Congratulations on your engagement!
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While we outline the aspects of marriage preparation that are offered below, the best resource for you is your parish priest or deacon, who will accompany you on this journey.
1. Meet with Your Priest or Deacon: This should be done as soon as possible, as the priest or deacon will accompany you throughout your engagement. The priest or deacon will determine your freedom to marry and explain the marriage preparation process. This meeting would ideally be nine months (or more) before the wedding date.
2. Marriage Preparation Inventory: Soon after your initial meeting with your priest or deacon, the parish will ask you to complete a marriage preparation inventory. This inventory is a set of questions giving a couple a current snapshot of their relationship when it comes to assessing individual habits, expectations, and values (The Fully Engaged program is the preferred inventory of the diocese). This inventory provides you a unique opportunity to discuss various topics and build a strong foundation for your life together.
3. Pre Cana: This one-day event will give couples a theological foundation for the Sacrament of Matrimony. Pre Cana's will be offered throughout the Diocese of Columbus during the year.
4. Natural Family Planning (NFP): NFP respects the love giving and life-giving natures of marriage, and enriches the bond between husband and wife. Within marriage, the couple can utilize the knowledge gained through NFP to either achieve or postpone pregnancies without violating God’s design or disrupting a woman’s biology. There are several highly effective, researched methods of Natural Family Planning to choose from, available to learn either in person or online.
5. Sponsor Mentor Couple (or Priest/Deacon) Meetings: Your parish will assign you a Sponsor Couple (or the priest/deacon) to meet throughout your engagement to go over the results of your premarital inventory as discuss other life-skills for your marriage (We recommend the Fully Engaged Program for the Sponsor Couple or Priest meetings).
6. Last Steps: After completing steps 1-5, it is important to return to your priest or deacon to finish any final preparations for your wedding. This can include (but not limited to): final interviews, prepare the liturgy for your wedding day (i.e. readings, music selection, servers, gift-bearers, etc.), and an opportunity to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation (We have provided a Confession Guide for Engaged Couples to help you).
Be sure to check out our Resource Page for more helpful tools for your marriage!