Marriage Preparation
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…on your upcoming celebration of Holy Matrimony and your participation in this sacred Sacrament! Your wedding day is not only a special moment for the two of you, but also a joyous event for the entire Church, and we are honored to share in your celebration!
Congratulations
Before couples are married in the Catholic Church, it is important to carefully prepare for this lifelong sacrament. Marriage preparation, often called Pre-Cana, refers to the entire process of preparing for marriage that provide guidance in building a lifelong, faith-filled marriage.
Below is a step-by-step guide to marriage preparation:
- Read our Wedding Policies.
- Contact your Priest or Deacon as soon as possible after your engagement, and no later than six months prior to your wedding date.
- Schedule a pre-marital inventory with your Priest or Deacon.
- Register for Pre-Cana Life Skills Retreat and Pre-Cana God’s Plan for Love Retreat (see below for details).
These steps are designed to help you reflect on your relationship, grow in understanding of one another, and prepare spiritually and practically for a lifelong, joy-filled marriage.
Pre-Cana Retreats
As part of marriage preparation in the Diocese of Paterson, engaged couples are required to participate in two Pre-Cana programs before their wedding. At Assumption Church, these retreats blend the spiritual, theological, and practical aspects of Catholic marriage, guiding couples toward a lifelong,
joy-filled marriage.
The Life Skills Retreat is a virtue-based, full-day program in which couples develop practical skills for building habits of virtue, communicating effectively and understanding each other’s styles, resolving conflicts in healthy ways, managing resources and shared responsibilities, and fostering emotional and spiritual intimacy. Offered twice a year, this retreat brings together engaged couples and our Pre-Cana Ministry team for shared learning and reflection.
The God’s Plan for Love Retreat helps couples embrace the Catholic vision of married love. Based on Pope Saint John Paul II’s Theology of the Body, this half-day retreat provides an uplifting look at the Church’s teaching on marriage and the gift of human sexuality, helping couples appreciate the spiritual and human richness of their future marriage. This retreat is offered twice a year specifically for couples registered in Assumption’s Life Skills Retreat.
Both the Life Skills and God’s Plan for Love retreats required and are offered twice a year in different months to provide flexibility in scheduling.
Fees:
Life Skills only: $125 Register here.
Life Skills & God’s Plan for Love: $175 Register here.