Marriage Preparation Process
Archdiocese of San Antonio

Marriage Prep in the Archdiocese of San Antonio

The purpose of the Archdiocese of San Antonio Marriage Preparation process is to provide a comprehensive and dynamic program through our seminars and retreats for engaged couples seeking to celebrate the Sacrament of Marriage.

Some parishes and deaneries in the Archdiocese take advantage of other marriage preparation programs, both in English and in Spanish. These programs are offered by way of a weekend retreat, a one-day class, or over several meetings. Here’s a current listing of these opportunities:

Deanery-wide formation and catechetical opportunities, such as UNITAS and other similar formation programs/tools which address catechetical content and important life skills.
Parish sponsor couples, who use the “For Better and Forever” program, which facilitates awareness and dialogue between the engaged through witness, testimonials, and directed reflection and discussion.
FOCCUS inventory and other approved inventories with a trained facilitator(s).
Marriage Preparation Weekend Retreats such as the Engaged Encounter or other similar retreat formation experiences.
Instruction by means of class presentations and discussions, small group formation, one-on-one formational opportunities, or other catechetical formats.

God’s Plan for a Joy-Filled Marriage

God’s Plan for a Joy-Filled Marriage program offers a refreshing, liberating vision of marriage and sexuality—one that will help you fully embrace God’s glorious plan for you as a couple.

This course will:

Clarify the vocation and dignity of the human person created in the image of God
Present the Church’s teaching on pre-marital and marital chastity
Present the Church’s vision of responsible parenthood
Offer an introduction to Natural Family Planning

Step 1
Contact Your Parish and Complete Inventory

After you become engaged, you should contact your parish right away to schedule your wedding date and set up a meeting at least six months prior to that date. This may vary from parish to parish depending on the requirements set by the pastor. During this initial meeting, the person preparing you for marriage (pastor, priest, or deacon) can discuss with you the marriage preparation process. He will also provide you with the information you need to complete the process. Setting a schedule to complete the individual components during or shortly after this meeting is strongly advised.
Marriage Preparation Inventory (optional)

After meeting with the person who will prepare you to receive this sacrament, you may be asked to complete a marriage preparation inventory, a series of questions designed to assist dialogue with your fiancé(e) regarding your goals, habits, expectations, and values.

NOTE: Steps 2 through 5 can be fulfilled through seminars or retreats offered by the Office of Marriage, Family Life and NFP.

Step 2
Evangelization: A Call to Discipleship

Because each vocation requires sacrifice and making a “gift of self,” discovering what it means to live a fully Christian life is essential for a Christian marriage to thrive, especially in this challenging age. In this step, you will be invited to experience a personal encounter with Jesus Christ who calls us to continual conversion and leads us to active discipleship.

Step 3
Rite of Marriage: Sacrament & Vocation

In this step, you and your fiancé(e) will learn about the Sacrament of Marriage as a vocation to love as God loves and why marriage is the foundation of family life. Through the various parts of the Rite of Marriage, including the prayers, nuptial blessing, biblical readings, rituals, questions of intention, and consent, you will come to understand what has commonly been called “the goods” and requirements of conjugal love, as well as discuss with your fiancé(e) what you both are committing to on the day of your wedding.

This step, when taking a seminar or retreat in the Archdiocese, includes God’s Plan for a Joy-Filled Marriage program, a rich and interactive introduction based on the Scriptures and Pope John Paul II’s Theology of the Body.

Step 4
Natural Family Planning Instruction

In this step, you will be introduced to Natural Family Planning (NFP), a way of life and love that enables you to plan your family in accordance with God’s plan for marriage. You will learn as a couple the basics of fertility awareness which help foster a deeper appreciation of God’s design in creating us male and female. You will see the many practical benefits that come with learning about NFP. In addition, you will be encouraged to take a full instruction in NFP with one of the Archdiocese’s trained instructors. There are classes scheduled in many locations here in the Archdiocese.

Step 5
Christian Marriage Life Skills

In addition to understanding the rich theology of marriage, we believe couples will greatly benefit by learning about the everyday tools needed to have a great marriage. This step is designed to fine tune a couples “life skills.” Among many of the important topics discussed are self knowledge, knowledge of one’s future spouse, family of origin, an active faith life, communication skills, handling conflict, decision-making, financial management, career expectations and family adjustments. This step is often complemented with parish mentoring couples or similar pastoral tools.

Final Steps

The couple returns to the priest for subsequent interviews to discuss the knowledge and experience they have gained from the entire marriage preparation process. The priest (or those preparing you for the Sacrament of Marriage) will help you prepare the liturgy for your wedding day, which will start you on the road to a lifetime of marriage. Also, the Church invites all Catholics to prepare themselves spiritually prior to their marriage through the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

For more information please call 210-734-1649

Marriage Preparation Process Archdiocese of San Antonio

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Marriage Preparation Process
Archdiocese of San Antonio