““That is why a man leavesThat is why a man leaveshis father and mother and his father and mother and

clingsclings to his wife, andto his wife, and

the two of them become one the two of them become one body.”body.”

Genesis 2:24Genesis 2:24

CATHOLIC MARRIAGE CATHOLIC MARRIAGE PREP, LLCPREP, LLC

Mission Statement:

Catholic Marriage Prep, LLC (CMP) is dedicated to the building of strong Catholicmarriages.With God being the source and foundation ofmarriage, it is foremost a spiritual journey.

The Foundation:

The Catholic Marriage Prep program is deeply rooted in John Paul II’s Theology of the Body and the teachings of the Catholic Church (Catechism of theCatholic Church, encyclicals, and apostolic letters).

Catholic Marriage Prep, LLCCatholic Marriage Prep, LLC

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The course covers the theological and

sacramental aspects of marriage and sexuality.

It also expands on the “life-skills” a couple will

need throughout their marriage.

Taught either in a class/seminar style, one

evening per week over four consecutive weeks,

or one-on-one, in a mentor couple/engaged couple

setting, at the discretion of the mentor couple.

Program OverviewProgram Overview

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Cost: $180 per couple

In the Beginning… Genesis:

God's original plan for humanity, man, and woman,

the origin of marriage and how sin distorted it.

In both creation accounts we will understand the TRUE vocation of

humanity, the TRUE vocation of man, and the TRUE vocation of woman,

laying the foundation for a strong marriage and family life.

First Evening OverviewFirst Evening Overview

“The wise man builds his house upon a rock” Matt. 7:244

We will also define sin, how it distorted man

and woman's relationship, and why it separated

them from God.

Some questions from our first evening:

• What is this fruit Adam and Eve ate and

why didn't God want them to eat it?

• How did the man and his wife sin?

• What are the first consequences of sin?

• How does this still affect us today?

• Is there any hope for redemption?

First Evening OverviewFirst Evening Overview

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The Sacrament of Matrimony:

After defining a covenant and a short review of

the seven sacraments of the Church, we will

reflect on what it means to receive the Sacrament

of Matrimony.

We will use the Catechism of the Catholic

Church (paragraphs 1601 – 1666), to discuss the

requirements of a valid sacrament and what a

couple is consenting to.

We will also listen to St. Paul in the Letter to the

Ephesians, as he gives us clues about the love and respect

connection to enhance our communication.

Second Evening OverviewSecond Evening Overview

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Forgiveness and Freedom:

Forgiveness plays a vital role in marriage and we will understand just how

important it is, and “rediscover” the value of the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

Your body is a Temple:

We will also learn that we owe immense respect to our bodies, as they are

the Temple of the Holy Spirit and a window to our souls. This will give us

clues on how to have a holy sex life.

We will look at how to safe-guard ourselves against the “silent killers of

families” such as, pornography and other sins of the flesh.

Second Evening OverviewSecond Evening Overview

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THE RITE OF MARRIAGE IN DETAIL:

We will analyze in detail each sentence of the vows.

1. Freely and Without Reservation

2. To Give Yourselves to Each Other

3. For the Rest of Your Lives

4. Will You Accept Children

5. I Take You

Third Evening OverviewThird Evening Overview

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We will discuss cohabitation, sex before marriage, contraception,

abortion, reproductive technologies…

Couples will work individually on these core topics:

– Abstinence

– Natural Family Planning

They will learn that to be

a faithful Catholic couple

requires them to be

counter-cultural.

Third Evening OverviewThird Evening Overview

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EXPECTATIONS:

Each couple will reflect individually on

these questions:

- What do you expect from marriage?

- What is going to hold your marriage

together for life?

Fourth Evening OverviewFourth Evening Overview

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POTENTIAL PROBLEMS:Together we will unmask the myths about

marriage, and bring expectations in line

with reality. We will make a list of potential

problems in a marriage and each couple

will work on finding their own

potential problems.

RELATIONSHIP TOOLS:RELATIONSHIP TOOLS:

RELATIONSHIP TOOLS CONTINUED:RELATIONSHIP TOOLS CONTINUED:

COMMUNICATION:

1. Couples will receive introductory skills to active listening and

non-blaming communication.

2. Techniques to dealing with feelings and emotions during

communication.

3. Tips on how to express the needs of each individual.

PRAYER:

Couples are given insight into what prayer is.

They are helped to understand the importance of daily prayer in

marriage.

Suggestions are made on how to get started.

Fourth Evening OverviewFourth Evening Overview

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CLOSING:

Prayer as a whole class, Entrusting Our Marriages To God, as well as

individual prayer time.

Distribution of certificates of completion (except for those couples waiting

on annulments).

Social and fellowship

time with refreshments.

Fourth Evening overviewFourth Evening overview

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• Space for notes and answering questions

• Scripture passages read in class

• Documents to read as homework

• Love Letters

• Fun quizzes to take together

• Questionnaires for the audio files

• Budget Sheet

• Feedback sheet

• Resources

Couple’ s WorkbookCouple’ s Workbook

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Each couple is given a 200 page Workbook including:

REQUIRED READING AND LISTENING:

Each chapter ends with a selection of documents

to read at home.

Couples are also encouraged to write each other

love letters on the different subjects covered in class.

Before evening three they must fill out two

questionnaires based on audio teachings from

Dr. Janet Smith:

1. Humanae Vitae and Conscience

2. Contraception: Why Not?

on the importance of properly forming their conscience,

and the Church’s position on contraception.

Fun quizzes are a part of the weekly

assignment.

Couple’s HomeworkCouple’s Homework

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CDs are available athttp://mycatholicfaith.org

TIME FRAME: Four evenings spread over four

consecutive weeks with each evening lasting 2.5 hours.

(i.e. 4 Mondays in a row or 4 Thursdays in a row)

Program DetailsProgram Details

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PRICE: Suggested price is $180 which would beorganized through the parish office.

WHO: Taught by the same Catholic in good standingMARRIED COUPLE all four evenings.

CLASS SIZE: Either one-on-one or in a seminar styleclass of a minimum of five couples to a maximum of 20 couples.

TEACHING STYLE:

The course is not designed to be taught in the traditional “lecture” style,

but rather to challenge the couples to “think” first and try to find their own

answers to the different questions.

Program DetailsProgram Details

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This heuristic process allows the couples to stay engaged in the subject

being discussed and helps them “own” the knowledge that is being

passed on. The instructors will then complete the couple’s

answers with the teachings of the Church.

INSTRUCTOR REQUIREMENTS:

• Must be a married couple

• Must be married a minimum of five years

• Must be in good standing with the Catholic Church

• Must be formed online and certified by Catholic Marriage Prep, LLC

Instructors DetailsInstructors Details

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INSTRUCTOR FORMATION:

COST: $400 per instructor couple – parishes sending several

instructors at a time can receive a $100 discount per couple.

Contact Catholic Marriage Prep, LLC directly to make arrangements.

FORMATION TIME FRAME: Formation may begin immediately.

Formation can take from three weeks to a maximum of three months with

six weeks being about average.

Instructors DetailsInstructors Details

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INSTRUCTOR PACKAGE:

• One instructor workbook: 300 pages of material which follows

the Power Point presentation.

• One CD with the interactive Power Point presentation

Also included on the CD:

– A blank certificate

– One complete set of class summaries to be printed and

passed on to the engaged couples.

• One engaged couple workbook

• Two abstinence pledge cards

• One abstinence flyer

Instructors DetailsInstructors Details

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INSTRUCTOR’S PACKAGEINSTRUCTOR’S PACKAGE

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Frequently Asked QuestionsFrequently Asked Questions

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What happens if a couple misses a class?What happens if a couple misses a class?Couples can catch up online. Instructors can direct them to

www.catholicmarriagepreponline.com where they can register for the class

they missed, staying on track with the rest of the couples. The couple will

be charged a fee of $19.95 per class for this service, as Catholic Marriage

Prep, LLC online instructors will handle the teaching.

The fee is an incentive to the couple to do everything possible to avoid

missing a class at the parish for all but the most urgent matters, and to

provide a hassle-free service for the parish.

Frequently Asked QuestionsFrequently Asked Questions

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Why are the classes spread out over a month?Why are the classes spread out over a month?This allows couples to process and accept the Church’s teachings that

they

are learning - possibly for the first time in their lives. Not only do the

instructors need to plant the right seeds, but many times they need to

prepare the soil first!

Can the class be taught over a weekend?Can the class be taught over a weekend?No. Because of the nature of the questions asked and the decisions that

each couple is asked to make, these matters take time to consider.

In most seminar style courses, information is absorbed only in the first

few hours; think back over your own experience…

Weekend style classes do not provide instructors the opportunity to build

trust with these couples like they can over several encounters.

Frequently Asked QuestionsFrequently Asked Questions

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Can more than one instructor couple teach the same class?Can more than one instructor couple teach the same class?No, we don’t recommend it. The main reason is because the instructors

are trying to build a trusting relationship with each of the couples.

By building a trusting relationship and teaching the positions of the Church

with love, we have an acceptance rate of abstinence and NFP

greater than 90% in both cases!

Can our parish train other instructors?Can our parish train other instructors?No, only Catholic Marriage Prep, LLC will form instructors and only online.

This provides consistency among the instructors, convenience for couples,

and a safe-guard for the parish. Because the instructor’s answers are

written out, if there are any issues that arise during formation, the priest

can decide whether or not they become instructors.

Frequently Asked QuestionsFrequently Asked Questions

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Can I teach the class without my spouse?Can I teach the class without my spouse?No. Because this is MARRIAGE preparation, for the benefit of the

engaged

couples, both husband and wife of the instructor couple need to present

the material.

The richness of the material is revealed in the completeness of BOTH

the male and female perspectives.

Not only is it important for the engaged couples to have a great example

of a married couple working together, but the instructor couple will be

able to reap great benefits for their own marriage.

Frequently Asked QuestionsFrequently Asked Questions

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Why does the program focus so much on the spiritual aspects of Why does the program focus so much on the spiritual aspects of

marriage rather than on life-skills?marriage rather than on life-skills?

First, a few numbers...

Average age at first marriage:

Women 1970 = 20.8         2010 = 26.1  

Men      1970 = 23.2      2010 = 28.2

Women giving birth for the first time at age 30 or older:

- 1970 = 4%

- 2007 = 22%

Because more and more couples are getting married later in life, they

are no longer coming to the Catholic Church to learn these basic skills.

We cannot give these couples the same kind of preparation that we were

giving 20 or 30 years ago, when young people had a solid

religious formation through their families.

Frequently Asked QuestionsFrequently Asked Questions

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Most couples today have learned how to communicate through their

careers, their counselors, or just the Internet, and the abundant literature

one can find on the market.

They have also had to learn how to handle money effectively through

living on their own.

Couples today mostly need a moral and spiritual compass.

They need to learn self-giving love and to understand the beauty of

the Sacrament of Matrimony. They need to learn to give Christ the

first place in their lives.

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Still, throughout, our program focuses on many different life-skills,

linking them to the spiritual:

First evening: the reading of Genesis eliminates any confusion about our

life’s mission as male and female.

Second evening: St. Paul teaches us how to communicate and live as

husband and wife.

We also focus on forgiveness, one of the most important skills in marriage!

Third evening: we approach chastity, family planning.

We also discuss what discipline is about and give resources

on child-rearing.

Fourth evening: we go into the more “traditional” type of life-skills such

as potential problems, communication, conflict resolution,

budgeting, and expectations.

Frequently Asked QuestionsFrequently Asked Questions

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Does the parish have to buy additional resources outside ofDoes the parish have to buy additional resources outside of

the instructor training to implement the course?the instructor training to implement the course?

Yes and no…

No, the instructor training is all inclusive and they will have everything

they need, along with one Workbook.

Yes, the parish will have to buy more Workbooks (which are

then resold to the couples) if they want to teach more than

one couple.

We also recommend that light refreshments be available to the couples

like water, soda, fruit, cheese, etc.

Frequently Asked QuestionsFrequently Asked Questions

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Do you have any continued contact with the couples?Do you have any continued contact with the couples?

Yes! There is E-Chat! Our monthly e-newsletter.

All that the couples, or instructors, have to do, is send us

an email asking to be added to our list.

E-Chat! contains current information related to marriage with a different

topic each month.

ArchbishopCharles Chaput,

O.F.M. Cap.Denver

BishopMichael Sheridan

Colorado Springs