee early one morning a week and just talk. Ladies, start having some weekly ladies nights after the kids’ bedtime. It’s so easy. All it takes is a set time and place! Start looking for people at Mass this weekend!
How have Mass Impact and LIT Groups impacted your marriage and family life? Why do you think others should get involved?
Mass Impact has helped us meet other families that we can form community with. It is such a blessing to come to an event that is not just “family friendly” but has been created with nurturing each member of the family in mind! We also love an opportunity to fellowship with priests in our diocese!
