Alumni Chapel Wedding Home Page
Why must we attend these sessions? Are they mandatory?
In view of the many stresses which affect marriage in today's society, the Catholic Church wants to help engaged couples to think and comminucate more fully about areas of married life which may or may not have been discussed before. As you may be aware, Matrimony is a sacrament and in the Catholic Church, all sacraments (with the acception of Annointing of the Sick) require some form of preparation on the part of the adult, parent or child. Attendance in a marriage preparation process/program prior to the reception of the Sacrament of Matrimony is the policy of the Archdiocese of Baltimore.
What will take place at these sesions?
Pre-Cana is 9-12 hours in length; group size is strictly limited according to group-dynamic needs and/or site restrictions. Married volunteer leader couples, trained by the Archdiocese, facilitate the sessions, drawing from and sharing with you experiences from their own marriage in the areas of communication, decision-making/finances, human sexuality and marital spirituality. You'll be asked to listen to presentations on these topics, to do written exercises from a workbook, to participate in small-group discussions and to engage in personal sharing with your future spouse.
When should we register?
The Archdiocesan policy "Marriage in the Lord" requests that you both, as an engaged couple, contact the priest or deacon to witness your wedding at least six months before your proposed wedding day. The priest or deacon will act as principal advisor in your formal marriage preparation process. Since each Pre-Cana series fills quickly, please register for the marriage preparation program immediately after that first interview with your clergy advisor.
Programs Available: