Preparing for Marriage

Marriage Preparation

St. Monica prepares engaged couples for the Sacrament of marriage by providing couples with the tools and opportunities to evaluate and deepen their readiness to live a married life with Christ as the foundation of their marriag.

The Marital preparation program includes taking the FOCCUS instrument and working with a Sponsor Couple, attending a workshop for Engaged couples, and attending a class on Natural Family Planning.

FOCCUS and Sponsor Couple Program

As engaged couples prepare for the Sacrament of Marriage, they are assigned a sponsor couple and they fill out the FOCCUS (Facilitate Open, Caring Communication, Understandings, and Study) Pre-Marriage inventory. The FOCCUS inventory is a research based assessment tool that asks 156 questions pertaining to family issues, money, sexuality, role expectations, parenting, communication styles and self-esteem, parenting and other areas. Based on the answers from the FOCCUS inventory, the sponsor couple helps facilitate couple discussion on those issues that need time and attention, affirmation or problem solving.

To take the FOCCUS inventory, please come by the Office of Faith Formation anytime between 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The Office of Faith Formation will process the results and the results will be given to the Sponsor Couple.

To be assigned a sponsor couple, engaged couples need to call the Office of Faith Formation at (214)357-8549.

Engagement Workshop

St. Monica offers a day workshop that covers the following topics pertaining to marriage:

  • Faith in Marriage
  • Finances and Budgeting
  • Theology of the Body
  • Interpersonal Communication

The workshops are offered in January, April, July and October and are held from 9 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

To sign up for the July 14 workshop, please click here.

Creighton Model Fertility Care System (Natural Family Planning)

St. Monica offers information sessions on how to use the Creighton Model Fertility Care System (CrMS). CrMS relies on upon the standard observation and charting of biological markers to help women understand their fertility. CrMS is used to help achieve and postpone pregnancy. It also provides women with the opportunity to understand the causes of infertility, menstrual cramps, repetitive miscarriage, irregular or abnormal bleeding and other health problems.

The next class time is March 19, 2012.

Click the respective date to register: