Building Christ-centered marriages,
one couple at a time ™
November 6th Jared and Ashley – Baltimore, MD“The sections that stimulated unique in depth discussions that we would not have otherwise had definitely met my expectations.”
Him: Very informative in terms of the belief systems of the Catholic church. It did provide some great talking points and led to some great discussion on certain topics. It exceeded my expectations in many ways.
Her: This preparation covered many different aspects of marriage and the catholic church. The sections where we discussed in depth relationship expectations were very helpful in guiding and inspiring discussions between myself and Jared.
Both: Discussed topics we normally would never have had discussions on. More open to talking out difficult questions. We loved hearing about [our instructors] their journey as a couple as well as in the catholic church. We are excited to move forward in our journey and continue preparing for an amazing marriage together.
November 7th Alex and Dannielle – Fort Collins, CO “The class revived my faith by reminding me of what is important and the teachings of the Church.”
Him: I felt the course was a good balance in review on some past topics as well as allowed for opportunity to learn new materials as well as growth areas discussed during the feedback sessions. The course also allowed for us to work on a timetable the fit our complicated schedule so we could complete the course together as a couple.
Her: I thought the prep covered a wide range of topics that sparked good discussions and helped us grow closer before our marriage. It helped to continually remind us of the true reason and purpose for our marriage and facilitated good discussions about our future and our lives together.
Both: The content of the lectures and scriptural readings allowed us to have ongoing conversations about the different topics outside of the virtual "classroom" environment. These ideas and directions sparked an ongoing dialogue that we both could share.
November 8th Kevin and Caitlyn – Memphis, TN “I feel like God was with us while we worked together on these worksheets.”
Him: The course reminds us of what's important in marriage and WHY we get married. God is and should be the center of all that we do. I cannot wait to be the man God wanted me to be for my wife and future kids and I cannot wait to have a faithful, holy marriage to please God.
Her: I loved this prep. I learned so much more about WHY the church teachings what it does and how all the different parts play one role together in the end. I loved how it broke everything down into simple easy to follow steps and explained everything so well. This prep definitely made me even more excited to start my marriage journey and invite Christ into our lives along the way.
Both: We sat down with each other during each worksheet and really talked about what the scripture passages meant and were able to ignite certain conversations we had never gone into depth over. We both saw sides of each other and new love for God we have never seen before. This is definitely the beginning of a wonderful journey of life together! We are so excited!!
November 9th Andrew and Courtney – Detroit, MI “It made us think deeper about things we normally would not thing about.”
Him: It was informative and we learned a lot and it made us communicate well together face to face. We talked about things we likely would not have if we did not take the course. The conversations that we had we very intimate and that was nice to communicate in that way because we normally do not.
Her: It was great! Very detailed feedback was provided and the information was very thought provoking and has prepared us for our marriage and what we have to look forward to as well as what we will work at. It is always good to have an outside view of what we can expect in our future and how we can try to solve the issues that may come up and how to remain faithful and live our lives through God.
Both: It improved our communication because we were open and honest with each other even if they were difficult conversations. We got our thoughts out so we can understand each other and what our expectations will be in married life.
November 10th Steve and Amberly – San Juan Bautista, NM “I appreciated that it brought us closer together.”
Him: I really enjoyed the prep because it helped us to gain a deeper understanding with one another and our marriage. it made me think a lot more about or faith and did renew our desire to get closer to god we have be also getting the holy family delivered to us once a mouth and pray to as a family we also talk about the bible and the word of the Lord.
Her: I enjoyed the prep because, well I am new to the Catholic faith and it was meant a lot and was really helpful for me to gain a deeper insight.It made my faith that much stronger I recently did my confirmation and felt close with God and Steven supported me every step and attend every class as a refresher for himself and also to feel closer to God. I think it made our relationship stronger with having taken those class and these lessons we have be attending church and talk about the gospel.
Both: It did improve our communication because we were able to share ideas and perspectives.
October 16th James and Phoebe – San Francisco, CA“This course was useful in learning about marriage, communication, and the Catholic church.”
Him: My overall impression of this class is amazing and insightful. This class has brought much insight of the Sacrament of Matrimony and Forgiveness to me. I learn so much in the progression of the course and I will use and hold this knowledge for the rest of my life. This class gives a great assistance and prepared us to live as a married couple into one body and feel closer to her as we found different view of our live, love, truth and faith.
Her: I so enjoyed this program and the class was a great way to focus our minds to prepare for the marriage life. We learned so much since I am appreciated the feedback which our instructors given to us. It also helped us to focus our minds and clarify our plans.
