FAQs

International Theological Institute, Trumau Austria | July 16-21, 2026

Most Common Questions

What is ITI?

The International Theological Institute is a Catholic theological school in Austria founded in 1996 as the at the request of Pope John Paul II. The ITI's mission unites in a special manner the Eastern and Western traditions of the Church and gives special attention to marriage and family. The ITI is committed to the primacy of Thomas Aquinas in Philosophy and Theology and gives a special weighting to the Greek Fathers. During the school year, the student body tends to number around 70-90 students from all five continents with 26 faculty and staff. We are honored to be partnering with them on this Getaway! 

What is included in the price of the Austria Getaway?

Even though this is not an all-inclusive resort, we have arranged for all meals, snacks, wine and beer to be provided as part of our package from your arrival on Thursday evening to departure on Tuesday morning. Every couple will have a private suite including a kitchenette for their use, sitting area, and private bath. The excursions we have listed are part of our package as well as all transportation and food while we are away from ITI. And of course all our presentations, workbooks, and MFP swag will be waiting for you when you arrive! 

What is not included?

Any extra snacks or food that you would want to keep in your kitchenette to have outside of our mealtimes, souvenirs that you may want on our trips, and extra services at the thermal spa such as massages, sauna, or other treatments. 

I was part of the Austrian program when I was at FUS! Can I visit Gaming?

Right now, this is not an official part of the Getaway, but we are open to making this happen if enough people are interested! Email us and we will start working on it! 

What airport do we fly into?

Vienna International Airport in Schwechat, Austria. We will meet you there and drive you to the ITI - just 30 min away! 

How can I get more information, ask questions, and connect with other couples? 

Join our member site! In your confirmation email you were sent a link to create an account on our member site, the Messy Family Neighborhood. On this site you will have access to several spaces where you can introduce yourself, see who else is coming, and even send direct messages to us. It would be great to create an account for yourself and your spouse to stay in touch with others. 

We will also be adding updates and additional information there. This is the best way to keep informed about all the details for your Getaway!

Participant Questions

Can I bring my baby? 

We love kids and babies, but we also know that even having a small baby around makes having dedicated time for conversations with your spouse difficult and prone to interruptions. We will be offering getaways two or three times a year, so we hope you will be able to find a time to leave your little ones with others who love them and take some time to do what is the BEST thing for your children - strengthen the foundation of your family, your marriage. Don’t wait till the kids are grown to get away, your children need the strength of your “couple love” now. 

Can we come with friends? 

Yes! Many of our participants choose to come with friends. This makes the weekend even more special for many of them and gives them additional support for their marriage going home. 

We are in a bad place right now.  I’m not sure this weekend is for us.  

This Getaway is designed to help couples be refreshed and reconnect by giving them tools and time to work on communication. It is not designed for marriages where one couple is seeking divorce, refusing to communicate, or is treating their spouse with contempt. These issues are beyond the scope of this weekend. 

That being said, we have had many couples come feeling disconnected and isolated who leave on the road to unity and deeper commitment to their marriage. Everyone can move closer to unity no matter where you are.

My spouse is not Catholic or is just not practicing right now.  Will they be welcome? 

Absolutely. We recognize that everyone is at a different place in their journey, and we work to help all who come feel comfortable and accepted. It would really help us if this was noted on your registration so we can be sure to be sensitive to the needs of every person who comes. 

Confession will be available before mass on Friday, so any non-practicing Catholic can easily come back to the fold! This is a Catholic event, so we will be talking about the truths of the faith, relationship with God, and offer mass, confession, and adoration. We do believe that what is true for Catholics is true for everyone and we hope that all will find wisdom and healing in the presentations and activities on the getaway.

Program Questions

How much time will we have for just fun? 

Every day we will have morning sessions and mass from 9-12:00. Then our evening sessions don’t begin until 7:30 - leaving you the whole day for walking around the beautiful Austrian town we will be in, going on excursions, resting, and reconnecting with your spouse! 

Will we meet other couples?

Yes! Part of the blessing of this weekend is being with other Catholic couples who are working on their marriage too. We have seen many beautiful friendships develop over these weekends and we are excited for you all to meet each other. The focus is definitely on your marriage, but seeing the witness of other couples is a great encouragement. We need each other! 

Will there be time for individual mentoring? 

Yes. Sign ups for mentoring with both our presenting couples as well as spiritual direction from Father will be available starting Thursday. There will be a Google Sheet shared on our member site for you to sign up on your own or you can ask an MFP staff member to assist you when you arrive at the resort. Because of the number of couples, we do ask that you only sign up for mentoring with one of our presenters.