Why Marriage Prep?
Knowing that marriage and family constitute one of the most precious of human values, the Church wishes to speak and offer help to those who are already aware of the value of marriage and family… In a particular way the Church addresses the young, who are beginning their journey toward marriage and family life, for the purpose of presenting them new horizons, helping them to discover the beauty and grandeur of the vocation to life and the service to love.
There words of Pope John Paul II, from his encyclical On the Family, reflect the concern that all of us in the Catholic Church have for marriage, especially in light of contemporary cultural influences that sometimes undermine marriage. It is for this reason that we require you to invest time and energy in an intentional program of marriage preparation.
In the Catholic understanding, marriage is a sacrament in which we encounter and express the grace of God and the love of Jesus Christ for his Church. Furthermore, marriage is a vocation, a “calling” from God to a new and enduring state of life. Marriage can be compared to the sacrament of ordination, when a Catholic obeys the call of God to a lifetime of ministry as a priest. Just as a priest needs extensive preparation in learning both the nature of the priesthood and the vocational skills required, so too couples who are following God’s call to marriage need preparation in order to be fully faithful in marriage and to experience the full benefits of the sacrament.
Marriage preparation in the Catholic Diocese of Lexington consists of three parts or phases;
- The engaged couple meets with a priest or deacon to establish freedom to marry, select a date for the wedding, complete any necessary paperwork and spend time talking about marriage itself. The priest or deacon will direct you toward the other phases of the process.
- Participation in a parish-based program of Marriage Preparation.
We also strongly encourage all couples of child-bearing age to participate in Natural Family Planning classes as a means of living the Catholic Church’s life-affirming teaching regarding married sexuality (link here to Natural Family Planning page).
Procedures
Participation in marriage preparation is a requirement of the Catholic Diocese of Lexington. In order to facilitate this requirement all couples are asked to do the following:
1) Notify your parish priest and/or deacon at least six months in advance of your proposed wedding date. Your priest or deacon will arrange an appointment with you at the time to begin the process of marriage preparation.
2) The wedding ceremony of two Catholics ordinarily takes places in the parish church. In either an inter-church marriage (between a Catholic and a baptized non-Catholic Christian) or inter-faith marriage (between a Catholic and non-baptized person) the Bishop may permit the couple to celebrate their wedding in another place of worship when a pastoral reason exists.
3) Preparation for marriage is a responsibility of the parish. Ordinarily, the priest or deacon who will witness your marriage ceremony will oversee the process of your preparation and assist you in choosing a program that will suit your needs.
4) Couples need to register for the desire marriage preparation program as soon as possible.
After completing the program your priest or deacon will meet with you to confirm the wedding date and plan the liturgy for your wedding.
Programs
Marriage preparation programs provide an opportunity for engaged couples to further explore their relationship to each other and to God, and to realize more fully the beauty, sanctity, and challenges of married love. The programs are neither a course in Catholic doctrine nor a “how to” for the perfect marriage.
Each program involves discussion and reflection on the meaning of marriage as a sacrament, as well as life/relationship skills related to communication, conflict resolution, sexuality, and finances. Time is also spent contemplating each partner’s family-of-origin as a means of determining the unspoken assumptions about family life that each brings to marriage.
Marriage preparation couples are generally led by married couples, who will facilitate the program, share their experiences of marriage, and answer questions. All marriage preparation programs place a responsibility on the engaged couple to respond to topics and develop their skills for a successful relationship.
Two types of programs are available in the Diocese of Lexington—group programs and sponsor couple programs. Both programs are parish-based and designed to meet the needs of engaged couples from that parish. Engaged couples from other parishes are welcome to attend any program provided that space is available.
Sponsor Couple Programs
The Sponsor Couple program is a couple-to-couple format for marriage preparation. Sponsor couples for marriage are similar to sponsors for baptism and confirmation in that a married couple from the parish sponsors the engaged couple and together the two couples go through the steps of the marriage preparation program. Please speak with your priest or deacon about the availability of this program in your parish.
Group Programs
Group programs are workshops held at individual parishes. Couples interested in a group program are responsible for their own registration (print registration form here).
2006 Group Program Schedule
Cathedral of Christ the King ( Lexington)
March 17 and 18, 2006 August 4 and 5, 2006
April 21 and 22, 2006 October 6 and 7, 2006
Time: Friday, 7:30PM-9:00PM
Saturday, 9:00AM-3:00PM
Fee: $35.00 (check payable to Christ the King)
Send the completed registration form with your check to:
Rick and Debbie Maurer
611 Tateswood Dr.
Lexington, KY 40502
If not a parishioner please call (859) 268-4674 to see if space is available.
Mary, Queen of the Holy Rosary ( Lexington)
May 3, 10, and 17, 2006 (Wednesdays)
August 9, 16, and 23, 2006
November 1, 8, and 15, 2006
Time: 7:00PM-10:00PM each evening
Fee: $45.00 (check payable to Mary Queen of the Holy Rosary)
Send the completed registration form with your check to:
Eric and Janet Byrd
209 Floral Park
Lexington, KY 40503
Please call (859) 338-4694 to see if space is available.
Sts. Peter and Paul ( Lexington)
March 18, 2006 (Saturday) September 16, 2006
April 22, 2006 November 18, 2006
June 17, 2006
Time: 9:00AM-5:00PM
Fee: $35.00 (check payable to St. Peter Church)
Send the completed registration form with your check to:
St. Peter Catholic Church
153 Barr St.
Lexington, KY 40507
Please call (859) 252-7551 to see if space is available.
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton ( Lexington)
April 22 and 23, 2006
October 21 and 22, 2006
Time: Saturday, 9:00AM-5:00PM
Sunday, 1:00PM-5:00PM
Fee: $45.00 (check payable to St. Elizabeth Ann Seton)
Send the completed registration form with your check to:
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church
1730 Summerhill Rd.
Lexington, KY 40515
Please call (859) 273-1318 to see if space is available.
Remarriage Preparation
The decision to enter a second marriage can present special issues for either party. Your priest or deacon may decide that an alternate or additional preparation program may benefit you and your fiancé.
Special Cases
There are special situations in which the Church believes engage couples could benefit from additional marriage preparation. If a couple is in a situation that involves a premarital pregnancy, if either party is under the age of 19, or if the priest or deacon considers that either party lacks a readiness for a commitment to marriage, they may be asked to participate in further counseling. In such cases, the priest or deacon will refer the couple to a qualified counselor at the Catholic Social Services Bureau to help evaluate their relationship and to assist the priest or deacon in determining the couple’s readiness for marriage.