Both: This course absolutely improved our communication. We were able to talk and work through some topics (Natural Family Planning). We openly discussed our answers we originally provided with Jill and Bret in our initial interview to begin our marriage folder. We honestly discuss and communicate well with one another and this course indicated certain topics that we can discuss more in future.
October 17th Ryan and Michelle – St. Louis, MO “It reminded me of how important yet overlooked the spiritual side of a relationship is.”
Him: It was very informative with substantial material. I wish we lived in the same state to have the freedom to really dive into this but I think this just gives us a taste of what we can look forward to in our life together as parishioners. We are excited for couples retreats and looking at getting involved with Marriage Encounter to add a much-needed spiritual aspect to couples counseling.
Her: I have enjoyed delving into deep conversations with Ryan and talking through both of our perspectives and how we were brought up within the Catholic Church. It has been nice to see that Ryan and I are on the same page about most topics, but we still have unique perspectives that will help and add to our marriage.
Both: It allowed us to delve deeper into very delicate topics. We have talked about our desire to have children, but we had not discussed NFP yet, but we are both onboard and excited to practice NFP and to bring greater intimacy within our marriage. We also had not discussed how we would discipline our children, and this is something that we need to continue to talk about.
October 18th Julian and Colleen – Portland, ME “It definitely reminded me of the role that the Church once played in my life, and still plays in the world around me.”
Him: It was a good way to take a better look at the "nuts and bolts" of our relationship, and helped affirm that our love is built on a solid foundation of trust, respect, and selflessness.
Her: The feedback appreciated our point of view, and was more guiding than correcting or commanding.
Both: It provided topics for in-depth discussion which haven't necessarily arisen naturally. We have discussed future plans, children, etc., but not necessarily our own relationships with God and Christ.
October 20th John and Abigail – Detroit, MI “It gave us a conversation starter and a nice perspective to see what we agreed or felt differently on.”
Him: I really enjoyed this. I learned a lot about marriage and relationship in general. I also got to look a little deeper in what marriage means in the church. And it was nice to get back responses to our responses and answers.
Her: I thought it was very helpful. I learned a lot of information that I didn't know and you both were very helpful. It also made John and I slow down and talk about things and focus on each other instead of just everything we have to do for the wedding.
Both: It gave us a better way to communicate and more urgent need of its importance to keep our relationship strong.
October 20th Matthew and Eden – Altoona-Johnstown, PA “It brings me closer to God knowing that there is much that I can improve on.”
Him: It gave me a lot of insight into why the Church has a lot of its opinions and where these opinions can be traced back to the bible
Her: It was very informative, eye-opening, and brought us closer together as well as closer to God. It gave me a greater idea of married life and definitely made me feel more prepared. It went beyond my expectations and I have already begun recommending the online prep because I believe it allows you to be more open and honest while still having an open connection with your sponsors.
Both: It allowed us to look at both sides, compromise, expectations and listening.
October 23th Tyler and Aryn – Houma-Thibodaux, LA“The class brought us closer together in the evenings and gave us time away from the rest of the world to discuss our future.”
Him: I found this class was very nice. It went in depth on each topic and through that I learned a lot about a successful marriage. I appreciated how we had to sit down and work on these assignments together. It brought us closer together as a couple.
Her: This class was very informative and taught me more about God and what it takes to have a successful Marriage and Family. It made me want to find a church in Texas that Tyler and I can become a part of, so when we do start a family we will knowledge them of God.
Both: It made us discuss our beliefs and goals for the future.
October 24th Jack and Mallory – Lafayette, LA “It was a gentle reminder and push to take more control and be more involved in my relationship with Christ.”
Him: I feel the class overall has helped me have a better understanding of what it means to be married. I also feel that it has given me more tools to help with making a marriage work and also showcased the importance and significance of having God as part of your married life.
Her: Overall, I feel that this class was very educational and beneficial to our impending marriage. It was personal and detailed and helped to provide in-depth exploration of all facets of a marriage. I feel confident that together we are prepared for the covenant we are entering into with one another and with God.
Both: Overall, I feel that this class was very educational and beneficial to our impending marriage. It was personal and detailed and helped to provide in-depth exploration of all facets of a marriage. I feel confident that together we are prepared for the covenant we are entering into with one another and with God.
October 25th Jordan and Nicolette – New York, NY “It helped reinforce my faith by learning how to incorporate my faith into my relationship more.”
