European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 25, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Daily Magazine participants in Credo the Navy chaplains religious enrichment development operation take time off to explore Sorrento. Reflecting on marriage weekend workshops for Navy couples Story and photos by Robert Leonard Naples Bureau How would you like an expenses paid weekend with your spouse at a Guesthouse in Beautiful Sorrento Italy on the stunning Amalfi coast it s All part of the Navy s marriage enrichment program which offers couples two Days away from the kids to reflect on their marriage says Navy chaplain it Tom Verner in Naples. This weekend program and other workshops Are sponsored by the Navy chaplains religious enrichment development operation Credo. A maximum of 10 couples takes part in each session As Many As six couples Are on the waiting list at any Given time to participate. Credo which Means i believe in latin and italian was originally established in san Diego to provide sailors and marines coming Back from Vietnam with an outlet for drug problems. Now 15 years later it is also available in the Naples area. The Naples Credo office one of four throughout the Navy opened in 1982. Chaplain cmdr Jerry Smith and Verner and Petty officer 1.c. Debby Bishop a religious programs specialist staff the Naples operation. The two chaplains alternate in leading the personal and spiritual growth workshops. Besides the six Credo sessions funded for fiscal 1987 in Naples three workshops Are planned for Rota Spain and two each in two other italian locations la Maddalena Sardinia and Simonella Sicily. Today the program has an entirely different thrust from Vietnam Days said Smith Credo director. We try to help people get in touch with who they Are what their relationship with god is what their relationship with others is and hopefully to make some decisions about their life. We can to make that happen. I can t make it happen. I just act As a catalyst. If people come to the workshops wanting to take a Good hard look at their life then i can be the catalyst. Usually in a weekend i la get at least one couple that desires follow up counselling from me he said. Credo is for people who want to feel Good about themselves and want to grow personally and spiritually said Verner. It encompasses everything from youth groups family nights singles team building spiritual growth and Parent teen relations to the marriage enrichment weekend. At Credo we Don t believe in making pie in the sky promises. We do care. We care about people. But you must first make the investment he said. All of the Credo programs Are conducted around music and Smith believes the music they use in the workshops can put anyone in a reflective mood. Songs such As love look at the two of us and words Are used in the marriage enrichment weekend for couples. You can sense the feelings Start to come alive immediately. People begin singing and humming along with the music said Verner. Participants in the Credo weekends Praise the program. Maj. Jack Boden he. Co. Commander at Allied forces Southern Europe and his wife sue have been married 16 years and have seven children. The couple shares a belief that these weekends Are needed. I recommend Credo to All my troops said Boden. Evan and Marcie Clay married 23 years have five daughters. Marcie Clay said the program gave her a better understanding of the Man i be been married to for All these  her husband a Navy civilian found that the Exchange Between couples was really Good. Almost everything that was discussed was beneficial. Some things might need a Little adjusting to adapt them to  Gordon Smith a Navy chief warrant officer and military Secretary for the a South commander called the weekend very  he said that he and his wife got to look at our feelings toward one another and it reinforced All the Good memories we be had in our marriage. Things that we already knew we had. It was a very positive  Petty officer 1.c. Manny Estrada and his wife Rosa have been married eight years and have two children. The weekend strengthened our marriage. Everything we heard and everything we Learned has been helpful to us so far. All of what we Learned we put in writing As a commitment to each other. It is really an investment in our marriage to make sure that it keeps on working for us said Estrada. All of our retreats Are an Opportunity to invest in ourselves said Smith. So much of the time we Are Busy pleasing someone else. There in t enough time to follow through with what others want us to do. We Don t take the time to sit Down and take a Good hard look at ourselves. We need to invest in ourselves As humans. We need to make the  Navy chaplain Tom Verner leading a marriage enrichment weekend in Sorrento Italy. Friday april 25, 1986 the stars and stripes Page 13