Preparation for the Vocation to Marriage and Family Life

Introduction

We congratulate you on your engagement!  The Church believes that your decision to marry is a response in faith in God's love for you.  We believe that through the power of the Sacrament of Matrimony, God enables you to appreciate the sacredness of your own love (an image of Christ's love for his Bride, the Church) and to accept the responsibility to manifest God's love to each other and to the world every day of your lives.

Marriage Preparation in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia is intended to assist you in developing a solid foundation for permanent, faithful, and life-giving love in marriage.

Since Catholics believe Christian marriage to be a very serious relationship, a decision to make this commitment requires sufficient reflection, discussion, and responsible preparation.  This is why you are required to notify your parish of your intention to marry no less than six months before the date of the wedding.

These guidelines seek to assist you and all couples to develop a solid foundation for growth and faithfulness in your marriage and family life.  They recognize two important facts:

• that the Church has a responsibility to engaged couples to assist them in their preparation for the Sacrament of Matrimony;
• that a "full and authentic" preparation will take time to accomplish.

The unique situation of each engaged couple is give personal attention at the parish through interviews with the parish priest.  Between the initial interview and the wedding, a program of marriage and family life preparation is required.

The next scheduled  Pre-Cana Weekend  at St. Aloysius will be on the following dates:

Fall 2008 Weekend:

Friday, October 10, 2008 and

Saturday, October 11, 2008

The Friday night session is  from  7-10PM

The Saturday session is from 9AM-5PM (ending with all attending the 5PM Mass together).

To register for the Cluster Pre-Cana Weekend contact Mike and Debbie Nester (610) 970-1173 or email debbie_nester69@hotmail.com 

Other dates are available through the Archdiocese:

Four Session Program Schedule

Each program begins at 7:30PM and ends at 9:30PM

Cost is $90 per couple

To register for any of the Diocesan Pre-Cana Classes call the Family Life Office at 215-587-5639 or e-mail familfe@adphila.org