Him: This was an incredibly convenient course that we found to bring up some great exercises and talk out our expectations. The feedback seemed really personalized. It was evident that our answers were read and that was nice considering we took so much time to create those answers.
Her: The course was awesome and I would recommend this to any of my friends getting married in the church. The online aspect of this course was really great because of the difference of schedules that Jordan and I have. It helped by giving me a new perspective. I never really looked at our relationship, let alone almost marriage with Christ involved, but now I do and am going to work on allowing that.
Both: Things like work, finances, and plans for children were all on the table to talk about.
October 26th Douglas and Caitlin – Lansing, MI “This course reminded me about my faith and what it means in a big picture format.”
Him: This class made me critically think about very important topics that I otherwise would have not imagined might be important. I had many assumptions about roles and problem solving that were important to start talking about now, rather than when it might be too late.
Her: I think this course was ideal for both Doug and I. We felt that we had a very strong sense for the importance of communication, but this course taught us that communication is more than important. It is the difference between a happy, successful marriage and a weak, destructive marriage. Beyond that we had a great time discussing the answer responses from both sets of our mentors, across this course.
Both: As we discussed throughout the assignments and in this review, this course definitely showed us more complete ways to communicate. Importantly, this course was instrumental in showing us how important constant and honest communication is.
October 27th Murillo and Thaynara – Atlanta, GA “I felt very blessed about everything.”
Him: I had no idea how the course would be, at first, I thought of being advice only on the life we would follow, but this course makes us rethink everything we have already done and really prepares us for the future as much as a human being as in family life.The course surprised me to prepare for life in every way, we will take these lessons and we will seek new ones every day. We will be eternally grateful for all the attention you have given us.
Her: This course led me to have more desire to learn about God because I could think of His desires and teachings and realized that I still do not know practically anything that I need to know. I have faith He has more great things for my life and I accept it.
Both: This course has helped us to have more dialogue, patience, forgiveness. We seek the word of God together, we believe in improving our married life and communication.
October 16th James and Phoebe – San Francisco, CA“This course was useful in learning about marriage, communication, and the Catholic church.”
Him: My overall impression of this class is amazing and insightful. This class has brought much insight of the Sacrament of Matrimony and Forgiveness to me. I learn so much in the progression of the course and I will use and hold this knowledge for the rest of my life. This class gives a great assistance and prepared us to live as a married couple into one body and feel closer to her as we found different view of our live, love, truth and faith.
Her: I am so enjoyed this program and the class was a great way to focus our minds to prepare for the marriage life. We learned so much since I am appreciated the feedback which our instructors given to us. It also helped us to focus our minds and clarify our plans.
Both: This course absolutely improved our communication. We were able to talk and work through some topics. We openly discussed our answers we originally provided in our initial interview to begin our marriage folder. We honestly discuss and communicate well with one another and this course indicated certain topics that we can discuss more in future.
October 17th Ryan and Michelle – St. Louis, MO “It reminded me of how important yet overlooked the spiritual side of a relationship is.”
Him: It was very informative with substantial material. I wish we lived in the same state to have the freedom to really dive into this but I think this just gives us a taste of what we can look forward to in our life together as parishioners. We are excited for couples retreats and looking at getting involved with Marriage Encounter to add a much-needed spiritual aspect to couples counseling.
Her: I have enjoyed delving into deep conversations with Ryan and talking through both of our perspectives and how we were brought up within the Catholic Church. It has been nice to see that Ryan and I are on the same page about most topics, but we still have unique perspectives that will help and add to our marriage.
Both: It allowed us to delve deeper into very delicate topics. We have talked about our desire to have children, but we had not discussed NFP yet, but we are both onboard and excited to practice NFP and to bring greater intimacy within our marriage. We also had not discussed how we would discipline our children, and this is something that we need to continue to talk about.
October 18th Julian and Colleen – Portland, ME “It definitely reminded me of the role that the Church once played in my life, and still plays in the world around me.”
Him: It was a good way to take a better look at the "nuts and bolts" of our relationship, and helped affirm that our love is built on a solid foundation of trust, respect, and selflessness.
Her: The feedback appreciated our point of view, and was more guiding than correcting or commanding.
Both: It provided topics for in-depth discussion which haven't necessarily arisen naturally. We have discussed future plans, children, etc., but not necessarily our own relationships with God and Christ.
October 20th John and Abigail – Detroit, MI “It gave us a conversation starter and a nice perspective to see what we agreed or felt differently on.”
