Thinking about getting married in the Catholic Church? Wondering what to do to get started?

First, schedule to meet with your pastor (priest) and talk to him to find out what you need to do to make this incredible moment become a reality.

At your first meeting your priest or deacon should give you a booklet called Marriage Preparation: Manual for Couples, which explains in brief the marriage preparation process and requirements for the Catholic Diocese of Peoria.

This crucial formation time entails attendance of a combination of Part One and Two of our Diocesan programs mentioned below. The Manual for Couples also includes the current schedule of programs and a registration form.

PART ONE

Pre-Cana Conference

The Pre-Cana Conference is a day-long marriage preparation workshop designed to assist engaged couples in preparing for their life-long vocation of marriage.

It consists of a series of presentations providing basic instruction on the nature of Christian marriage: its essential elements, the role that God desires to play in marriage and family life, and the importance of communication.

For dates, locations and fee, see the Marriage Preparation: Manual for Couples available from you parish priest.

Engaged Couple Encounter

The Engaged Couple Encounter is a weekend experience, which offers the couple an opportunity to really get away from it all to focus on their relationship with each other, God and His Church.

The emphasis of the weekend is on the marriage, not the wedding. Engaged couples are able to consider their upcoming marriages through face-to-face, heart-to-heart dialogue with each other thus learning a communication technique they can use the rest of their lives.

Couples also really enjoy the social and meal times to get to know the team and other couples. The opportunity to participate in the Sacraments of Reconciliation and the Eucharist, make this weekend complete.

Your future marriage is definitely worth a weekend away to prepare for. For dates, locations and fee, see the Marriage Preparation: Manual for Couples available from your parish priest.

PART TWO

Christian Sexuality Workshop

The Christian Sexuality Workshop is a day-long conference for engaged couples, focusing on nature of human sexuality, its role and right use in the context of Christian marriage.

The day includes an introduction to modern methods of Natural Family Planning — highly effective, healthy, marriage-building, and morally sound ways of planning a family, as well as couple discussion and a question-and-answer period. Please note, to actually learn a method sign up for the class series described next.

For dates, locations and fee, see the Marriage Preparation: Manual for Couples available from your parish priest.

Natural Family Planning

Modern Natural Family Planning (NFP) is not the outdated calendar rhythm method, but a highly effective, healthy and moral means to avoid, achieve or space births. Low cost and simple to learn and use, NFP works with any woman’s cycle, even the most irregular.

Using established scientific techniques, couples are able to determine the portion of the woman's cycle when she might be fertile. Abstaining from intercourse during this period (10 days average) will be 95-99% effective in avoiding conception -- a rate on par with the most powerful chemical/hormonal methods of contraception, like the Pill, and superior to barrier methods like condoms or diaphragms.

NFP is marriage building as it helps spouses treat each other and their fertility as precious gifts from God. Couples of all religious backgrounds, including those with no religious affiliation, practice NFP throughout the world.

Instruction is spaced over a series of classes allowing the couple time to apply what they learn in order to practice the method in their marriage with confidence and success.

For a brief description of the methods available in our Diocese, click here.

Natural Family Planning Schedule. (You need to have the free Adobe Acrobat Reader to access this schedule.)