The Church’s pastoral care for marriage finds its most visible expression in its care for couples preparing to get married. There are a number of programmes available to couples in England and Wales that complement the required preparation that is the responsibility of clergy to provide before a wedding can go ahead. These programmes usually cover skills such as communication and conflict resolution as well as opportunities to reflect on the meaning of the sacrament and the kind of commitment that marriage embodies. The links on this page feature the main programmes currently available.

MARRIAGE CARE

Marriage Care is the biggest provider of formal marriage preparation in England and Wales through a network of volunteers working from centres across dioceses. Marriage Care offers a complete one-day course for couples wishing to marry in the Catholic Church which explores the Church's teaching on the sacrament of marriage and gives participants the opportunity to reflect on the meaning of the vows they intend to make. Marriage Care trains facilitators in this programme and offers its volunteers opportunities for supervision and continuing professional development. Income from the marriage preparation service makes it possible for Marriage Care to also offer a counselling service to couples who need extra support.

For more information please visit:

Additional Programmes

Premarital inventories such as FOCCUS and PREPARE are becoming more widely available to couples, especially since FOCCUS is offered through Marriage Care centres. For more information please visit:

FOCCUS

PREPARE

ENGAGED ENCOUNTER

An Engaged Encounter weekend is a form of marriage preparation designed to give couples preparing for marriage the chance to talk openly about their expectations and attitudes in such areas as work, money, children, in-laws, sex, leisure time and church. The focus of the weekend is on growth in relationships through communication as a couple. It is not a retreat and there are no group discussions.

For more information please visit:

SMART LOVING ENGAGED

Combining a number of learning methods, the Smart Loving Engaged course is designed to be used in one of four ways - couple to couple mentoring, small home-centred groups, larger groups in parish rooms or online mentored correspondence. Core content is presented on DVD, supported by participant materials with additional take-home activities to stimulate private discussion. Presented by husband & wife teams, the course offers Catholic theology and practical skills & tools for relationships at whatever stage. For further information email [email protected]

For more information please visit:

Diocesan Marriage Preparation Programmes

Most dioceses offer a range of opportunities for marriage preparation.

Click on the links for further information:

Ecumenical

There are a number of other programmes available to couples in their local communities, for example:

Online Programmes

Programmes available online can give couples separated by great distance the chance to prepare together. Here are three different examples - the first two are from the United States:

Please note that these programmes are offered only as examples.