Him: I really enjoyed this. I learned a lot about marriage and relationship in general. I also got to look a little deeper in what marriage means in the church. And it was nice to get back responses to our responses and answers.
Her: I thought it was very helpful. I learned a lot of information that I didn't know and you both were very helpful. It also made John and I slow down and talk about things and focus on each other instead of just everything we have to do for the wedding.
Both: It gave us a better way to communicate and more urgent need of its importance to keep our relationship strong.
October 20th Matthew and Eden – Altoona-Johnstown, PA “It brings me closer to God knowing that there is much that I can improve on.”
Him: It gave me a lot of insight into why the Church has a lot of its opinions and where these opinions can be traced back to the bible
Her: It was very informative, eye-opening, and brought us closer together as well as closer to God. It gave me a greater idea of married life and definitely made me feel more prepared. It went beyond my expectations and I have already begun recommending the online prep because I believe it allows you to be more open and honest while still having an open connection with your sponsors.
Both: It allowed us to look at both sides, compromise, expectations and listening.
October 9th Travis and Brooke – Lafayette, LA“This made me want to get closer to God and more engaged in my faith.”
Him:I liked the class overall. I like that it was self-paced and gave us time to complete the assignments on our own. I appreciated the time it too to complete and the in depth questions, as well as the feedback from [our instructors].
Her: I thought that, overall, this class covered many of the main points that you want to take into consideration and prepare with your future spouse for before marriage. I appreciated the time it took to give such great, thoughtful feedback by our instructors on the answer keys.
Both: It brought a lot of good points that are so simple and so profound back to light in my life and faith.
October 10thKristian and Emily – Denver, CO “I think that it made me look closer about my faith and gave me some insight on where to start with raising children within the Church teachings.”
Him:It was much different than I thought it was going to be. I thought that it was excellent, and really had a methodology to it. It was much less intimidating than I thought it was going to be.
Her: This was my first experience with actual Catholic theology. I'm Episcopalian, and while the teachings are very similar, this class really helped clarify questions that I had about the Catholic Church and thought that it was really insightful. I'm inspired to maybe go further with Catholicism.
Both: Because one of us is Catholic and one Episcopalian, it gave us an opportunity to teach each other and bond over a problem solving experience. Each of us has unique strengths when it comes to things like this and it allowed us to explore and use those traits together. There were times where we disagreed with each other on some teachings and some topics and it allowed us to discuss them rationally and helped interpret some questions we both had to find a common ground. All in all, it was a fun and very beneficial experience.
October 11th Robert and Kathleen – Washington, MD “It brought into perspective how God will be a third pillar in our marriage.”
Him:This prep was very thorough and brought up many different topics of marriage as well as what it means to be a Catholic on a personal level. I appreciated how it integrated passages and teaching from the church to provide a modern perspective of what marriage is supposed to be.
Her:This class brought a deep understanding of Catholic teachings and what a Catholic marriage is meant to be and how to set up a foundation for a successful marriage. I appreciated the communication skills discussion. It helped me learn how to actually be an active listener to be able to acknowledge other's feelings and how to express my own feelings effectively.
Both: Reading and practicing active listening was very helpful. We liked reading the column about what is good to do in order to hear the other and how to respond. It was even better to be able to read an example and how to put that active listening into action in a real life situation.
October 12th Issac and Yodit – Oakland, CA “It made me see how pure and happy you can be when your base for everything is God”
Him:The Prep was really impressive and so insightful. I learned a lot and will keep it in heart throughout the rest of my life.
Her:It was very deep and meaningful, explaining why we should do things as the church expects us to do or live by. A lot of questions answered and I grew a lot from it.
Both:We had more time to discuss and share our ideas and understandings and we learned to even learn to hear and appreciate our personal perspectives along with the answer key and teachings of the church.
October 13th Jonathan and Rose – San Jose, CA “It was an eye opener and not anything I expected it would be”
Him: It revived my faith because at some point through my career with the military it started to fade, but with this class, it helped me open my eyes to Him again. I appreciated the forgiveness cards the most because I now know the meaning of unforgivable and forgivable sins.
Her:It was actually more than I thought it would be. The feedbacks were great, gave us a better understanding of each and every question presented to us. It revived my faith by making it stronger and giving me a better understanding of things that go on in a marriage.
Both:We were more open to one another, able to share feelings we've never shared before and understand certain things about the other person that made us stronger and closer as a couple.
October 2nd Ryan and Ashlee – St. Louis, MO“We were able to talk about things we hadn't thought of before. ”
Him:Overall I think that the course was a good tool that allowed up to truly dive deep into the Church's teachings and apply them to our own relationship. I would recommend this course to others.
