FIRES
An acronym for
Families, Intercommunication, Relationships, Experiences, Services
A series of programs originated by Fr Gabriel Calvo, for Married Couples, Sons and Daughters, Families, Engaged Couples, Individuals, Priests and Men and Women Religious, to build more honest and loving relationships with oneself, with ones’ family, with others and with GOD.
The FIRES programs are two-day spiritual programs of witness, reflection, sharing, and prayer, initiated not only for Christians but for anyone desiring to sincerely encounter self, others and GOD.
Father Gabriel Calvo is the founder of Marriage Encounter, Marriage Retorno and the various FIRES programs. He was born in Barcelona, Spain, on February 21, 1927. He studied at the University of Salamanca, Spain, and was ordained a Catholic priest in 1952. He is a member of the Spanish Diocesan Labourer Priests. Father Calvo has been involved in marriage and family ministry since his ordination. He conducted the first Marriage Encounter in Barcelona in 1961. Twenty-eight working class couples participated with him. In 1967 Father Calvo originated the Marriage Retorno weekend in Spain. The first English language Marriage Retorno was held in Ireland in 1971. In 1974 Father Calvo went to the United States to live. It was then he founded FIRES (Families, Intercommunication, Relationships, Experiences, Services). FIRES offers individuals, couples, families and communities opportunities to grow in love and unity. Father Calvo has written several books and 12 manuals for FIRES Services. Several have been translated into different languages.
For more information, in addition to this website (www.holistic-family.org
), please consult F.I.R.E.S, Franciscan Chapel Center, 4-2-37 Roppongi, Minato-Ku, Tokyo 106-0032, Japan or email to Father Donnon at, donnon.murray@holistic–family.
Father Donnon Murray with Father Gabriel Calvo