The Marriage Catechumenate

What is It? How We Fit In Free Parish Pack

Forming couples for a lifelong marriage surrounded by the community of Christ.

What is The Marriage Catechumenate?

Inspired by the pre-baptismal catechumenate process, a catechumenal model of marriage formation emphasizes extended relationship-building to lead couples to Christ as they prepare for marriage.

In Catechumenal Pathways for Married Life, the Dicastery of Laity, Family and Life lays out a pastoral framework for establishing a robust and personal approach to marriage preparation.

Catholic leaders around the world are using a variety of resources to answer the call to better equip couples for the Sacrament of Marriage and ensure that their Catholic marriages are valid.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

The most important elements of the catechumenal model are extended periods of formation (before engagement, after engagement, and post-wedding day), re-introducing or introducing the couple to the Gospel message, and extending the period of support long after the wedding day. All of this is done in the context of community, or accompaniment, encouraging the integration of the couple into the parish family as active members. Without fail, a truly catechumenal model of marriage formation includes formation, reflection, discussion, dialogue, liturgy, community, prayer, and celebration¹.

Key Stages of The Marriage Catechumenate

First Stage:
Proximate Preparation

The purpose of the proximate stage is to share the Gospel message, draw engaged couples into a relationship with Christ through the Church community, and share practical insight on the realities of the Sacrament of Marriage. This is accomplished using a variety of resources and methods. Priests, family ministry leaders, and married couples share in providing instruction, assessments, and relationship-building activities to encourage the engaged couple’s spiritual growth and discernment.

This is where we fit!

Second Stage:
Final Preparation

This stage is brief, and it focuses on the final preparations before the wedding day. This is a time, usually 2-3 months before the wedding, where couples more solidly accept that they, not their priests, are the ministers in the Sacrament of Marriage. There are opportunities to reflect on what they learned during the proximate stage while preparing for the liturgical aspects of their wedding celebration. This stage can include retreats, prayer vigils, the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and other practices that indicate the couple is ready for matrimony.

Third Stage:
First Years

The final stage of the marriage catechumenate commences on the wedding day and continues into married life. It focuses on continued growth and guidance in the context of community. While emphasis is on the first 1-3 years of marriage, ideally couples would form lasting relationships that continue throughout life. This period is especially marked by an exploration of the mystogogical aspects of married life where a couple develops a pattern of exploring and developing their understanding of the Sacrament of Marriage.

This is how we fit in!

Proximate Preparation

Marriage Formation Courses

The Marriage Group® provides a comprehensive Pre-Cana course that covers all must-have conversations prescribed by the USCCB for marriage preparation. Beginning with Theology & Spirituality of Marriage, the course teaches the foundational concepts of sacramental marriage while also sharing practical insight on topics such as communication, finances, intimacy, and natural family planning. This flexible course can be used by couples independently or with clergy or mentor couples using our thoughtfully prepared Leader’s Guides and Couple Discussion Guides.

Core Formation Experience

By relying on The Marriage Group for a Pre-Cana course, ministry leaders can tailor the rest of the formation experience based on their resources. They can schedule in-person meetings, mentor couple sessions, retreats, special ceremonies and any other elements of the catechumenal model into their plan. This flexible option allows ministry leaders to fulfill the call for a more comprehensive formation experience while focusing their time and energy on accompaniment and integrating couples into parish life.

Download Our Document: Quick Start Guide & Core Formation Experience

Quick Start Guide & Core Formation Experience

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Get resources to discover how our Pre-Cana course compliments your plan for a catechumenal model of marriage formation!

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Citations and Sources

¹ ” — each of the following elements should be included (without any exceptions): formation, reflection, discussion, dialogue, liturgy, community, prayer, and celebration.”

Catechumenal Pathways for Married Life • Pastoral guidelines for local Churches — Dicastery of Laity, Family and Life