Marriage Preparation Program Online
1. Introduction
Congratulations on your engagement!
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Peterborough and its parishes welcome all couples who have made the decision to marry in the Catholic Church and wish them the most loving, enriching and deepening experience of their lives. We are happy to assist couples as they prepare for this Sacrament through the Marriage Preparation Program. The Marriage Preparation Program is offered online. The program consists of the sessions outlined on this webpage, a Prepare-Enrich online survey, a session on Prepare-Enrich for the individual couple via a Zoom link, and a scheduled session for all couples in the program via a Zoom link.
The Goal of Marriage Preparation
The goal of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Peterborough's Sacrament of Marriage Preparation program is to support engaged couples to discern their call to the sacrament of marriage within the Catholic Church by providing information about the ways this sacrament unites a couple in faithful and mutual love; opens a couple to giving life; supports them in responding to God's call to holiness; and calls the couple to be a sign of Christ's love in the world.
INSTRUCTIONS
Before the online session for Marriage Preparation, this webpage offers you a number of topics to view, discuss, and reflect on with your fiance(e).
Set aside a few times when you can calmly review the materials. Try to work through one topic at a time. (Avoid doing more than one topic at a time, if at all possible.) This means that you will need to set aside 7 to 8 scheduled times when you can work and talk through each of these topics. For the Communication session, you will need a block of two to three hours.
2. Called by God - The Sacrament of Marriage
In marriage, the love between a man and a woman is blessed by God. Marriage is a union in faith and love, and a response to God’s call to holiness. The couple becomes a symbol of God’s love on earth.
God has called you to the Sacrament of Marriage. Take some time during this discussion to acknowledge and discuss the place of God in your marriage. The videos will help you to reflect on and talk about ways you plan to live this commitment of Faith so that God who calls you to this sacrament may continue to guide you both as you discern your shared path of married living.
| A Catholic Marriage with Bishop Robert Barron |
| Video - A Catholic Marriage with Bishop Robert Barron
Click YOUTUBE VIDEO LINK |
| The Paradox of Life and Love with Fr. Paul Massel |
| Please watch this video and discuss together the four questions below.
Video - The Paradox of Life and Love
Discussion Questions
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| Praying Together |
| Video - Praying Together
Click YOUTUBE VIDEO LINK |
3. Responding to God's Call to Holiness: Challenges and Blessings
| Video on Responding to God's Call to Holiness: Challenges and Blessings |
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Click the link above to view the presentation on Responding to God's Call to Holiness: Challenges and Blessings with Jennifer Angelo. |
| Questions for Discussion |
| Discussion Questions
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| Newlyweds in the Time of Coronavirus |
Newlyweds in the Time of Coronavirusby Theresa Lewis
Here we sit, nice and cozy on a rainy spring morning, laptops out, sipping tea, and working from home. Like most Americans, our home – a one-bedroom apartment – is now acting as our temporary office, school, and even church. Unlike most people, though, Eric and I were just getting the hang of living under the same roof! We have been married for just over four months. There are still boxes to unpack, thank you notes to send, and we are still figuring out our daily rhythm as a married couple. Now we have every waking and sleeping moment together for what looks like at least a month; it’s a perfect opportunity to grow together as a couple. We are thankful for this extra time together. It is the most quality time we have been able to spend with each other since our honeymoon. So far, it has been a time of renewal, almost like a newlywed bootcamp/retreat. We both work full time, so, until now, being at home together was only a few precious hours before it was time to crawl into bed. But, since we have been home, we have enjoyed taking long walks in the beautiful spring weather. These walks offer an opportunity to reconnect – reflecting on our marriage thus far and talking about our dreams for the future. It is also a time for us to reconnect on a spiritual level. Like most people, in addition to our closed offices, we are unable to attend Mass until further notice. For the first time in our lives we are not able to go to Mass on Sunday. This unusual circumstance has given us the opportunity to come to a more profound understanding of our identity as a domestic church. About a month ago, I unpacked enough boxes to find and hang some of our sacred art in a place of prominence in our living room. Underneath is a trunk to act as our altar, adorned with flowers, candles, and sacramentals. Our little prayer altar has assumed a new special meaning at this time. Another blessing of spending more time at home is the opportunity to re-engage in those creative activities and hobbies that easily get pushed aside on our busy normal days. Eric has picked up his trumpet again (practicing with the mute on so as not to disturb our neighbors!) and I have dusted off my watercolors and picked up embroidering. Both of us are reading for pleasure again and we even have designated time to read together. Obviously, quarantine also has its share of challenges. When people are in the same place together for an extended period of time, there is going to be friction. What would be small disagreements, misunderstandings, and frustrations can get blown out of proportion when we are in close quarters. But even these can be blessings because we have nowhere to go and no choice but to work through them! We are learning to communicate better and to love in difficult moments. We each have plenty of opportunities to grow in the virtues of patience and compassion towards the other. So, there it is, we are taking life one day and one step at a time, as I am sure you all are, too. As I write, I’m reminded of Matthew 6:25-34, most specifically verse 34, “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself.” Each day is filled with a blessing from God. As of now, neither of us is sick, but if that happens, we’re prepared to make good on that vow to be there for the other in sickness and in health. We pray this will be a time of growth for us in every way, but especially in our faith, our identity as a domestic church, and in our ability to love one another with the selfless love which our vocation calls us to. God bless you all. You are in our prayers in these uncertain but grace-filled times. About the Author |
4. Marriage Preparation Session on Communication
Click HERE to access the webpage for the Marriage Preparation Session on Communication
5. Finances
| Video on Finances |
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Click the link above to view the presentation on Finances with Sean Dunlop.
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| Budgeting for Newlyweds |
| Click to read the resource, Budgeting for Newlyweds. |
| Questions for Discussion |
| Marriage Preparation Program Finance Questions for Discussion
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6. Contraception
Contraception is “any action which, either in anticipation of the conjugal act [sexual intercourse], or in its accomplishment, or in the development of its natural consequences, proposes, whether as an end or as a means, to render procreation impossible” (Humanae Vitae, 14). In 1968, Pope Paul VI issued the encyclical letter Humanae Vitae (Latin, “Human Life”), which reemphasized the Church’s teaching against the use contraception to prevent conception.
| Pope Paul VI speaks on Humanae Vitae, Catholic church's teaching on contraception |
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Pope Paul VI spoke in English about the preparation of his encyclical "Humanae Vitae" during his general audience July 31, 1968. Hear him in his own words and learn what material from the Vatican's Secret Archives tells us about who influenced him in his decision. |
| Humanae Vitae |
| Please click on this link to read, Humanae Vitae. |
| Video on Humanae Vitae's 50th Anniversary with Bishop Robert Barron |
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This year marks the 50th anniversary of Pope Paul VI’s landmark encyclical letter “Humanae vitae.” Bishop Robert Barron draws particular attention to a remarkable passage in this encyclical, namely section 17, in which Paul VI plays the prophet and lays out, clearly and succinctly, what he foresees as consequences of turning away from the Church’s classic teaching on sex. |
| Videos of Catholic Teaching on Contraception / NFP |
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Here are a few video selections about the Catholic Church's teaching on contraception - choose one or more to learn more about the Church Teaching on this matter.
Click here to view a video about the Catholic Church Teaching on Contraception and Natural Family Planning (NFP)
Click here to view the video, "Is Contraception ever allowed by the Church?"
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| Catechism of the Catholic Church - Contraception and Conscience |
| 2370 Periodic continence, that is, the methods of birth regulation based on self-observation and the use of infertile periods, is in conformity with the objective criteria of morality. These methods respect the bodies of the spouses, encourage tenderness between them, and favor the education of an authentic freedom. In contrast, "every action which, whether in anticipation of the conjugal act, or in its accomplishment, or in the development of its natural consequences, proposes, whether as an end or as a means, to render procreation impossible" is intrinsically evil: Thus the innate language that expresses the total reciprocal self-giving of husband and wife is overlaid, through contraception, by an objectively contradictory language, namely, that of not giving oneself totally to the other. This leads not only to a positive refusal to be open to life but also to a falsification of the inner truth of conjugal love, which is called upon to give itself in personal totality. . . . The difference, both anthropological and moral, between contraception and recourse to the rhythm of the cycle . . . involves in the final analysis two irreconcilable concepts of the human person and of human sexuality.
2399 The regulation of births represents one of the aspects of responsible fatherhood and motherhood. Legitimate intentions on the part of the spouses do not justify recourse to morally unacceptable means (for example, direct sterilization or contraception). ----------------------------------------------------------------- 1781 Conscience enables one to assume responsibility for the acts performed. If man commits evil, the just judgment of conscience can remain within him as the witness to the universal truth of the good, at the same time as the evil of his particular choice. The verdict of the judgment of conscience remains a pledge of hope and mercy. In attesting to the fault committed, it calls to mind the forgiveness that must be asked, the good that must still be practiced, and the virtue that must be constantly cultivated with the grace of God: We shall . . . reassure our hearts before him whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. |
7. Natural Family Planning
| Creighton Model Natural Family Planning |
| Presentation of the Creighton Model of Natural Family Planning Click HERE for the SLIDES from the PPT presentation of the Creighton Model of Natural Family Planning. |
Natural Family Planning Session
Here are weblinks for the different types of Natural Family Planning:
8. Planning a Catholic Wedding
You will receive the book, Celebrating Our Love: Liturgical Resources for Your Wedding, as part of the Marriage Preparation program. During the pandemic, this book will be mailed to you.
| VIDEO - How to Worship Safely |
| During the COVID-19 pandemic, there are many health precautions that have been put in place. Watch the video, How to Worship Safely, and check the health precautions that are required at the time when your wedding takes place.
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More resources:
10 Tips for Planning a Catholic Wedding
9. Resiliency
Click here to view the Powerpoint for the session on Resiliency in a Marriage.
10. More Information
These resources are provided for you in addition to the Marriage Preparation program.
Marriage in the Catholic Church - Frequently Asked Questions (COLF, 2017)