The Diocese of Scranton

Marriage Preparation

Diocesan Pre-Cana Conferences	Engaged Encounter Weekends
Parish Pre Cana Conferences	Additional Programs
Spanish Marriage Preparation	Online Marriage Preparation Course

St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, chapter 5, verses 23-33, taken in its entirety and properly interpreted, contains a beautiful explanation of marriage, a “great mystery.” God sees how a husband and wife give their lives for each other just as Christ gave his life for us. Knowing the depth of love between husband and wife, God deems it a sign of Christ’s love for his bride, the Church.

Only the bride and groom can consent to give their lives to each other faithfully and forever. The bride and groom speak the marriage vows and confer the Sacrament of Marriage on one another. A decision to enter marriage is sacred, permanent, and indissoluble and requires careful preparation.

If you are seriously thinking about marriage or are engaged, know that Christ and the Church are with you, yet you alone are responsible for understanding what marriage vows entail and assessing whether you will be able to live them. We rejoice that you want a Christian marriage and come to your parish and diocese for assistance. We want to help you prepare not only for your wedding day but for a lifetime of love together.

Even if you are not yet engaged but are seriously contemplating marriage, it is not too soon to talk with a priest about the important step you are considering. As soon as you start planning marriage, make an appointment to visit with your parish priest.
A year before your anticipated wedding will give you adequate time; nine months is the minimum time to allow. Be sure to schedule an appointment before making any wedding arrangements.

Your questions about Catholic marriage preparation may be answered at http://www.usccb.org/laity/marriage/marriagefaqs.shtml

During preparation for marriage in the Diocese of Scranton you can expect to:

1. Meet with a parish priest or his delegate (a deacon or pastoral staff member) to learn about guidelines and procedures, begin the prenuptial inquiry that gathers information needed for Church records, and tentatively set a church wedding date.

2. Fill out a premarital assessment instrument. This inventory will help you explore your relationship, think about what each of you is bringing to marriage, and become more aware of your strengths and challenges. The assessment instrument enables marriage preparation to fit your needs.

3. Attend the enrichment program the priest specifies. It may include a Pre-Cana Conference, sessions with a mentor couple, and/or a Catholic Engaged Encounter Weekend.

4. Obtain Natural Family Planning (NFP) instruction.

5. Meet again with the priest or deacon to follow up on the enrichment program and sign Church forms.

6. Plan your wedding liturgy with the assistance of a priest, deacon, or liturgist.

7. Use the final months before your wedding for intense spiritual preparation through prayer and the sacraments.

Pre-marriage enrichment programs and processes

Check with the priest, deacon, or pastoral staff person assisting you with marriage preparation before registering for an enrichment program to be sure it is right for you. You are advised to register early and to choose a session scheduled at least six to nine months before your anticipated wedding date.

Catholic Engaged Encounter Weekend

Engaged Encounter is an intense weekend offering you the time and opportunity to examine and deepen your relationship with each other and with God. Through writing and sharing exercises, each couple explores many aspects of their relationship. You will consider self-awareness, unity, careers, children, the sacrament, family of origin, decisions, and more. In addition to many private sharing sessions, you will be given time to interact with others. You can read what couples have said about Engaged Encounter, check schedules in other dioceses, and view a video at http://www.engagedencounter.com

Engaged Encounter is excellent marriage preparation that satisfies diocesan requirements for the formation phase. When it comes to marriage preparation, it is true that you get what you pay for, in both time and money. Engaged Encounter is for couples who are preparing for lifelong marriage, not just a wedding day, and it receives rave reviews from engaged couples.

Held at Fatima Renewal Center in Dalton, an Engaged Encounter weekend enables you and your beloved to focus on your upcoming marriage in the quiet and beauty of the countryside about ten miles northwest of Scranton. The $225 registration fee includes meals and lodging for you and your fiancé. You may pay in full when you resister, or send a $75 deposit to secure your registration and pay the balance at least one week prior to the Engaged Encounter weekend.

For more information about Engaged Encounter, call:
Office for Parish Life (207-2213)

Diocesan Pre-Cana Conferences

This conference can help you continue your discernment about God’s call to marriage, consider what marriage requires, take a new look at your relationship, see the Catholic vision for marriage, grow in faith, and learn some skills known to enhance success and happiness in marriage.

The seven and one-half hour program is based on a theology of the body taught by Pope John Paul II and includes:

Couple Prayer

FOCCUS administration

Speaker-Listener Instruction and Practice

God’s Plan for Marriage “In the Beginning”

Christ Restores God’s Plan for Marriage

What Are You Saying “I Do” To?

The Joy of Sexual Honesty Before Marriage

The Joy of Sexual Honesty Within Marriage

The Practical Benefits of Natural Family Planning

Opportunity to talk one-on-one with team couples

In addition, couples attending the Pre-Cana program will receive lunch, program workbooks, and Christopher West’s Good News About Sex and Marriage.

