Marriage Preparation Process
Congratulations on your prospective marriage!
You are engaged to be married and, desiring the blessing of God on
your union, have approached the Church to witness and seal your vows
to each other. The Church stands ready to assist you as you embark
upon what is perhaps the most important decision and commitment of
your life.
Step One: Contact the Parish
The marriage preparation process begins with your first call to the
parish inquiring about being married in the Church. Call as soon as
you get engaged!
A member of the parish staff will facilitate arrangements for you to
meet with the pastoral minister (usually a priest or deacon of the
parish) as soon as possible.
A date for your wedding may not be entered into the parish calendar
until such a meeting takes place.
Step Two: Initial Meeting with Priest or Deacon
At the time of your first meeting, the pastoral minister will
explain the marriage preparation process and provide information
about the available marriage preparation programs you are required
to attend. You have the option of selecting the program best suited
to your needs.
The pastoral minister will begin to fill out the necessary canonical
forms and advise you as to what Church and civil documents are
needed.
Step Three: Complete a Pre-marital Inventory (Archdiocesan Marriage
Survey or F.O.C.C.U.S)
(Facilitating Open Couple Communication, Understanding and Study)
A premarital inventory provides a personalized profile of your
relationship. The individualized couple feedback covers topic areas
important to marriage: life-style expectations, friends, and
interests, personality match, personal issues, problem solving,
communication, dual careers, religion and values, etc.
It is advised that the inventory be taken prior to attending the
marriage preparation sessions, and can be arranged through your
Priest or Deacon.
Step Four: Register and Attend Pre-Marital Instruction Courses
A)
Sacramental Preparation:
God's Plan for a Joy-Filled Marriage
"God's
Plan for a Joy-Filled Marriage" is designed to help engaged couples
understand and embrace a Catholic vision of married love. The God's
Plan session provides a full catechesis of the Church's teaching, in
an uplifting manner that resonates within the human heart. Based on
Pope John Paul II's "Theology of the Body", this session is intended
to enhance a key component of marriage preparation: catechesis in
the theology of marriage and the gift of human sexuality.
The registration fee of $125 per couple includes book, workbooks,
Continental Breakfast & Lunch. Certificate of Completion is issued.
Click here >>
for dates and to register.
B) Life Skills Preparation (choose one):
Marriage
Preparation Sessions (Pre-Cana)
The Marriage Preparation Sessions (i.e. Pre-Cana) offer practical
insights and assistance in building a successful marriage. Topics
covered include: Communication, Conflict Resolution, Family of
Origin, Finances and more. The registration fee is $90 per
couple. Certificate of Completion is issued.
Click here >>
for dates and to register.
OR
Engaged Encounter Weekend
Engaged Encounter Weekends are held at CYO Retreat Center in Kearny,
NJ. This is a weekend away with other couples with time alone to
dialogue honestly and intensively about your prospective lives
together, your role in the Church and society, your strengths and
weaknesses, your desires, ambitions, goals, and your attitudes about
money, children, and family in a face-to-face manner.
Engaged Encounter is Catholic in origin and orientation and
specifically designed for verbal sharing between the couple.
Spiritual and personal reflection, along with dialoguing, are the
main highlights of the weekend. All couples will gather together for
meals and the celebration of Sunday Mass.
The cost of the entire weekend is $325 per couple, including meals
and individual overnight accommodations. Reservations for the
Engaged Encounter Weekend are accepted by mail only, and a
non-refundable, non-transferable deposit of $125.00 is due at the
time of reservation. Certificate of Attendance is issued.
Engaged Encounter Weekends
November 5-7, 2010
May 13-15, 2011
September 9-11, 2011
November 4-6, 2011
Engaged Encounter Weekends fill up quickly, often several months in
advance. To ensure the availability of the weekend you choose,
registration should take place at least six (6) months prior to your
wedding. Certificate of Completion is issued.
Call (973) 497-4323 for dates and to register.
C)
Natural Family Planning Seminar
Natural Family Planning (NFP) is an umbrella term for the natural,
healthy, morally acceptable methods of family planning recommended
by the Catholic Church to help couples space, achieve, or avoid
pregnancy. These methods, also called Fertility Awareness methods,
are based on the observation of the naturally occurring signs of the
fertile and infertile phase of a woman's menstrual cycle.
The women's body provides certain signs and symptoms which tell her
when she can conceive or not conceive a child. The main signs are:
changes in the cervix, cervical mucus and resting body temperature.
Couples can learn to observe, record and interpret these signs with
a high degree of accuracy.
The program is presented by certified instructors. Sessions are
offered in a number of locations throughout the diocese. Visit
www.njnfp.org or call the NFP Office (973) 497-4325 prior to
register for the seminar. Please do not attend a class without
registering in advance. The fee is $195 per couple, but a $50
discount is available when combined with your God's Plan for a
Joy-Filled Marriage registration. Course fee includes all seminar
books, materials, and lifetime personal consultation. Certificate of
Completion is issued.
Click
here >>
for dates and to register.
Step Five: Continue Meeting with Priest or Deacon
Continue formation meetings with Pastoral Minister to present
necessary forms (Certificates of Completion, Sacramental forms,
etc.), review Marriage Inventory results, and choose liturgical
options.
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