Now that you’ve made the big decision and you’re beginning the marriage prep process, you may have heard about “Pre-Cana” from your priest or others in your parish.
What is Pre-Cana?
Simply put, Pre-Cana is a marriage preparation course, class, or consultation for couples who will be married in a Catholic Church.
Let’s take a look at the first miracle Jesus performed; it actually happened at a wedding. Cana was the town where the wedding was celebrated, and Jesus, his mother, and his friends were guests.
This is where the word Cana comes from; the town where Jesus performed his first miracle. For this reason, the preparation offered by the Church to engaged couples is called Pre-Cana. In other words, “before the wedding.”
Pre-Cana programs are organized and/or approved by either a diocesan office or a parish, and they can be presented online or in-person in various formats.
Pre-Cana is one required part of the whole marriage prep experience, and couples must receive a Certificate of Completion from an approved Pre-Cana course before celebrating the Sacrament of Marriage.
What Happens During Pre-Cana?
In a “Pre-Cana” experience, you will prepare for the Sacrament of Marriage.
You and your future spouse will have the opportunity to discuss many important topics, including Family of Origin, Spirituality of Marriage, Money Matters, Conflict Resolution, Intimacy and Sexuality, Theology of Marriage, and more.
It’s important that you reflect with openness and honesty about these topics and share your reflections with your fiancé(e).
How Do I Earn a Certificate of Completion for Pre-Cana?
There are several options for receiving a Certificate of Completion for Pre-Cana:
- Take an approved online course
- Attend a series of weekly meetings with a sponsor/mentor couple, oftentimes at their home
- Attend a weekend retreat with other engaged couples
- Complete a series of meetings with your priest or deacon
All the organized and systematic experiences that help you and your fiancé(e) prepare for marriage are collectively called Pre-Cana. The Church offers them as a tool to help you and your fiancé(e) better prepare for marriage.
What is Online Pre-Cana?
The Marriage Group is excited to provide an online Pre-Cana experience that is flexible, on-demand, current, and fun to use! Our online courses offer the same content covered in the other Pre-Cana experiences, but it is accessible on-demand from the comfort of your own home.
Couples like our online course because they can complete it at their own pace from anywhere. It allows them privacy to discuss topics like Family of Origin and Intimacy and Sexuality, and our presenters are real people who share passionately about topics they have experience with.
Couples who take online Pre-Cana still meet with their priest or others at their parish to finalize details of their wedding ceremony and fulfill other requirements for marriage prep. Those details vary from parish to parish, but they are all in place to help you have a wonderful wedding day and a great start to a lifetime of marriage.
Talking to Your Priest About Online Pre-Cana
Many Catholic couples aren’t aware they can complete Pre-Cana online.
Their parish may have an approach to marriage prep that works great for couples who can commit to an all day seminar or a weekend retreat.
However, couples who are separated by distance, have challenging work schedules, or prefer to cover course material from the privacy of their own homes, can have a valuable Pre-Cana experience with a quality online course.
The Marriage Group’s Pre-Cana course is accepted at dioceses and parishes worldwide and promoted by the United State’s Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Bishop’s Conference of England and Wales. Our team will gladly share this good news with your priest or ministry leader, and they are welcome to contact us for a course demo anytime.
Blessings for a Lifetime of Marriage
If you’ve already completed our courses, we hope you’ll share your experience with others. If you’re planning to use our courses, it’s our hope that you will enter into this time of preparation and formation with your fiancé(e) with an open heart and mind.
Be assured of our prayers and support for your future marriage!