It follows Theology of the Body (TOB)/ it is one-on-one mentor led/ it is Catholic and Christ-centered/ and it is a one stop shop
1) Follows Theology of the Body (TOB)
Saint John Paul II's Theology of the Body is integrated into the whole marriage preparation. The course is built upon it.
2) One-on-one mentor-led
Each instructor couple know their engaged couples personally.
They are not here to make them feel good but to help them discover the Truth.
The Engaged couples have worksheets to fill out, they have to write down their answers, there is no multiple choice answers.
Engaged couples work at it TOGETHER and discuss together each and every topic, even if they live miles away from each other.
They can work via email, phone, Skype and so on.
Couples have the options to give His and Her answer or a consolidated answer.
Then they submit their work.
The Instructor couple review it and answer personally to his and her questions/answers.
We want the engaged to reflect together on the questions first BUT it doesn’t stop there.
In the answer keys from their instructors, that include the teachings of the Catholic Church, we challenge them to go further and make the appropriate changes in their way of life to follow Christ...
3) A Catholic Christ-centered marriage preparation:
We are given here a great opportunity to evangelize!
As we all know, evangelization is the Church’s deepest identity, her most important work, at all times and all the time.
Christian and Christine lived fifteen years as a missionary family; they love evangelization.
Marriage prep plays a very important role in the new evangelization.
Society has changed, it is good to use modern technologies to be closer to the engaged couples but we also have to understand their spiritual needs.
We speak of new evangelization because of the spiritual poverty of the couples – like sheep without shepherd. They are thirsting for the unchanging truth.
They sense compromise immediately. If we present them watered down teachings they will not accept them, they will not make them their own and they will not apply them in their lives. They want to follow a Church that gives them the real thing.
If we keep trying to please them and give them ‘soft’ teachings; we cheat them and they feel it.
They deserve better, they deserve the TRUTH!
The role of the instructor couples is vital; engaged couples need this dialog with their instructors. They will relate to them. It is a spiritual journey.
Our Instructors are living witnesses of the Faith, they teach what they live, as Blessed Paul VI said in 1975:
"Modern man listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers, and if he does listen to teachers, it is because they are witnesses." Pope Paul VI, 1975 apostolic exhortation "Evangelii Nuntiandi" (On Evangelization in the Modern World).
Pope Benedict said :
“Today's world needs persons who proclaim and witness that Christ teaches us the art of living, the way to true happiness, because He himself is the Way of Life; people who look steadily, first of all, at Jesus, the Son of God: The word of the proclamation must be immersed in an intense relationship with Him, in an intense life of prayer.Today's world needs persons who speak to God to be able to speak of God.” Address Benedict XVI gave mid-November to participants in an event hosted by the Pontifical Council for Promoting New Evangelization, Nov. 2011.
It is not enough to give engaged couples resources - goodness knows that there are tons of resources available to them on the internet and beyond!
NO, we must teach the truth and make sure that they hear it.
This is why the way we teach is so important.
We are here to help them grasp this TRUTH, make it their own.
We are here to answer their questions, support them, pray for them by name, correct misunderstandings about Marriage, be there for them during their engagement and beyond.
If it was enough to give them the teachings, we could just give them a book or a DVD and voilà!
As we all know, religious marriages are the only ones that last:
Nominal Catholics have 5% less chances to divorce than average population.
Sunday Mass Practicing Catholics: 31% less chances to divorce.
Seriously Practicing Catholics, couples praying together and using NFP have a 95% less chances to divorce.
4) One Stop Shop:
In addition to the marriage prep course, engaged couples can also register for:
