Marriage Preparation
The Catholic Church shares the delight of couples who announce their intention to marry and we warmly congratulate them.
We also share the couples' conviction that marriage in the 21st century is not a commitment to be undertaken lightly.
We therefore aim to give every couple marrying in the church some knowledge and skills that will help make their marriage the best possible. We work as a team with the priest to offer insights into the dynamics of intimate relationships, and to provide an understanding of the sacramental nature of Christian marriage.
We urge the couples to take a realistic look at the challenges of commitment and we offer some strategies for success. We aim to establish the concept of lifelong relationship education, recognising that the transition from single life or a cohabiting relationship is only the first of many exciting changes which will occur over the lifespan of a marriage.
In the greater Wellington area marriage preparation is done in two phases: "FOCCUS" followed by either 'Love is a Decision' or 'Catholic Engaged Encounter'.
Mrs Louise Kelleher (Marriage Education) ph: 04-496 1796 E-mail: l.kelleher@wn.catholic.org.nz
FOCCUS
A personalised premarriage questionnaire and programme enabling couples to assess their strengths and compatibility as partners. A trained facilitator or facilitating couple will provide an opportunity to explore the relationship, affirm the decision to marry and identify some relationship issues that may not previously have been discussed. Couples are then encouraged to explore these issues more fully in their chosen marriage preparation course.Love is a Decision
A group programme run over two consecutive Sundays five times a year. It is primarily relationship education, highlighting the skills necessary for communicating effectively, and introducing strategies for deepening intimacy. Topics such as conflict management and sexuality are examined by the couples, and they are encouraged to discuss their ideas and their feelings in these areas in light of the messages they have picked up from their families and society. All discussion is done on a couple only basis. Couples are challenged to explore their understanding of sacramental marriage and to give some thought to how they will incorporate their individual spirituality and their value systems into this new WE they are creating.Hutt Valley Marriage Preparation Network
This network runs three courses annually over five consecutive Monday nights and covers such topics as Marriage as Sacrament, communication, finances and banking, legal issues and natural family planning. Couples also complete FOCCUS as a part of this course.
For further information please contact Gerry Stevens & Stephanie Harris-Stevens 04-568 2895
Engaged Encounter Weekend
'The best Wedding Gift'
With the highest casualty rate among marriages today, both in the secular and Catholic circles we must ask why? What are we doing wrong? Is there a common cause?
With any major project, preparation and planning are essential. Everything else requires resourcing, upskilling, using the right tools, why not marriage?
Catholic Engaged Encounter provides a weekend experience of seeing marriage 'from the inside'. Two married couples and a priest share their successes and failures, their happy times and difficult times.
This is very much a 'couple weekend' where the engaged couples spend time without distraction focusing on the future realities of their life together.
The emphasis is on communication - money, careers, children, lifestyles, God, in-laws, sexuality, hurting, healing, listening, hobbies, sport, all have an impact on our lives. Communication helps us tackle these factors constructively for the wellbeing of our future as a couple.
The dynamic of couples spending a weekend sharing meals etc with other couples with a common focus is its strength. From Friday night till Sunday afternoon, the focus is on the couple and their future married life.
And it works!
Comments from couples:
'This weekend really gave us time to talk about what matters'; 'We had thought we knew it all, but we learnt so much about each other this weekend'.
For more information on Engaged Encounter Weekends contact Mike Clark and Christine Ash on (04) 239 9866, email mikeclark@paradise.net.nz or visit our website www.ceewellington.org.nz to book online.