Beginning Experience began in Fort Worth Texas in 1974. Sister Josephine Stewart, a Roman Catholic nun who was working as a counselor found herself working more and more with separated, divorced and widowed individuals. She noticed that many of these people seemed to be "stuck in their grief."
As director of Family Services in her parish, Sister Josephine was also to be responsible for the Marriage Encounter program. Wanting to gain a first-hand experience of the techniques, Josephine asked her divorced friend, Jo Lamia to accompany her on a Marriage Encounter weekend.
During that weekend, Jo Lamia began to look at the breakup of her marriage. After each writing session, she and Josephine talked. During that weekend, it became apparent to both individuals that this was a very growing and healing experience that had a profound effect on Jo Lamia's view of herself, her separation and Divorce. So, the following week these two individuals began plans for a similar weekend for other divorced people in the Fort Worth area.
In October 1974 eighteen participants came to the first ever Beginning Experience weekend. Sixteen of these individuals formed the first team to carry on to other separated, divorced and widowed persons what they had learned and experienced.
In the Summer of 1975, Sister Josephine was asked to make a presentation about the program at the National Marriage Encounter Convention in Lisle, Illinois. From this, word spread and requests came from all over the country for information about this program. The following year (1976) the Beginning Experience manual was copyrighted and published.
By 1978, teams had started from coast-to-coast, as well as Alaska, Hawaii and in Canada. By 1980, the program had also found it's way into Great Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.
As the program took off, Sister Josephine assumed the position of Executive Director, and a Central Board (now the International Board of Directors) was formed. As time went on it became apparent to Josephine that she needed to hand over the reigns to someone else. In 1980, a new Executive Director was hired and the offices were moved to South Dakota. In 1985, the International Ministry Center was relocated to Detroit, Michigan, and another Executive Director assumed office. In late 1999, the International Ministry Center was moved to Chicago. Office space was located just outside of Chicago in Hammond, Indiana and moved to South Bend, Indiana when Kathleen Murphy took over as Executive Director in 2001.
