St. Therese Marriage Preparation Process
By Mike Lambrecht
As many of you may already know, the marriage preparation program that used to take place at Newman is no longer in use. As such, Father Janusz has asked me to come up with a process that we could use to prepare couples preparing for marriage in our parish. This need was made all the more urgent as I am preparing for my very own marriage at St. Therese in May.
Over the past couple of months, I have been brainstorming ideas with Father. Our main
concern was to come up with a process that presented the authentic teachings of the Church, incorporated the importance of an active faith life, was relevant, and is able to be sustained. To this end, I have also been in contact with the Diocesan Office of Family Life and reviewed the diocesan recommended marriage preparation program.
After long consideration I believe that several decisions regarding our own preparation process have finally been made and I would like to share these with you. Our process will most likely consist of eight or nine parts. They are: an initial meeting with Father, the taking of FOCCUS (a premarital inventory test), reviewing the results of the FOCCUS test, attending the deanery four part program entitled “Married Love: Two Becoming One”, attending our parish-based component, the wedding rehearsal, the wedding itself, and attending a post-marriage enrichment seminar. The ninth component that is still in the works is getting a trained natural family planning presenter to come into the parish.
The deanery program that we will be making use of is recommended by our diocese. After reviewing the program in full, I have found it to be informative, well-written and orthodox. We will also be supplementing this program with some extra presentations on appropriate choices of music for the liturgy, managing finances, aspects of canon law, and some practical guidance from married couples which will take place here at St. Therese.
The format for the deanery program coincides with the vows of marriage that the couple makes to each other. The first theme, Faithfulness, focuses on just what it means to be a faithful spouse. The second theme, Permanence, focuses on what is necessary to stay together “until death do us part.” The third theme, Covenant, examines the difference between the marriage contract and the marriage covenant. The final theme, Openness to Life, examines the sexuality of marriage and includes a brief presentation on Natural Family Planning.
The format for our parish supplementary presentations will revolve around Mass and take place on two Sundays in order to stress the Eucharist as the “source and summit” of the Christian life. Overall, I believe that this will create an excellent process that will prepare couples for the sacrament of marriage. It will help couples grow in their understanding of the Church’s teachings, their own love for each other, and just what is needed to overcome the struggles that every marriage is likely to face. The first offering of “Married Love: Two Becoming One” will take place on January 24th. If you are preparing for marriage, please call the parish office as soon as possible to schedule an appointment to meet with Father Janusz. At least six months notice is required.