Marriage Preparation
The Sacrament of Marriage is special within the Catholic Church. We do not enter into this lifelong commitment lightly. And so the Church asks of us special preparation beginning with verifying the facts and circumstances
Couples thinking about marriage should first contact their pastor, who will go over the requirements for the celebration to happen in Church. Following this an instrument called the Pre-Marital Inventory is used to help discover the readiness of the couple.
Couples are expected to attend an Engaged Encounter for instructions about living the Sacrament as well as the Marriage preparation program outlined below.
Preparing for marriage involves a lot more than preparing for a wedding. A prospective bride and groom need to understand in a deep way exactly what is involved in a good marriage, exactly what kind of life they are committing themselves to. In some cases, they may need to develop new communication skills or deepen their own faith commitment if they are to be ready for a holy and lasting union. The marriage preparation program designed by representatives from area parishes is intended to help couples gain necessary knowledge and skills.
The program is organized into seven two-hour meetings with about five engaged couples going through the process at a time. Each meeting is hosted by a different couple from the parish. The host couples have generally been in a valid Catholic marriage for at least ten years, have received necessary training, and have prepared carefully for the evening they are hosting. Each of the seven meetings is devoted to a different topic. Among the topics are: communication skills, the spirituality of marriage, the theology of marriage, intimacy, dealing with finances, raising children, and dealing with extended family.
Rosie and Chuck Skoro (342-1613) are the lead couple for OLR.