Her: I think that the course helped spark conversations between the two of us that would have not come up without it. We were able to learn much about ourselves and one another and I think our relationship is better because of the work done in this course.
Both: We were open with each other in a safe and familiar environment. We talked about personal matters and feelings that will benefit us in the future!
October 3rdSteven and ReBecca – Allentown, PA “It exceeded my expectations.”
Him:It was interesting and informative. I learned things that I never saw in the way that they were explained. I didn't think it was going to be as interesting and informative as it actually was.
Her: I really enjoyed the course. I believe it should be required by all marrying couples. It gives you an in site on things that you do not encounter in everyday life and helps you to look at things in the other persons point of view. I really enjoyed learning about contraception and NFP. In school we were not taught the things discussed in this course and I believe if we were explained the true meaning of why sex should be saved for marriage and is so sacred that more people would at least try to save themselves and not be so open to contraception and sex.
Both: It help us to understand that we are not judging each other as we are becoming one with marriage and allows us to better communicate as it is easier to talk and express ourselves if we know we aren't being judged.
October 4th Luis and Laura – Sacramento, CA “”
Him: It definitely made me look at things in a good and different way. [It] Opened my eyes to ideas of marriage and God that I had yet to consider.
Her:My overall impression was that it was wonderfully organized to educate and evoke important discussions between us as a couple. I loved the course, am saving all of our answer keys and plan to go over them in greater detail during our first months of marriage.
Both:It helped us improve by discussing how to listen and communicate intentionally. Reminding us to keep God first in our marriage helps with respect and open communication.
October 5th Chris and Cat – Gaylord, MI “It completely revived my faith.”
Him: Eye opening, heart opening, this was very powerful for me, encouraging me to dig deep and look within at all parts of myself that have defined me up to this point in my life. I absolutely feel better prepared as Cat and I have had very honest conversations about the present, the past, and the future.
Her:I was very moved by this course. It taught us things about each other and about ourselves. It opened my mind and my heart and I think this course is so important for couples to go through when preparing to marry. I think people can over romanticize the wedding and not realize a marriage comes after it and this course teaches you how to prepare for that.
Both:We have had many emotional conversations with each other in this time, looking at hidden elements of ourselves that need to be looked at. And as we honestly face them together, we have grown closer, our love has deepened!
October 6th Yovan and Kassidy – Sioux City, IA “I thought it was well-thought out and extensive.”
Him:I really liked the way that resources were set up in each assignment and even in the answer keys to further understand topics and for counseling help if needed.
Her: Absolutely [meet my expectations], some assignments seemed long, but I really liked getting the answer key and seeing what the intended response was supposed to be and how we can practice our marriage to be better bonded together.
Both: We had to talk to each other about what our intended answers were and come up with an answer together that we both thought was right and made sense. We also learned more about each other because of the way we answered some questions.
September 25th Bill and Phuong – Galveston-Houston, TX“It make me excited about getting married in the church and to say the vows to my spouse now that I know the meaning behind them.”
Him:It was very detailed and covered a lot of topics. I think it was very helpful and it taught me a lot about myself, my partner, and about my faith. It made me understand that I have to put God first before anyone else. I am selfish in many ways. Allowing God to come first will allow me to form a better conscience.
Her: There was so much I didn't know. I think this course is great and I am so glad we took this course. I really did learn a lot about Bill. I feel like this course made our love even greater. I even feel a closer relationship to God after this course.
Both: It opened the door to things we didn't know we should have discussed. We learned a lot more about each other even though we have been together for some time. We had to talk a lot over this course. The tips on lesson 8 were so helpful to. We even started to try to resolve some small problems using those methods discussed in the links.
September 26thKyle and Katie – Allentown, PA “The course allowed me to fuel a fire that was already burning in my heart for our God.”
Him:This experience was a great opportunity for us to strengthen our love with each other and with God, as well as learn so much about each other, our God, and His Church.
Her: The course was extremely beneficial to us. It opened our relationship to a lot of deep and meaningful conversations that allowed us to be open and really think about the topics presented.
Both: It allowed us to have open and honest discussions about topics that many couples probably don't have. We are now able to respond to one another with forgiveness and acknowledgement of feelings. We feel as though we have improved greatly on our communication and are confident that we can have meaningful discussions about any difficulties that might arise throughout our marriage.
