A tentative wedding date may be set at the time of this initial contact with the priest/deacon. When the couple has completed PHASE TWO of the Marriage Preparation Process, the tentative wedding date will be confirmed or changed.

III. RESPONSIBILITIES

      A. Priest/Deacon

The church has the pastoral obligation to assist those desiring to marry to make a prayerful and mature judgment concerning their marriage. In particular, the priest/deacon, who plans to witness a marriage, is personally responsible for the complete marriage preparation process. He has the serious moral and ministerial responsibility to assist the engaged couple in understanding the meaning of Christian marriage in its human, spiritual, canonical and sacramental aspects, and to provide a liturgical experience that truly celebrates and manifests the momentous step that the couple is taking.

     B. Community

The faithful in each parish share in the pastoral responsibility to help engaged couples prepare for their life together. Married couples have a particular responsibility to witness the holiness of their sacramental life of intimacy, unity, self-sacrificing love and commitment. They may therefore be invited to participate actively in the marriage preparation of engaged couples in their parish.

     C. Parents

The church recognizes the unique and vital role of parents in the psychological, social, moral, and spiritual development of their children. Renewal in the church has included attempts to make sacramental preparation more family centered. Parents are therefore encouraged to respond to the invitation of the priest/deacon to participate actively in the assessment and preparation of their children for marriage in the church whenever possible.

IV. THE MARRIAGE PREPARATION PROCESS

1. Establish rapport with you in order to support and counsel you at this most important time in your life.
2. Examine your motives for marriage.
3. Explore any special circumstances that may affect marriage, e.g., age, cultural background, pregnancy, military service, physical or emotional problems, levels of faith and religious issues.
4. Explain the Marriage Preparation Process.
5. Obtain personal information, explain what other documentation is needed, and determine whether any dispensations or permissions will be necessary.

The priest/deacon and/or FOCCUS facilitator will:
1. Administer a PREMARITAL INSTRUMENT to assist in beginning the assessment of your readiness to marry. A premarital instrument is a tool designed to help you assess your readiness for marriage. It is not a pass/fail indicator. Instead it is meant to help you discover more about yourselves and each other in a non-threatening and objective way.  Our diocese utilizes the FOCCUS (Facilitating Open Couple Communication Understanding and Study) instrument to help you identify issues that need to be discussed, reflected on, understood, studied for problem-solving, skill-building and decision-making. Your priest/deacon will give you more information at your initial meeting.
2. Discuss the results of the FOCCUS instrument.
3. Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of your communication process.
4. Examine the sacramental aspects of your human covenant.
5. Assess your readiness for marriage and complete the Prenuptial Questionnaire.
6. Begin the liturgical wedding plans and present to you the parish guidelines. Inform you of the cost and suggested offering.

1. DAY FOR THE ENGAGED-DIOCESAN MARRIAGE PREP PROGRAM

2. ENGAGED ENCOUNTER WEEKEND

D. Phase Four: Completion of Marriage Prep Process 

1. Discuss with you what you have learned and experienced at your formal marriage preparation program.
2. Discuss with you your understanding of sacrament in light of your formal marriage preparation.
3. Discuss with you your responsibilities as members of God's people, as spouses and future parents.
4. Complete all documentary requirements. As appropriate, grant permission for mixed marriage and/or apply for appropriate permissions or dispensations.
5. Discuss the reception of Penance and Holy Eucharist as a fitting preparation for the sacrament of Matrimony.
6. Finalize the wedding liturgy and discuss the wedding rehearsal.   
    

 Natural Family Planning
The approved method of spacing children in the eyes of our church is Natural Family Planning (NFP).

Natural Family Planning is a term used for identifying some methods of achieving or avoiding pregnancies. It is based on naturally occurring signs and symptoms of a woman’s fertile and infertile cycles. Today’s NFP is not the old “rhythm method.” Natural Family Planning helps couples to enrich the bond between husband and wife. Any couple can use NFP! NFP is the practice of spacing pregnancies according to the informed awareness of a woman's fertility. Although, the calendar “rhythm” method is a natural method, it is very different from the modern approaches to family planning. Calendar “rhythm” is based on a woman's past cycle lengths and some averages and is unable to account for irregular cycles. The modern methods of natural family planning are based chiefly on present fertility signs of the current cycle and are also effective during the irregular cycle.

If you are engaged and would like to begin your marriage preparation, you will need to meet with your priest or deacon. He will give you a marriage preparation booklet which will include all of this marriage prep information and a registration form. You will need to complete the registration form, detach it and mail the form with your registration fee at least THREE MONTHS BEFORE THE MARRIAGE PREP DATE YOU WISH TO ATTEND. Your fee can be paid with check or money order made payable to the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux. DO NOT SEND CASH!! Come dressed comfortably.

Day for the Engaged Calendar

Location:  Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux, Pastoral Center Conference Hall
                   2779 Highway 311
                   Schriever, LA 70395
                   Questions? call 985-850-3129

          2010 Dates   

• Sunday, September 26, 2010
• Saturday, October 9, 2010
• Sunday, November 7, 2010
  
  2011 Dates
  
• Saturday, January 8, 2011
• Sunday, February, 20, 2011
• Satruday, March 26, 2011
• Sunday, May 15, 2011
• Saturday, June 25, 2011
• Sunday, July 31, 2011
• Saturday, September 17, 2011
• Sunday, November 6, 2011
   

NO COUPLE WILL BE ADMITTED TO THE DIOCESAN MARRIAGE PREPARATION PROGRAM WITHOUT HAVING MET WITH THEIR PARISH PRIEST/DEACON AND PRE-REGISTERING!

A tentative wedding date may be set at the time of this initial contact with the priest/deacon. When the couple has completed PHASE TWO of the Marriage Preparation Process, the tentative wedding date will be confirmed or changed.

III. RESPONSIBILITIES

      A. Priest/Deacon

The church has the pastoral obligation to assist those desiring to marry to make a prayerful and mature judgment concerning their marriage. In particular, the priest/deacon, who plans to witness a marriage, is personally responsible for the complete marriage preparation process. He has the serious moral and ministerial responsibility to assist the engaged couple in understanding the meaning of Christian marriage in its human, spiritual, canonical and sacramental aspects, and to provide a liturgical experience that truly celebrates and manifests the momentous step that the couple is taking.

     B. Community

The faithful in each parish share in the pastoral responsibility to help engaged couples prepare for their life together. Married couples have a particular responsibility to witness the holiness of their sacramental life of intimacy, unity, self-sacrificing love and commitment. They may therefore be invited to participate actively in the marriage preparation of engaged couples in their parish.

     C. Parents

The church recognizes the unique and vital role of parents in the psychological, social, moral, and spiritual development of their children. Renewal in the church has included attempts to make sacramental preparation more family centered. Parents are therefore encouraged to respond to the invitation of the priest/deacon to participate actively in the assessment and preparation of their children for marriage in the church whenever possible.

IV. THE MARRIAGE PREPARATION PROCESS

1. Establish rapport with you in order to support and counsel you at this most important time in your life.
2. Examine your motives for marriage.
3. Explore any special circumstances that may affect marriage, e.g., age, cultural background, pregnancy, military service, physical or emotional problems, levels of faith and religious issues.
4. Explain the Marriage Preparation Process.
5. Obtain personal information, explain what other documentation is needed, and determine whether any dispensations or permissions will be necessary.

The priest/deacon and/or FOCCUS facilitator will:
1. Administer a PREMARITAL INSTRUMENT to assist in beginning the assessment of your readiness to marry. A premarital instrument is a tool designed to help you assess your readiness for marriage. It is not a pass/fail indicator. Instead it is meant to help you discover more about yourselves and each other in a non-threatening and objective way.  Our diocese utilizes the FOCCUS (Facilitating Open Couple Communication Understanding and Study) instrument to help you identify issues that need to be discussed, reflected on, understood, studied for problem-solving, skill-building and decision-making. Your priest/deacon will give you more information at your initial meeting.
2. Discuss the results of the FOCCUS instrument.
3. Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of your communication process.
4. Examine the sacramental aspects of your human covenant.
5. Assess your readiness for marriage and complete the Prenuptial Questionnaire.
6. Begin the liturgical wedding plans and present to you the parish guidelines. Inform you of the cost and suggested offering.

1. DAY FOR THE ENGAGED-DIOCESAN MARRIAGE PREP PROGRAM

2. ENGAGED ENCOUNTER WEEKEND

D. Phase Four: Completion of Marriage Prep Process 

1. Discuss with you what you have learned and experienced at your formal marriage preparation program.
2. Discuss with you your understanding of sacrament in light of your formal marriage preparation.
3. Discuss with you your responsibilities as members of God's people, as spouses and future parents.
4. Complete all documentary requirements. As appropriate, grant permission for mixed marriage and/or apply for appropriate permissions or dispensations.
5. Discuss the reception of Penance and Holy Eucharist as a fitting preparation for the sacrament of Matrimony.
6. Finalize the wedding liturgy and discuss the wedding rehearsal.   
    

 Natural Family Planning
The approved method of spacing children in the eyes of our church is Natural Family Planning (NFP).

Natural Family Planning is a term used for identifying some methods of achieving or avoiding pregnancies. It is based on naturally occurring signs and symptoms of a woman’s fertile and infertile cycles. Today’s NFP is not the old “rhythm method.” Natural Family Planning helps couples to enrich the bond between husband and wife. Any couple can use NFP! NFP is the practice of spacing pregnancies according to the informed awareness of a woman's fertility. Although, the calendar “rhythm” method is a natural method, it is very different from the modern approaches to family planning. Calendar “rhythm” is based on a woman's past cycle lengths and some averages and is unable to account for irregular cycles. The modern methods of natural family planning are based chiefly on present fertility signs of the current cycle and are also effective during the irregular cycle.

If you are engaged and would like to begin your marriage preparation, you will need to meet with your priest or deacon. He will give you a marriage preparation booklet which will include all of this marriage prep information and a registration form. You will need to complete the registration form, detach it and mail the form with your registration fee at least THREE MONTHS BEFORE THE MARRIAGE PREP DATE YOU WISH TO ATTEND. Your fee can be paid with check or money order made payable to the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux. DO NOT SEND CASH!! Come dressed comfortably.

Day for the Engaged Calendar

Location:  Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux, Pastoral Center Conference Hall
                   2779 Highway 311
                   Schriever, LA 70395
                   Questions? call 985-850-3129

          2010 Dates   

• Sunday, September 26, 2010
• Saturday, October 9, 2010
• Sunday, November 7, 2010
  
  2011 Dates
  
• Saturday, January 8, 2011
• Sunday, February, 20, 2011
• Satruday, March 26, 2011
• Sunday, May 15, 2011
• Saturday, June 25, 2011
• Sunday, July 31, 2011
• Saturday, September 17, 2011
• Sunday, November 6, 2011
   

NO COUPLE WILL BE ADMITTED TO THE DIOCESAN MARRIAGE PREPARATION PROGRAM WITHOUT HAVING MET WITH THEIR PARISH PRIEST/DEACON AND PRE-REGISTERING!