Pastoral Ministries
FAMILY LIFE MARRIAGE PREPARATION and PROGRAMS
Marriage is one of God’s greatest gifts. It is considered a “great mystery.” St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, chapter 5, verses 23-33. God sees how a husband and wife give their lives for each other just as Christ gave his life for us.MARRIAGE PREPARATION
The Sacrament of Marriage is sacred, permanent and requires careful preparation.
The Family Life Office offers the following programs to prepare for a lifetime of love together.
OUR GOAL:Efforts include communication inspiration, rather than convey information. To provide tools, which will enable future brides and grooms to better assess their own relationships? To offer various ways for the woman and man to facilitate their communication, enhance their understanding, deepen their love, strengthen their commitment and nurture their faith.
Areas of Support and Training
- Engaged Encounter
- Marriage Encounter
- Marriage Preparation Booklets
- Natural Family Planning
- Remarriage Preparation
Engaged Encounter is a weekend designed to give couples planning marriage an opportunity for an intensive and honest look at their commitment to one another. Married couples and a priest give presentations for the weekend. It is a very highly recommended weekend. If interested in any areas listed below, please call 1-800-710-WWME.
ENGAGED ENCOUNTER
A weekend designed to give couples planning marriage the experience to concentrate exclusively on each other, tension free, and be away from the pressures and interruptions of normal, everyday life. This weekend is designed to deepen and enrich the relationship of a couple as they approach marriage. It is very highly recommended. (The cost per couple includes materials, rooms and meals.)
There are a number of Catholic Engaged Encounter District I Programs you can find on the Internet by connecting to Web Pages:
www.rc.net/manchester/engagedencounter
www.catholic-church.org/ceebptct/
http://vermontcatholic.org/EngagedEncounter/
Please note that Hispanic Marriage Preparation is listed also in the booklet.
*Click here to view the 2009-2010
Marriage Preparation Booklet*
We are grateful to Blessed Sacrament, Holy Trinity Parishes, Westfield, St. Catherine of Siena Parish, Springfield, St. Agnes Parish, Dalton and University of Massachusetts “Newman Center”, Amherst for adding more programs for couples to attend.
Natural Family Planning is an integral part of Marriage Preparation. Manycouples are unaware of certain methods used to achieve and avoid pregnancies. NFP is a holistic approach to family planning. Its successful use to avoid pregnancy relies on a couple following what they know about the method and one another. Successful use of NFP requires a couple to communicate with each other.
The following persons are available for training and answering questions you might have in this regard.
1. Kathy Rivet (603) 595-3947
2. Edward & Suzanne Cottrill (413) 772-6062
3. Barbara Meier, RN, FCPI (609) 457-0108
If you are planning your family or wish to avoid pregnancy and are looking for more information on NFP you may log on to www.ccli.org/nfp, www.ccli.org/learn, www.nwfs.org, www.fertilitycare.org (FertilityCare professionals and teachers), www.naprotechnology.com, www.popepaulvi.com (Training and fellowship program), www.omsoul.com (Teachers and doctors with various NFP methods), www.inhisimagefamilymedicine.com (Dr. Carpentier's website)
In-Home & Parish Presentation for Remarriage
Topics Discussed:
- Shadows from the Past
- The Everyday Me
- Friendship
- New Families of friends
- New Love/ New Life
Northern Berkshires
Contact Person: David & Bridget Hennessey
Tel. 1-413-458-0968Springfield / Chicopee
Contact Person: Tom & Rose Sullivan
Tel. 1-413-534-9609
A way to grow in married love and holiness
Marriage Preparation | Marriage & Family
Parenting | Separated & Divorced | Bereavement
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