September 27th Nicholas and Danielle – Norwich, CT “It helped go deeper into some of the gospel readings which I may have heard before but did not understand the full meaning.”
Him:My overall impression is that it was a quality class that I felt comfortable doing with Danielle. It got us discussing different ideas about God and we use each other to help us understand through the course. Our sponsors were also great giving us thorough explanations since we are not the best at elaborating our answers.
Her:I really enjoyed this class, it was another avenue for Nick and I to talk about our future together and help plan our future. Our sponsors were extremely helpful in explaining things we didn't fully grasp and allowed us to get to know them so they didn't feel like strangers. Nick and I became closer to God and closer to each other through this marriage prep course.
Both: It gave us important topics to focus on. While we have spoken about our future plans for family it was nice to have a designated time, especially during this busy time in our lives right before the wedding, to slow down and really talk to each other about the important things in life.
September 28th Adam and Katie – Altoona-Johnstown, PA “This course enabled me to feel closer to God by increasing my knowledge of several things, including the sacraments and our vows.”
Him:It was a worthwhile course that I was able to use to get to know Katie more as well as both of our expectations for marriage. It allowed us to discuss things we never thought to discuss before
Her: I enjoyed how this course was focused on our Catholic faith and how we can have a marriage that follows God's will, and it discussed other aspects (money, forgiveness, etc) as well. It covered a wide range and made me feel better prepared for marriage. I appreciated that this prep gave us the opportunity to take time to discuss what we want our marriage to be like, and how we can better make that happen. It gave us the opportunity to talk about having kids, how to include God in our daily lives, and how to better forgive each other. We are both so busy, and I'm glad that this course enabled us to have deeper conversations and spend time with one another.
Both:It enabled us to talk about things that we haven't previously discussed and talk about things that we have already discussed in greater depth.
September 29th Huynh and Hongminh – Dallas, TX “My overall impression is great. I learned more about God and each other.”
Him:It gives a great idea of what to expect in our marriage. There is so much more than just love. Love is very important but other aspect of lives is also much more important. Just love itself would not maintain a marriage.
Her:This prep had given me a great impression of what to expect in a marriage and having God by our side through our journey together is very important.
Both:This prep really improves our communication with God and with each other. It help us to have a better understanding about marriage and a bi part of marriage is to know how to communicate.
September 18th Andrew and Katie – Denver, CO“It definitely got me thinking and reflecting on my relationship with God more than I had in years!”
Him:It was quite the experience and made me think about many things. It did seem a bit long at times, but it was well worth the effort. It made us discuss a lot of points and made us stronger as a couple.I appreciated the quizzes that we gave each other and made us talk about hard topics.
Her: It was very different than I thought it was going to me. I really appreciate having to deeply reflect and discuss why we are getting married. This brought us much closer together than I expected.I appreciated the discussion with our [instructor] couple. The feedback was tremendous and wonderfully helpful. There were times I was so stressed out after completing the assignment, but their feedback was so encouraging and proved we were on the right track.
Both: It got us speaking about really tough issues, especially what we wanted out of the marriage. I have watched so many people get married and struggle with the issues we discussed. I feel like we are at an advantage since we were able to communicate so honestly beforehand.
September 19thMatt and Anna – Warroad, MN “I appreciated the in depth look at how both Anna and I look to God and worship.”
Him:It was nice to speak with Anna about our faith and future in an in depth manner. I believe we both got a lot out of it and understand one another better.
Her: I feel like this was very much so geared towards making sure that Matt and I understand the commitment we are making to each other and how the promises we are making to each other are seen by the Catholic Church.
Both: I think that this course helped Matt and I learn more about our individual communication styles and also our learning styles. Overall, I think that we already had excellent communication skills, but we are now also communicating about different things.
September 20th Michael and Sylvia – San Francisco, CA “It was a thorough and effective course.”
Him:Very eye-opening and enjoyable. The topics that we discussed were reminders about what is important. I feel a deeper connection now with my family and faith as a result.We both gained a deeper understanding of each other and the meaning of the marriage sacrament. It was a fun experience as well.
Her:The prep brought us closer together and helped us to focus on our relationship with God in the context of marriage.This course ignited by desire to get closer. The conversations and content provided by each assignment strengthened the bond between us as a couple and also with God. The course helped me to re-discover my faith in new and deeper ways.
Both: It improved our communication by suggesting topics of discussion and facilitating the opportunity to reflect independently and then come together to review our thoughts. This process of personal time for introspection and then discussion together was very effective.
September 21th Robert and Angelia – Military Diocese, AZ “It went beyond my expectations.The feedback and lessons were thorough and I appreciate that!”
Him:I was very pleased with the course. Some things we have heard before but others, such as NFP, I am very much looking forward to learning more about. Angelia already bought a book about it and we are going to learn together. I also was a big fan of how the questions triggered a conversation between Angelia and myself. We'd find ourselves spending almost half an hour on one question. I loved how this course helped me grow in understanding of my faith and helped prepare my heart and mind to help my future wife and myself get to Heaven.
Her: I’m so grateful we were able to take this course. It was the center of our weekly FaceTime date night! With the hours we’d spend on each assignment, we focused on building our relationship/knowledge of each other and God and the Church. The questions and feedback we received sparked conversation between the two of us as it should have, prompting us to talk about some things we’ve never even talked about before.
Both:I believe that as we take this next step in our relationship, we will also take a next step in our level of communication. We can openly communicate about the good and bad things in this world, things that will affect us and our children, and most importantly understand one another like we never have before. Understand each other’s strengths and weaknesses, and how to constantly support one another despite whatever is thrown our way.
September 22th Weston and Melissa – Kansas City, MO “I enjoyed the conversations it created between us and learning new things about each other.”
Him:I thought the class was very in depth and it covered all the topics I was hoping it would. I liked the mix of Bible and documents from the church’s history. I learned knew things about the church that I didn’t know. I also felt that it brought me closer with my significant other. I appreciated learning more in depth about the Bible and church and how it relates to our relationship.
Her:I enjoyed the class. I thought it was good at stimulating my own thoughts and creating conversations with my significant other.I appreciated learning more in depth about how marriage is similar to how Christ loves his people and learning more in depth about God’s plan for marriage and discussing these with my significant other. I enjoyed the conversations it created between us and learning new things about each other.
Both:The course reminded us of the symbolism of being close with your partner symbolizes your relationship with God.
September 11th Darryl and Stephanie – New York, NY“I think the course definitely grew my desire to get closer to God and the church.”
Him:I thought it was a good course overall. It was insightful and led to deep conversation and thought with Stefanie. It allowed us to discuss our past and more importantly to discuss the plans for our future. I think it was a great opportunity to discuss the importance of the commitment we are making with each other as we plan for our life ahead.
Her: It was interesting to look deeper into our faith and how it will impact our future as a married couple. We enjoyed the opportunity of planning our future in the catholic faith. Mostly, we realized that we are making the right choice to begin our life as husband and wife in the catholic faith. We know how much we love and care for each other and want to built our lives and family in this faith.
Both: We were more opened about our faith and the importance of it going forward in our future as a married couple.
September 12thEvan and Sarah – Denver, CO “I appreciate the teamwork and communication that this course required! We spent time together with the Lord!!”
Him:I thought the course was well organized and shared a lot of key information and really gets you thinking. I learned a lot and learned a lot about God and marriage.
Her: I absolutely LOVED it!! I learned so much about the Catholic Church and made me want to learn so much more! I love how it encouraged teamwork and discussion between us!! I also learned so much about God's purpose and blessing for marriage!!! I honestly feel so blessed to have experienced this marriage prep!!
Both: It improved because we had to brainstorm and work through and discuss our thoughts to agree on an answer!! It also proved how communication is so important in a marriage!!!
September 13th Peter and Julia – Harrisburg, PA “It also helped both of us reflect on what is important in our marriage.”
Him: I thought it stimulated a lot of discussion between Julia and I, and it was interesting to really dive deep into a church's views. As I said earlier, not having been raised by people of faith, I thought it was enlightening.
Her: I thought it was a good opportunity for Peter and I to discuss issues that could come up in our marriage. It also made me think about my faith and how I might work towards having a better connection with God. It really helped me to see how important and beautiful the commitment of marriage truly is.
Both: It made us consider ways to communicate that would not be hurtful but would still express our feelings.
September 14th Steven and Jeanette – San Bernardino, CA “It made us collaborate, share our thoughts and reminded us of the importance to always communicate with each other too.”
Him:The overall impression I have of this prep is that it requires us to think about things that we may have not considered within in marriage. It gives real life examples and gives us the opportunity to think of ways to prepare, good and bad situations. Also reminds us what God has intended for us in marriage.
Her: My overall impression of this course/marriage prep is that there God has bigger plans for us than we may have considered. There is a lot of guidance in this prep, a lot of opportunity for reflection, and the opportunity to discuss real life issues and challenges that may stem in our marriage.
