September 28th, Stephen and Anna, Eparchy of St Maron, Brooklyn: This course has given me "new eyes" to view and shape that faith.
His: "I was intrigued by the depth of this program! I went to Catholic school all my life, and thought that I knew everything about marriage; how wrong I was! The feedback and support that we received from our counselors was nothing short of amazing! It went beyond my expectations. It gave me valued insight into the way Jesus wants me to view my marriage, and to conduct my life moving forward. I believe that my faith is stronger than most; however, this course has given me "new eyes" to view and shape that faith."
Her: "This prep gave me new insights rooted in Scripture and the Humanae Vitae. This prep has encouraged me to be more cognizant of the way Jesus wants me to live. I appreciated doing the assignments with Stephen because it was extra time together. This course revived my faith because I remember how much I enjoyed Bible study at a young age."
Both: "It gave us time to debate the issues and question put forth through the exercises and material, as presented. We believe that it has given us a chance to receive and understand what God wants from our marriage. You have been excellent!! Thank you very much for guiding us along the way."
September 29th: John and Maria, USS Ronald Reagan: When you discover the truths on your own, it imprints it in your mind much better.
His:"What I appreciated most was learning about the history of marriage, and why the Catholic church has such strict views on what constitutes a legal marriage. Reading the Bible, and then analyzing it on our own, really helped me to come to my own conclusions (which coincided with how the Church thinks). This was better that just being told the answer, and having to press an 'I Believe' button. When you discover the truths on your own, it imprints it in your mind much better. I also appreciated the opportunity to study the scripture with Maria, and for a meaningful purpose. Talking about these things with her, really helped start some good discussions between the two of us. Being reminded that our marriage is rooted in the church, helped me realize that in order to keep a marriage strong, you should include the church. I was reminded that we are not alone in our journey through life, and so we should seek help whenever possible. Just knowing that God has a plan for us (as evidenced by Him bringing the two of us together), reminded me to keep Him in our life, since good things will come of it.
I didn't really know what to expect. I originally thought it would be more like the 'Christian Dating Game' where we discussed how Christ would be in our lives. Learning about the history of marriage was very interesting, and gave me a new perspective on marriage. I do feel like I am better prepared for marriage. Also, being a non-Catholic, I learned a lot about how to have a proper Catholic marriage."
Her: "What I appreciated most was the ability to be able to do this course online, since John will have been on deployment for almost our entire engagement by the time we are married. It did bring up some questions that we may not have addressed right away, and gave us something to do together from a distance. I learned some things about John in the way he answered these questions that I would not have noticed otherwise. Although we had already committed to living our marriage as a Catholic sacrament, it was nice to go into some of the details here that I might take for granted but are new for John. I realize that there are a lot of things that I believe and practice as a Catholic that I don't necessarily understand to the extent that I should as an adult, or at least well enough to explain, and I think this is a good springboard for searching for those answers so that I can share my beliefs with John.”
September 30th, Eric and Stephanie, NY: Didn't "mince words" around the teachings of the church, but instead provided a rich background for understanding why those teachings are what they are
His: "I liked the course a lot. I felt that it was very insightful and didn't "mince words" around the teachings of the church, but instead provided a rich background for understanding why those teachings are what they are. I wish there was more of that from the pulpit. It actually exceeded my expectations. The instructors' responses in the answer keys were very thorough and were great to read."
Her: "I really enjoyed how it sparked new conversations between Eric and I. I thought it touched on important topics and helped me to learn new things. I appreciated having great instructors. They were very knowledgeable in their faith and had the life experiences to help reinforce the lessons being taught. They told us personal stories in their relationship which was also very helpful."
Both: "The modules brought up some topics that we had not discussed before, and it allowed us to discuss them in a thoughtful and prayerful way, and in a scenario that was naturally without conflict (since we weren't in the midst of encountering the scenarios we were discussing).
Thank you so much for allowing us to participate in our pre Cana class through this method and with such an enriching program."
October 1st, Ken and Nyomi, CA: Appreciated the one-on-one interaction and personalized feedback from our instructors
His: "I found the more controversial issues like pre-marital relations and natural family planning very interesting as it made me think about them in a different and more focused light. I appreciated that part of the prep as it was an area I had not previously thought much about."
Her: "It was very thorough and all of the information included was very relevant. I liked that the information was presented in a variety of formats, i.e. video, text, audio. I also appreciated the one-on-one interaction and personalized feedback from our instructors, Debbie & Joe."
Both: "It prompted us to talk about difficult issues and voice our opinions on various topics that we would not have discussed otherwise. The structure of the course provided a "safe space" for us to express our feelings and acknowledge each other's views and concerns. Over the length of the course, we really opened up to each other about our past, and talked about our hopes for the future. The portion on listening and communication was especially helpful because it gave us methods we can use in the future to maintain healthy communication."
October 2nd, Kevin and Elizabeth, TX: A great job of emphasizing the special bonding that takes place during the sexual act.
His:"Great class. I love how it covered an amazing span of topics (Genesis to NFP to finances). I like how some topics asked for a 'his' and 'her' response."
Her: "Yes, talking about Christ with Kevin helped me understand the importance and the connection of marriage with the Catholic Church. It re affirms my relationship with Christ and our plans as a future married couple."
Both: "This class did a great job of emphasizing the special bonding that takes place during the sexual act. This bonding and joy of bringing children into the world is something we very much look forward too, and we don't want to ruin it! Aside from simply respecting God's laws, we also recognize the health concerns for my wife and the negative societal (and government) impacts that can come from promoting contraception over NFP."