Diocesan Pre-Cana Conference Schedule

Seminars and conferences are scheduled by deanery. Directions to the site will be
provided in a confirmation letter.

FOCCUS will be administered at all Pre-Cana Conferences.

Saturday, January 22, 2011, 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Wilkes-Barre (Wilkes-Barre)

Saturday, January 29, 2011, 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Monroe (Tannersville)

Sunday, Sunday, February 6, 2011, 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. (Scranton) Dalton
(You may wish to attend 7:00 am Mass at Our Lady of Snows Church in Clarks Summit)

Saturday, February 12, 2011, 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Northern Luzerne (Pittston)

Sunday, February 27, 2011, 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Scranton (City)
(You may wish to attend 6:30 a.m. or 5:00 p.m. Mass at St. Peter's Cathedral)

Saturday, March 5, 2011, 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Mid-Valley Lackawanna (Peckville)

Saturday, March 12, 2011, 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Dunmore (Elmhurst)

Saturday, March 19, 2011, 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Lycoming/Tioga (Williamsport)

Saturday, March 26, 2011, 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., South Luzerne (Drums)

Saturday, April 2, 2011, 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Wilkes-Barre (Wilkes-Barre)

Saturday, April 16, 2011 , 8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m., Wayne/Pike (Milford)

Saturday, May 7, 2011, 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Mid-Valley Lackawanna (Peckville)

Saturday, May 14, 2011, 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Northern Luzerne (Pittston)

Saturday, May 21, 2011, 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Monroe (Tannersville)

Sunday, May 22, 2011, 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., University of Scranton

Sunday, June 5, 2011, 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. (Scranton) Dalton
(You may wish to attend 7:00 am Mass at Our Lady of Snows Church in Clarks Summit)

Saturday, June 11, 2011, 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., South Luzerne (Drums)

Saturday, July 16, 2011, 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Lycoming/Tioga (Williamsport)

Saturday, July 30, 2011, 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Dunmore (Elmhurst)

Saturday, August 6, 2011, 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Wilkes-Barre (Wilkes-Barre)

Saturday, August 13, 2011, 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Monroe (Tannersville)

Saturday, August 20, 2011 , 8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m., Wayne/Pike (Milford)

Sunday, September 11, 2011, 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. (Scranton) Dalton
(You may wish to attend 7:00 am Mass at Our Lady of Snows Church in Clarks Summit)

Saturday, September 17, 2011, 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Northern Luzerne (Pittston)

Saturday, September 24, 2011, 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Lycoming/Tioga (Williamsport)

Saturday, October 8, 2011, 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Mid-Valley Lackawanna (Peckville)

Saturday, November 5, 2011, 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Dunmore (Elmhurst)

Saturday, November 12, 2011, 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., South Luzerne (Drums)

Register Online for Diocesan Pre-Cana Conference

Parish Pre-Cana Conferences

Some parishes conduct marriage preparation programs of their own design. If the priest with whom you are working approves, you may attend one of the following parish-sponsored programs that accept couples who are not parishioners. To obtain further information about what the session includes and to register, please call the phone number given with the site in which you are interested.

The following parish-sponsored programs will accept couples who are not parishioners.

For further information and registration call the number given.

Spanish Language Marriage Preparation

Para la preparación de la unión en español, hable por favor con su sacerdote de la parroquia.

East Stroudsburg: Parroquia de Santo Matthew, 570-421-2342

Hazleton: Parroquia de Santo Gabriel, 570-454-0212

Scranton: Parroquia de Natividad de Nuestro Señor, 570-344-6159

Tobyhanna: Parroquia de Santo Ana, 570-894-8018

Wilkes-Barre: Parroquia de Santa Rosario, 570-822-1183

Pastoral Resources

Online Marriage Preparation Course

If it is impossible for you to attend an Engaged Encounter weekend or a Pre Cana conference, your pastor may permit you to take a course of preparation via the Internet. Talk with him about Catholic Marriage Preparation, Inc.

Catholic Marriage Preparation is an online program based on Pope John Paul II’s theology of the body and the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The program provides print and CD study materials and requires the completion of five worksheets, which are submitted electronically. The program covers these and other topics:

· God’s plan for humanity

· Vocation of man and woman

· Sin and its consequences

· The Sacrament of Matrimony

· Letter of St. Paul to the Ephesians

· Humanae Vitae and conscience

· The Rite of Marriage

· Freedom, self-gift, faithfulness, and openness to life

· Forgiveness

· Your body is a temple

· Relationship tools

· Potential problems in marriage

· Praying together

This course costs $150 including materials and personalized responses to each workshop. You may register by phone (866-425-7193) or at the Catholic Marriage Preparation, Inc website. You must have permission of the priest assisting your marriage preparation to take this online course instead of attending Engaged Encounter or Pre Cana.

Additional programs

Obtain Natural Family Planning instruction well before your wedding. Six months of charting will give you confidence to use NFP, should you need to, at the beginning of your marriage.