Both:Well, all the questions required us to think about things in a different way. We also had to talk about our responses out loud, why we felt that way, and what we foresee doing in our marriage. Our communication about the Lord and our relationship definitely improved and now we are able to vocalize somethings that we had difficulty talking about.
September 15th Steve and Samantha – San Francisco, CA “I appreciated that we were able to accomplish this together as a couple.”
Him: I was very impressed, this prep worked with our busy schedules and it is very user friendly. The videos, links, and readings were all very helpful and informative.
Her: Overall, I really enjoyed the experience. I would recommend this marriage prep online class to others if they are looking for other solutions and may not have the proper time to complete the course in person.I found that I was learning more about GOD and his role with marriage on a deeper level.
Both: It helped us understand that there is a lot to fulfill in a marriage other than loving each other. We understand that we must be on the same page and act as one when it comes to decision making. Its no longer about us individually. We are now one body.
September 4th Nicholas and Macy – Loreauville, LA“It revived my faith by showing me that I am able to become closer to Christ and his love for us as a partnership with Macy”
Him:The overall impression of this preparation class for marriage has been a learning experience and a better understanding for myself and I'm sure as Macy could agree. As we prepare to receive the Sacrament of Matrimony. I appreciated the step by step process of the teachings the most. In part because it allowed me to slowly understand and become prepared for the lessons questions.
Her: Just as Nicholas has said this was an enlightening experience into our faith as we begin our lives together and prepare to receive the Sacrament of Matrimony. I would definitely recommend this way for more military couples whom are separated long distance and are wishing to get married in the eyes of the Catholic Church. I appreciated the last lesson of relationship tools the most. No one can say marriage is perfect and after reviewing that lesson I feel though it gave some good pointers and tips if trouble were to ever arise.
Both: It allowed us to better open up as couple when we are facing problems. That sometimes might make us feel over whelmed.
September 5thMichael and Heather – Canton, OH “It made me desire to start having a better Biblical relationship with Michael.”
Him:I thought the course was detailed and presented well. Some of the worksheets were long, but that’s because there was a lot of important information to present. I was able to learn more about my Catholic faith and understand how the gospel guides us through marriage.
Her: I appreciated learning more about NFP. Before this course, I knew that Catholics didn’t approve of birth control, but I have a much better understanding of WHY now. I appreciated all of the research behind it, and we are planning on following NFP.
Both: It forced us to take time and sit down for sometimes hours on end, communicating and completing the worksheets. Since the topics are sensitive, and since Heather and I are opposites, it forced us to discuss and compromise and decide. We didn’t always have the solution or answer right away but it at least got us started down the path. We usually felt pretty accomplished after completing our worksheets and felt closer as a couple!
September 6th Nicholas and Amanda – New Orleans, LA “I have a deeper understanding that God has truly brought me and my future spouse together and that we have a lot to thank him for.”
Him:I believe we gained more from this online class then an actual class because our discussions were with one another and one another alone, we had no outside noise on influence to change what we thought an answer should be and it allowed us to really talk about our answers.
Her:I appreciated the feedback we got from our sponsor couple, while we worked together to talk out everything we learned and reiterate everything we knew in this course their feedback was extremely helpful in helping us get a better understanding for questions we didn't fully understand.
Both: A few assignments really made us discuss what certain answers could be. Even with both of us going to catholic school from K-12 we both had times were we really had to talk about what an answer could be or what a good answer could be.
September 7th Victor and Jasmine – Tucson, AZ “I really appreciated the idea of bringing two people together through readings and small activities.”
Him:I really enjoyed this prep and the way the course was done. Being able to read more about God and marriage really helped how to look at our faith with a bigger heart and more open mind.
Her: It met my expectations 100%. With all the help from the instructors, I really felt I got the help and information needed to become prepared for marriage.
Both:It improved my communication by having us do activities that made us work together. Although we were reading the same passages, we do have different ideas and we were able to bring them together. This included a lot of communication, which in the end, it helped us a lot.
September 8th Mark and Lindsey – Pensacola-Tallahassee, FL “I feel much closer to my faith, making feel slightly more enlightened. ”
Him:Very informative and educational, I learned a lot more about myself and my beliefs and how they work within our relationship and ultimately our marriage.
Her:I enjoyed all the new facts I learned and all the concepts it opened up between us. The feedback was also very helpful, I enjoyed learning deeper answers to many of the questions that were asked.
Both:I feel like we already have good communication but it helped us open up new conversations on issues or thoughts we had not had yet.
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