Friday, June 12, 2009

ARCHDIOCESE — Marriage preparation programs are geared toward deepening a couple’s awareness of the challenges of living together in marriage as they ready themselves for a lifelong commitment to each other and the faith community of the Catholic Church. A variety of options are available and the archdiocesan Family Life Office (FLO) encourages each couple to check with their pastor or marriage minister to determine what is best for them.

Pre-Cana is an archdiocesan, regional, day-long marriage preparation seminar for couples entering Catholic or interfaith marriages. The seminars are held on Saturdays in three different locations within the archdiocese: Cincinnati, Raymond Walters College, call the FLO at 513-421-3131; Dayton, Bergamo Center, call 937-426-1075; Sidney, the Spiritual Center of Maria Stein, call 937-492-4449. There is also a second marriage track within the Cincinnati Pre-Cana program that is held monthly.

Engaged Encounter is an intense weekend of marriage preparation presented by a team of two married couples and a priest. Through presentations by the team, the engaged couple is led to dialogue privately with each other on all aspects of married life. The weekend is not a retreat, counseling clinic, sensitivity session or exercise in group dynamics. For more information, call Mike and Kim Francomb at 513-575-1118 or visit http://www.cincinnatiengagedencounter.org/.

New Beginnings is a special marriage preparation program designed for couples entering marriage after one or both partners has experience loss through death, divorce or annulment. New Beginnings is a two-evening program offered several times a year at the Spiritual Center of Maria Stein.
In addition, Ruah Woods offers a program titled “God’s Plan for a Joy-filled Marriage,” that can be added to a couple’s marriage preparation, but does not count as an educational component option. Visit http://www.ruahwoods.org/index.html, for more information.

There are also various options for Natural Family Planning classes, information for which is found on the FLO’s website.

For more information, including how to register, about marriage preparation programs in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, visit http://www.catholiccincinnati.org/familylife/.