Marriage Formation
» F.O.C.C.U.S.
» Marriage Prep Sessions
» God's Plan Sessions
» Engaged Encounter
» Sponsor Couple
» NFP
Marriage Enrichment
Family Enrichment
Consolation Ministries
 Diocese of Metuchen P.O. Box 191 Metuchen, NJ 08840 Tel: (732) 562-1990 Ext. 1624 & 1623 Fax: (732) 562-1018 |
Marriage Preparation Process
Step One 1
Contact the Parish
"The marriage preparation process begins with your first call to the parish inquiring about being married in the Church. Call as soon as you get engaged!
A member of the parish staff will facilitate arrangements for you to meet with the pastoral minister (usually a priest or deacon of the parish) as soon as possible. A date for your wedding may not be entered into the parish calendar until such a meeting takes place.
Step Two 2
Initial Meeting with Priest or Deacon
At the time of your first meeting, the pastoral minister will explain the marriage preparation process and provide information about the available marriage formation programs you are required to attend. You have the option of selecting the program best suited to your needs.
The pastoral minister will begin to fill out the necessary canonical forms and advise you as to what Church and civil documents are needed.
Step Three 3
(Facilitating Open Couple Communication, Understanding and Study)
F.O.C.C.U.S. is a premarital inventory that provides a personalized profile of your relationship. The individualized couple feedback covers topic areas important to marriage: life-style expectations, friends, and interests, personality match, personal issues, problem solving, communication, dual careers, religion and values, etc.
Group session for the F.O.C.C.U.S. Inventory are located in various sites throughout the diocese. Select a convenient location and date. It is advised that F.O.C.CU.S. be taken prior to attending the marriage formation sessions. Pre-registration is required. The registration fee of $10.00 per couple must accompany the registration form. Registration forms may be found here.
Click here for DATES for the FOCCUS PRE-MARITAL INVENTORY SESSIONS. Pre-registration is necessary. Please call the Family Life Office (732) 562-1990 Ext. 1624. The registration fee of $10.00 per couple is payable in advance.
CLICK HERE for printable FOCCUS Session Application
Engaged Couples may call Family Life Office to register: (732) 562-1990 Ext. 1624
Step Four 4
Attend Marriage Formation Sessions
You are required to attend both a & b or select c only:
a) Marriage Preparation Session(s) and
b) "God's Plan for a Joy-Filled Marriage" Session OR
c) Engaged Encounter Weekend
Marriage Preparation Session(s)
Through a series of presentations and conversations, couples are invited to consider both theoretical and practical issues which will confront and enrich their transition to married life. The sessions are designed to assist couples in asking the right questions, the truly significant questions, as they seriously ponder the Sacrament of Marriage. The Marriage Preparation Sessions offer practical advice and assistance in building a successful marriage. Topics covered include: Communication, Conflict Resolution, Family of Origin and Finances. The registration fee is $100 per couple.
»» Click here for a further information and a complete list of dates
God's Plan for a Joy-Filled Marriage
"God's Plan for a Joy-Filled Marriage" Session is designed to help today's engaged couples understand and embrace a Catholic vision of married love. The goal is for couples to comprehend the "whys" behind the "whats" of Catholic teaching. The registration fee of $125 per couple includes lunch.
“God’s Plan for a Joy-Filled Marriage” offers a more complete understanding of God's glorious plan for marriage and human sexuality based on Pope John Paul II's Theology of the Body. This program is intended to enhance a key component of marriage preparation: catechesis in the theology of marriage and the gift of human sexuality. This state of the art approach to marriage preparation is also designed to facilitate the couple's insight and self-awareness, and help develop important relational skills.
The God's Plan program provides a full catechesis of the Church's teaching, in an uplifting manner that resonates within the human heart. Engaged couples will learn how their love mirrors Christ's love for the Church, and how entering into the life-giving love of the Trinity through their marriage will bring them the happiness and fulfillment they desire..
»» Click here for a further information and a complete list of dates
A weekend experience that provides time for the engaged couple to dialogue intensively and honestly about their prospective lives together, their role in the Church and society, goals, attitudes about finances, sex, children and family. Personal and spiritual reflection, along with couple dialogue, are the main highlights of the weekend. The program starts on Friday evening and continues until late Sunday afternoon.
»» For more information and dates, click here.
»» CLICK HERE for printable registration form
Step Five 5
Natural Family Planning (optional)
The Family Life Ministry Office sponsors and directs a Natural Family Planning program presented by trained, certified practitioners who are married couples. The program provides knowledge of fertility awareness through a couple-oriented program consisting of four instructional sessions.
»» Dates, registration info and more HERE
»» Download NFP chart ( PDF PDF - 43KB)
Parish Sponsor Couple Meetings
Through a series of meetings the sponsor couple provides the engaged couple with the means to evaluate their relationship, to assess potential difficulties, to develop communication skills essential for an intimate relationship, and to integrate the Christian vision of marriage into their expectations for marriage.
The Sponsor Couple program is not available in every parish. Check with your parish or call the Family Life Office for a list of parishes who have Sponsor Couples.