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In the fall of 1993, after attending Marriage Encounter Class No. 5 (ME #5) in Toronto, a seed was planted in the hearts of a couple from St. Catharines, namely Rene & Thelma Ongcangco. The following year in the spring of 1994, two other couples (Tony & Glo Ugarte and Art & Fe Edralin) from St. Catharines attended the M.E. Weekend Class No. 6 in Toronto, and together, these three couples established the prayer community in St. Catharines. They started praying using the ACTS format they had learned from attending their respective M.E. Class reunions. They held these prayer meetings in each other’s homes on a rotation basis, alternatively attending the Praise & Worship in Toronto. By inviting other family members and friends, the small prayer group grew in attendance and was then moved to the parish hall of the Cathedral of St. Catharines. In 1996, BLD St. Catharines received the permission and blessings from the Bishop of St. Catharines Diocese to conduct its first Marriage Encounter, combined with BLD Rochester, New York. Following the M.E. #1 and with the help of its mother district, BLD Toronto, our community became an official outreach –- the first outreach in Canada. back to home
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Apostolates